Import data from Excel

This function is perhaps the most dangerous area of your interaction with Compass.  It allows you to import data from a Microsoft Excel workbook to create or update a range of models.

A model is a specific type of data, which corresponds to a specific type of object in Compass.  Each model is defined by a number of different fields – some of which are required and some optional.  For example, a person instance in Compass is stored in the “person” model, which exists in the “new_papers” application, and has required fields of first_name, last_name, and dependent fields to an existing department and user.

Launch the import tookit by clicking on the Open import form (a) button.

Once you’ve opened the toolkit you’ll see a list of all the models for which data can be imported, along with the lists of their required fields (b), dependent fields (c), and optional fields (d).  Click on a row to select the model to change and open the next page.

Once your model is selected above, you’ll be taken to an upload page specific to that model type.  Check that the title at the top of the page is the model you expected.  The first row of your spreadsheet needs to be the column names listed: the required (b) and dependent fields (c) are compulsory, and the optional fields (d) are, well, optional.  NB: For the dependent fields, note that the name contains a double underscore in the title of the column.

Prepare your data in a spreadsheet with the appropriate column names in the top row, then upload it using the Choose file (e) button and then push the Preview (f) button.  This brings up the first row of the data so you can check you have the correct column names – you’ll be notified if there are any required or dependent columns missing.

Check the Preview column (g) then push the Process all (h) button.  This brings up a list of items as they are processed in the right hand Process logs column (i).  Please be patient and do not refresh this page!  You will be notified when the processing is finished.

A pop-up will notify you when all the rows have been processed:

  • If the processing of every row was successful, the pop-up will tell you so, and all the items on the list in (i) will be shown in green.
  • Where something has gone wrong with one or more rows, they’ll be shown in red in the processing list, and a pop-up will notify you.  Compass automatically saves the errors to a new spreadsheet, with suggestions as to what might have gone wrong with each row in the final column marked ERRORS.  Download the new spreadsheet by clicking the Download errors (j) button in the pop-up, fix the entries in it according to the specifics listed in the error column (k), and upload it when you’re ready.