Import XML or CSV in backend for subscribers

  • Hi Peter,

    I saw some topics about import but 8 months ago.
    Is there a possibility to provide subscribers in the backend with import on “Data Pages” of type “Table” with format Excel/XML or CSV in addition to SQL ?
    Excel/XML should be the preferred solution since Excel encodes xml as UTF-8 while it proposes several types of csv with 1 with utf-8 encoding (this may lead users to save with wrong csv type).
    I don’t see any common Use Case for subscribers to import SQL, while importing XML or CSV is a strong use case, because people often manipulate data within Excel before importing them into the DB.

    Best regards
    Roger

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
  • Plugin Author Passionate Programmer Peter

    (@peterschulznl)

    Hi Roger,

    There are no plans to support other import formats than SQL and CSV as it is very easy to convert JSON, XML and other file types to CSV. Here is an interesting source to bookmark:
    https://www.convertcsv.com/

    Admin users can import CSV files from the Data Explorer. If I understand your question correctly, you want to make this available for non admin users as well? Is that correct?

    Thanks,
    Peter

    Thread Starter sturmy31

    (@sturmy31)

    Yes ! Exactly, I would like to make import available for non admin users.

    • This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by sturmy31.
    Plugin Author Passionate Programmer Peter

    (@peterschulznl)

    Hi Roger,

    You might expect this to be easy, but I’m afraid it’s not. A CSV import needs a column mapping. I wonder if you should ask non admin users to perform that step? As an alternatieve a mechanism could be developed where an admin performs the column mapping and a non admin just uses the provided mapping. But that would make the flow more complex. Or do you see a simpler approach?

    Thanks,
    Peter

    Thread Starter sturmy31

    (@sturmy31)

    Hi Peter,

    The use case is as follows: the national federations must provide the international federation with the list of clubs and the list of players (2,000 players for Italy!). The heads of national federations are often not comfortable with IT tools. So I can provide them with an Excel template file with a macro generating the CSV file in the right format. The idea is that then, all they have to do is upload the CSV file during an import whose mapping has been done beforehand by the administrator, with ideally certain fields of the table filled in with $$ USER $$ variables. for example.
    So, as you can understand, importing SQL files is not a solution in that use case.

    The possibility to use a pre-defined column mapping is THE solution for me. I don’t see a simpler approach.
    However, it is not useful to anticipate all cases; importing the same CSV twice on a table with primary keys will cause a “duplicate key” error. The user will have to empty his table to import again, this if the $$USER$$ is possible with import ! I can’t imagine one table per national federation.

    Thanks
    Roger

    • This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by sturmy31.
    Plugin Author Passionate Programmer Peter

    (@peterschulznl)

    Hi Roger,

    There is a request for CSV updates, which might be helpful in your case as well. But you need to make sure your keys are in sync. If they are not you will duplicates without knowing.

    I see how this post is relates to your other question. Please give me some time. I’ll let you know when I start working on it. Maybe you can offer some imput for the workflow?

    Thanks for your contribution ??
    Peter

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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