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Importing a File

Owned by Brian Dixon
Last updated: Mar 05, 2024
4 min read
Import Files Grid example
Import Files Grid example

Imports

PCR-360 allows Users to Import information into the application as needed. The bottom of this page has a list of all the Import types that can be used. Individual pages handle the specific logic of any given Import. This page goes over the more general information related to Imports.

Notes

  • The Import process CANNOT DELETE records.

  • In a Delimited file, the import treats the number of columns as one MORE than the number of commas separating values.

    • For example, if there is a CSV line with three commas, there will be 4 values.  The numbering of the fields is Zero-Based, so the indexes will be: 0,1,2,3 in the field mapping or Conditional Logic.

  • In a Fixed Width file, you will define the fields by Position and Length.  The field positions are Zero-Based.  So in a file where a field starts on the 1st character of a line, the Position is entered as 0.  If the field starts on the 10th character, the Position is 9.

  • To create a GLA Path, the value stored in the configuration option GLA_IMPORT_CONCATENATOR should be used as a concatenator.

    • The Default Value = " > ".

  • To create any other Hierarchy Path, the value stored in the configuration option HIERARCHYPATH_CONCATENATOR should be used as a concatenator.

    • The Default Value = " > ".

  • When running a Charge Import don't:

  • When running a Cabling Import don't:

  • When a File is Imported, PCR-360 records the User who uploaded it.

Uploading Files

After the format of the file to be imported has been defined, as described in the 'Import File Formats' article, the User can upload the file into the PCR-360 application.

Navigate to Admin>Imports/Exports>Import Files>Import Files. From the Grid, click the Upload_Files_Button.png button.

Import File Upload form example

From the Import File Upload form, the User must select an 'Import File Format' from a list of items on the Import File Formats grid.

Before uploading, it is recommended that the User tests the upload by clicking the Test Import File Button button and selecting the appropriate file to be imported from the user's computer.

The User can also choose to upload the file by clicking on the button.

The User is then prompted to select the appropriate file to be imported from their computer. When a file is selected for upload, the upload process begins immediately. After the file is uploaded it will appear in the Imported Files grid in an unprocessed state. The import process will begin in the background within a couple of minutes.



Importing Files with FTP

When a file is FTPed to the import directory specified by the IMPORT_FILES_PATH configuration option, the following steps are done to that file:

  1. The system compares the filename to the File Import Formats table to see if it matches any of the imports.

    1. If it does not match, the file will be left in the directory. There will be no entry in the Import Files grid.

    2. If it does match, an entry into the Import Files grid will be created, keyed by the filename and saved with a hash calculated from the file content and a status of Incomplete.

  2. Within another minute, the hash will be re-calculated and compared with the previous value to see if it has changed. This might happen if a large file was not finished uploading on the previous check. If the hash changes, the new hash is saved and the file is checked in another minute. When the hash stays the same value three checks in a row, the file is updated to a status of Complete.

  3. When the file is Complete, the final hash value is checked in the Import Files grid to see if the file is a duplicate of a previous file. The File Import Format has an option to specify if duplicate files are allowed. If the file is a duplicate and the toggle is not set to allow duplicates, the status is marked with an error, and the file is not processed further.

  4. The file is then compressed with gzip and moved to the archive directory. Within a minute, the actual import process event will find and process the file from the archive directory.

Deleting Imported Files

The following imported files can be deleted:

  • Files With Error Descriptions

  • Test Files

  • Unbilled:

    • Call imports

    • Usage imports

    • Service Charge imports that only did New Adds, no Updates

    • GLA Charge imports that only did New Adds, no Updates

To delete Files that have been imported, go to Admin > Imports / Exports / Import Files > Import Files.

Once there, select the desired files to be deleted, and click 'Delete Selected' from the Import Files Grid.

A confirmation dialogue will appear, alerting the user what types of files can be deleted.

RECID vs. ROW ID