Tool "Import"

The "Import" tool is a possibility to import all collectibles from the specified file. And after complete revision of the "Import" feature in Collection Studio 3.49, current version provides the following formats for import:

• Auto-detect CSV, TXT Files (extension: csv, txt);
• Comma-separated values CSV File (extension: csv);
• Semicolon-separated values CSV File (extension: csv);
• Tab-separated text file (extension: txt);
• XML Table (extensions: xml) - Automatically imports collectible images, attachments and links.

Note: Right now, "Import" tool doesn't support importing images from the file.

To import an item follow the instruction below:

• Step 1: Select a file to import;
• Step 2: Assign field types;
• Step 3: View imported data in collection.

Step 1: Select a file to import

Select a XML or CSV file with data to import.
You can easy create such files using "Export" tool.

Browse window

Step 2: Assign field types

Verify fetched data from the file being imported and assign types for columns using right mouse click on the list header.

If you see only one column, that means - you have selected wrong input file format. Press "Cancel" and run "Import" tool with another file mask.

No columns selected

Selection of columns is done

Press "Cancel" button - to stop import without any changes;
Press "Import" - and all collectible items mentioned in the list will be imported into opened Collection Studio Document;

All data from columns without assigned types will be skipped during import process and will be lost. CS tries to detect automatically following columns: country, currency, face value for banknotes and for coins collection and donator if table of contacts is not empty. In CS 3.64 additional auto-detect methods were added: to detect "Year" column (for all collections with year field inside), and in order to auto-detect "Coin Type" column (for coin collections only).

Import options

• Set zero year as N/A;
• First row is header; Check it if header was placed as a first record in the data of the file.

Processing of special columns

1. Nr.

If you don't set "Nr." field for any column, program will automatically create indexes for new items if Automatically calculate "Index ID" field is switched ON in settings window.

2. Income date

Field "income date" can be initialized using date string of following formats:

• yyyy-mm-dd
• yyyy/mm/dd
• yyyy.mm.dd
• dd-mm-yyyy
• dd/mm/yyyy
• dd.mm.yyyy

Also you can use unix time stamp. Unix time, or POSIX time, is a system for describing points in time, defined as the number of seconds elapsed since midnight Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) of January 1, 1970.

Step 3: View imported data in collection

After pressing "Import" button you will see your new collectible items in the Main List of the Collection Studio.

Import is finished. We can see imported collectibles.

Import from CSV file

The comma-separated values file format is a very simple data file format that is supported by almost all spreadsheet software such as Excel. So it is very easy to convert your collection from simple spreadsheet into powerful CollectionStudio Document.

In a comma-separated values (CSV) file the data items are delimited using commas. Column headers are sometimes included as the first line, and each subsequent line is a row of data. The lines are separated by newline and/or carriage return characters.

There is sample CSV file content below:

1,"Italy",20,Liras,,"Some comments, with comma"
2,"Poland",2,Zloty,1987,"Some ""quoted"" text in comments"
3,"Germany",1,Marks,1965,

Following rules are used during import from the CSV file:

• Fields are separated only by commas;
• Leading and trailing spaces or tabs, adjacent to commas, are trimmed;
• Only fields delimited with double-quote characters can embed commas;
• Embedded double-quote characters must be represented by a pair of double-quote characters;
• No line breaks allowed in the field;
• Fields with leading or trailing spaces must be delimited by double-quote characters;
• Fields may always be delimited by double-quote characters, whether necessary or not;
• Header can be placed only as a first record in the data in the file;
• All empty columns will be removed from the list.

The above sample of the CSV file will be parsed as:

1	Italy	20	Liras		Some comments, with comma
2	Poland	2	Zloty	1987	Some "quoted" text in comments
3	Germany	1	Marks	1965

Import from XML file

Currently only with XML file you could automatically import collectible images, attachments and links.

In order to successfully import all items from the XML file, it should be well-formatted in following way:

<Collection>
	<Item>
		<Field1>Value1</Field1>
		<Field2>Value2</Field2>
		<Field3>Value3</Field3>
	</Item>
</Collection>

Other tools

• Database Security;
• Find;
• Export;
• Import;
• Get Info from Web;
• Plugins;
• Print;
• Save View;

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