Getting Started - Mapping data fields from excel

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Mapping data fields from excel

Printed From: ProductCart E-Commerce Solutions
Category: ProductCart
Forum Name: Getting Started
Forum Description: Installing, activating, and getting started with ProductCart
URL: https://forum.productcart.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3844
Printed Date: 30-November-2024 at 11:01pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Mapping data fields from excel

Posted By: postcarddepot
Subject: Mapping data fields from excel
Date Posted: 11-July-2010 at 6:51pm

Hi folks! I'm a newbie here, and debating purchase of this software. Been playing with the demo site all afternoon.

I have an access database which I am exporting to excel to upload to this software. I have fields that I need to custom map, but i am not sure where exactly to go to add them properly to the "ProductCart database fields"

For example, I want to create "ProductCart Database Fields" for the following fields that I have in my excel file, so that they will match up:

Publisher

Distributor

PM_Type

Card_Type

Card_Country

Card_State

((basically how do I create more options to show up under the "to" drop down on this pafge of the sample site https://www.earlyimpact.com/demos/standard/pcadmin/step2.asp - https://www.earlyimpact.com/demos/standard/pcadmin/step2.asp ))

Right now, I imported a product list, and have these items showing in the left column as "From" but nothing to map them to on the right column.

Also, this is a silly question I know, but are all of the "things" I have done to the sample cart visible only to me to or everyone? I stupidly uploaded a rather large category list, do I need to delete them all or are they viewable only on my end?

Thanks for the help

Replies:

Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 11-July-2010 at 7:06pm

The product import tool is rigid, and provides no functionality for introducing custom fields other than rolling up your sleeves and digging into the code. If that is out of your skills, and provided that this is not a show stopper for you, my team has experience altering that import tool and we would be happy to assist you with the alterations.

As for the work you are performing against the test store, those changes are public. However, EI does occasionally refresh the database so it's not going to be there forever.

-------------
GreyBeard Design Group

Certified ProductCart Developer

Web Design/Development/Hosting

http://tinyurl.com/5c8t4t" rel="nofollow - Add-Ons & Custom Code |

Posted By: postcarddepot
Date Posted: 11-July-2010 at 7:44pm

Well since I flooded the category list with over a couple thousand categories, it might be a good time for the database to be refreshed.

So am I correct in understanding that there is no way (without going into the code) to create these fields myself? The import tool works fine for me, I just need more fields in that drop down list.

Thanks for the help!

Stacey

Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 11-July-2010 at 8:21pm

Regarding your question, yes, the only way to add new fields to the import/export tools is to dig into the code. And the code is far from simple.

Here is an example. At the URL below, we have introduced a field that represents a number of "stock staus" settings. We altered the import tool to accomodate that new field. When the client receives a "current inventory" listing from his vendor, he updates a bunch of products in an XLS file, and performs a bulk update using the import tool.

http://www.sierratoysoldier.com/ourstore/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=8482 - http://www.sierratoysoldier.com/ourstore/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=8482

-------------
GreyBeard Design Group

Certified ProductCart Developer

Web Design/Development/Hosting

http://tinyurl.com/5c8t4t" rel="nofollow - Add-Ons & Custom Code |

Posted By: postcarddepot
Date Posted: 11-July-2010 at 8:42pm

Thanks for the assistance, but that makes this software too costly for me, to have to pay for something in addition to what comes out of the box. Back to my google searches for another software. Thanks, this software looks great just won't work for my needs

Stacey

Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 11-July-2010 at 8:52pm

That's unfortunate. PC is excellent stuff. Making a decision around choosing to abandon the cart because it does not accomodate industry-specific data is probably going to lead you to few choices. Hope you change your mind.

-------------
GreyBeard Design Group

Certified ProductCart Developer

Web Design/Development/Hosting

http://tinyurl.com/5c8t4t" rel="nofollow - Add-Ons & Custom Code |

Posted By: ProductCart
Date Posted: 11-July-2010 at 9:00pm

Stacey,

Greg is very experienced with ProductCart, but we're afraid some of the information provided above might be misleading (or we misunderstood it).

You can certainly import custom fields. They simply need to be setup as " http://wiki.earlyimpact.com/productcart/managing_search_fields - Custom Search Fields ". The column name in your spreadsheet must match the name of the field in the ProductCart database. The Import Wizard will take care of the rest.

For more information about importing Custom Search Fields, please see:
http://wiki.earlyimpact.com/productcart/products_import#importing_custom_search_fields - http://wiki.earlyimpact.com/productcart/products_import#importing_custom_search_fields

The only limitation is that you can only import 3 custom search fields at a time. The workaround is to import products, then update them with a second import, and that can be done rather quickly.

Taking the example above, the first import will include any product information you wish to import, and the following 3 columns:

Publisher

Distributor

PM_Type

... which will match 3 Custom Search Fields in the ProductCart database.

The second import simply needs to contain the Product SKU (part number) to match the data that already exists in the database, and the following 3 columns:

Card_Type

Card_Country

Card_State

ProductCart will update the existing products (matching each product via the SKU) and will add those additional Custom Search Fields.

Just make sure that the column names match the names of the field. So, for example, if you create a Custom Search Field called "Type of Card", then the column name in your spreadsheet will be "Type of Card" and not "Card_Type".

We hope this helps!

-------------
The ProductCart Team

Home of ProductCart http://www.productcart.com" rel="nofollow - shopping cart software

Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 11-July-2010 at 9:07pm

FYI, in a PM she asked for 20-30 custom fields.

-------------
GreyBeard Design Group

Certified ProductCart Developer

Web Design/Development/Hosting

http://tinyurl.com/5c8t4t" rel="nofollow - Add-Ons & Custom Code |

Posted By: ProductCart
Date Posted: 11-July-2010 at 9:15pm

Got it. Yes, importing 30 Custom Search Fields would be time consuming with the way the Product Import Wizard is structured at the moment, and a modification to that feature would probably be necessary to avoid performing the import task multiple times (it would have to be performed 10 times to import or update 30 Custom Search Fields).

We'll look at a way to make this dynamic in a future release.

Thanks for your feedback.

-------------
The ProductCart Team

Home of ProductCart http://www.productcart.com" rel="nofollow - shopping cart software

Posted By: postcarddepot
Date Posted: 12-July-2010 at 9:05am

I have not given up ship yet, but rather trying to manipulate our database and forms to make it work. With hundreds of thousands of inventory items (close to a million sitting here in my office!) the database was custom designed to make the data entry as fast/easy as possible.

As of now I am down to 9 absolute fields that I need to carry over from the database.

There is a slight possibility that i have some friends who *could* possibly tweak the code for me if necessary, but I am trying to see if it can be done without tweaking. I'm quite honestly tired of having to depend on others. That was why I was looking for an out of the box product for me.

I'm back to playing with the sample website after a good night's sleep and a new perspective on things. Thanks again for the help!

Stacey