Getting Started - Export questions prior to initial import

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Export questions prior to initial import

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=5990
Printed Date: 03-December-2024 at 1:01pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Export questions prior to initial import

Posted By: NWClips Craig
Subject: Export questions prior to initial import
Date Posted: 18-March-2015 at 9:06pm

Hi, my customer (a friend I've done work for for years) just purchased ProductCart last Friday. The goal is to finally have a website he can move from host to host (if necessary) without having to start from scratch with the new host's online shopping cart product.

Since I have all of the content (entered or calculated) in a huge spreadsheet, my goal is to match up what I have with the ProductCart fields and import (starting with about ten to test with, then the main chunk).

So, I exported all product fields from the Demo website and I'm noticing some weird field mapping where I occasionally get some "wrap-around" fields. I've tried using tabs, a bar ("|") and then a tilde ("~") as a field delimiter, but I keep getting the same result as seen below:

*Image shows while creating post, but not in the forum. Here's the link instead: http://www.nwcraig.com/ProductCart/ExportWrappedFields.jpg *

Needless to say, the next step is to map the fields I have to the ones required for the ProductCart import and, theoretically, you should be able to import and export while keeping the data the same. As part of this process, I've read in two different support documents about the fields but neither matches the headers from the export and there are some fields in the export that are not mentioned (like the first field: Product ID#). Also, I tried entering "Product ID#" on your main search page but it only comes back with "Loading" - no results...

Is there a document somewhere that I haven't found that details all of the import/export fields with matching names?

Thanks,

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~ Craig B.

Replies:

Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 18-March-2015 at 9:22pm

I see this occasionally. Last week we exported some data manually to a CSV, and it wrapped, making the file difficult to use. I have friend in your area (Port Ludlow) who specializes in Word macros. She assisted me with a macro that went in and fixed the CSV.

What you are dealing with might not be an issue so much as problems with Excel.

Contact me via my e-mail greg at greybearddesign dot com and I'll introduce you to Ellen. She can probably prepare something that resolves this that you use now and in the future.

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GreyBeard Design Group

Certified ProductCart Developer

Web Design/Development/Hosting

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

Posted By: NWClips Craig
Date Posted: 18-March-2015 at 10:12pm

Thanks for the reply and offer, I'll keep it in mind, but I haven't even tried importing/exporting with our data yet. The wrapping I'm seeing is coming from exporting the information on the PC Demo website. I think I'll try entering a few products using the PC online tool, then export that to see if there's an issue for us.

I've done work before using some pretty good sized macros, so I'll keep that in mind if I need to manipulate the data more than expected. I just was a bit surprised to see that result.

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~ Craig B.

Posted By: NWClips Craig
Date Posted: 19-March-2015 at 12:07am

After a little investigation, and using a Google search with ProductCart's website, I'm going to guess that the demo store has the Apparel add-on which we will not need and that is where the Product ID# is coming from (and, perhaps, some of the other fields that don't map).

So, I will have to try my own I guess and go from there...

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~ Craig B.

Posted By: NWClips Craig
Date Posted: 27-March-2015 at 12:18am

New question - more curious than anything, why are the category descriptions and images exported with the products? That seems like a lot of repetitious overkill...

Also, it appears that part of the problem mentioned in the first post above seems to occur with the CUSTOMHTML tag in the Product Layout area. I've tried to export one product about a dozen different ways without success. Once I can determine exactly how to format the custom HTML I'll try to import a product and see how that goes but, obviously, there shouldn't be any changes between what's exported and what's imported.

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~ Craig B.

Posted By: NWClips Craig
Date Posted: 31-March-2015 at 6:47am

Ok, I've figured out what fields cause the export issue. All of the Long Category Descriptions. Even if you wipe out ALL of the HTML (from the Advanced tab), it will still cause the export to loop to a new line.

If I select ALL of the fields except the "Categories Information" box, then everything exports correctly. If I only select the SKU and the "Categories Information" fields, then I get the wrap-around issue. Going cell by cell, it became apparent that every Long Category Description causes the problem.

Unfortunately you can't select just the category field(s) that you need, it's all or nothing and I still don't understand why the category images and descriptions are exported with the products to begin with!

Anyway, since I spent too much time on this, I figured I'd post my findings in case it helps someone else.

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~ Craig B.