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Charge Catalog Imports

Owned by Brian Dixon
Last updated: Mar 05, 2024
6 min read

Capability

The 'Charge Catalog Import' allows Users to update and Import records into the Charge Catalog grid. Since the Import Process does not know if a new Charge is desired, or an Existing Charge needs to be updated, it is important to remember to set the Update Existing Charges flag if you want to update a Charge.

Matches On

The Charge Catalog Import matches on the Charge Catalog Full Path Name and the Charge Type. If there is no match, the record from the Import will INSERT. If there is a match, the remaining fields can UPDATE.

Fields

Full Path Name

Required.
Datatype is Hierarchical String.

Parent Charge Type

Datatype is List.
Must be one of the CHARGE_TYPE values.
Defaults are Monthly Recurring, Nonrecurring, Annual Recurring, Semi-Annual Recurring, and Quarterly Recurring.
This is only used to help find the correct parent record. It is not saved.

Description

Datatype is String.

Charge Type

Conditionally Required if INSERT.
Datatype is List.

Must be one of the CHARGE_TYPE values. Defaults are Monthly Recurring, Nonrecurring, Annual Recurring, Semi-Annual Recurring, and Quarterly Recurring. See the List Values wiki page for more information.

Amount

Conditionally Required if INSERT and Allow Override is false.
Datatype is Number.
Since the Import Process does not know if a new Charge is desired, or an Existing Charge needs to be updated, it is important to remember to set the Update Existing Charges flag if you want to update a Charge.

Qty Type

Conditionally Required if INSERT.
Datatype is String.
Value MUST be one of Disabled, Whole, or Fractional.

Allow Override

Datatype is Boolean.
Defaults to False.

Category

Datatype is Boolean.
Defaults to False.

Taxable

Datatype is Boolean.
Defaults to False.

Bill Forward

Datatype is Boolean.
Defaults to False.

Bill Backward

Datatype is Boolean.
Defaults to False.

Revenue GLA

Conditionally Required if INSERT.
Datatype is Hierarchical String.
Value must be an existing GLA.

Revenue Object Code

Conditionally Required if INSERT.
Datatype is String.
Value must be an existing Object Code.

Expense Object Code

Conditionally Required if INSERT.
Datatype is String.
Value must be an existing Object Code.

Expense Type

Conditionally Required if INSERT.
Datatype is List, must be one of the EXPENSE_TYPE values.
Defaults are Default, Usage, Equipment, and Labor. See the List Values wiki page for more information.

Status

Datatype is Boolean.
Defaults to Active.

Selective Billing

Datatype is Boolean.
Defaults to False.
This can only be set to True on MRCs, and only if Bill Forward and Bill Backward are both False.

Selective Billing Behavior

Datatype is String.
Defaults to "do_not_bill".
You can only provide a value for this field if Selective Billing is True.
The valid values for this field are "do_not_bill" and "bill_zero".

Selective Billing Months

Datatype is String.
You can only provide a value for this field if Selective Billing is True.
The valid values for this field are a single month or a comma-separated list of months. The months can be listed as full month names, or 3-digit abbreviations.

Child Tables

Billing Group Override

Billing Group Override Billing Group

Datatype is String.
Value must be an existing Billing Group.

Billing Group Override Revenue GLA

Datatype is Hierarchical String.
Value must be an existing GLA

Billing Group Override Revenue Object Code

Datatype is String.
Value must be an existing Object Code.

Billing Group Override Expense Object Code

Datatype is String.
Value must be an existing Object Code.

Billing Group Override Clear

Datatype is Boolean.
This controls how items are added to the Billing Group Override list.
By default, if a Billing Group Override value is provided, then the first record for a specific Charge Catalog will first clear the Billing Group Override list. Then each successive record for that Charge Catalog will append to the Billing Group Override list.
If the 'Billing Group Override Clear' flag is set to false, it will prevent the first occurrence from clearing the list.
If the 'Billing Group Override Clear' flag is set to true, it will clear the list even if a new Billing Group Override value is not provided.
      Note: If Billing Group Override Billing Group is provided, then require at least any one of Billing Group Override Revenue GLA, Billing Group Override Revenue Object Code, or Billing Group Override Expense Object Code.

Billing Group Pricing

Billing Group Pricing Billing Group

Datatype is String.
Value must be an existing Billing Group.

Billing Group Pricing Amount

Conditionally Required if the Billing Group Pricing Billing Group is provided.
Datatype is Number.

Billing Group Pricing Clear

Datatype is Boolean.
This controls how items are added to the Billing Group Pricing list.
By default, if a Billing Group Pricing value is provided, then the first record for a specific Charge Catalog will first clear the Billing Group Pricing list. Then each successive record for that Charge Catalog will append to the Billing Group Pricing list.
If the 'Billing Group Pricing Clear' flag is set to false, it will prevent the first occurrence from clearing the list.
If the 'Billing Group Pricing Clear' flag is set to true, it will clear the list even if a new Billing Group Pricing value is not provided.

GLA Component Pricing

GLA Component Pricing Format

This is Required if any GLA Component Pricing field is provided.
Datatype is String.

GLA Component Pricing Component 1 (through GLA Component Pricing Component X)

Datatype is String.
There will be as many of these fields available to map in an import as the largest number of GLA Components of the GLAs you have configured.

GLA Component Pricing Amount

Conditionally Required if any GLA Component Pricing field is provided.
Datatype is Number.

GLA Component Pricing Clear

Datatype is Boolean.
This controls how items are added to the GLA Component Pricing list.
By default, if a GLA Component Pricing value is provided, then the first record for a specific Charge Catalog will first clear the GLA Component Pricing list. Then each successive record for that Charge Catalog will append to the GLA Component Pricing list.
If the 'GLA Component Pricing Clear' flag is set to false, it will prevent the first occurrence from clearing the list.
If the 'GLA Component Pricing Clear' flag is set to true, it will clear the list even if a new GLA Component Pricing value is not provided.



Remarks

Remarks

Datatype is String
Any value provided here will create a new Remark record, even if you are just updating the Charge Catalog. The import cannot update an existing Remark record.

Remarks Author First Name

Datatype is String
Optional name to provide an Author for the Remark. Depending on your configuration, the Author can determine who can edit that Remark.

Remarks Author Last Name

Datatype is String

Remarks Author Customer Number

Datatype is String
This is an alternate method to provide the Author.

Flags

Update Existing Charges

Datatype is String, expected values are TODAY, BACKDATE, and RETAIN.
Default value is 'RETAIN'
This flag tells the import process what to do with existing charges when an existing Charge Catalog is updated.
'TODAY' - existing charges will stop with yesterday's date, and a new charge will start with today's date.
'BACKDATE' - existing charges will stop with the date of the last bill, and a new charge will start with the day after the last bill date.
'RETAIN' - existing charges will not be changed.

Alternate Recurring Charges (Quarterly, Semi-Annual, and Annual), when updated will always use 'BACKDATE' as the Effective Date.

Note: The Billing Group Pricing fields can only be used if you have Billing Group Pricing configured.
          The GLA Component Pricing fields can only be used if you have GLA Component Pricing configured.

Errors

When an Import Line fails, it is usually because the Line falls into one of the following categories:

  1. The value provided from another table was not found within the Database





  2. The value provided from another table has multiple possible entries





  3. A blank value was provided, for a field with a required value





  4. The value provided is not acceptable for the record type being created





  5. The System was unable to save the record