Importing data for a data type

When you import data into a data type, a .csv file is generated if there are any errors. The .csv file contains the error details for the records for each row in the file. You can fix the errors and reimport the data. You can change the location to which the .csv file is written using Dynamic System Settings. For example, for a multi-node system, you can set the destination to a shared location so that a user can access the file from any node in the system.

1. Click the Data icon in the Explorer panel to display the Data Explorer.

   You can also import data for a case type by completing the steps that you follow in this task. To view case types for data import, select Data in the Explorer panel and select Show case types from the dropdown menu at the top right of the explorer.

2. Click the data type for which you want to import data to display it in the Data Designer.
3. Click the Records tab.
4. Click Import.
5. Upload a .csv file for data import.
6. Map the fields in your data type with the fields in the .csv file.
7. Enter a short description that describes the import if you are using a dashboard gadget in your end user portal that displays in-progress data imports and recently completed data imports.

8. Select Save import settings as a template if you want to save the mapping between the fields in your data type and the fields in the .csv file as a template for future imports for the data type. Enter a name for the template in the Name for this data import field.

   If you selected a template when you mapped the fields, the template name is displayed in the Name for this data import field. If you choose an existing template, the template will be replaced with the current import.

9. Select Skip running validate rules if you do not want the system to validate the data type by using validate rules.
   Note: The system always does basic type checking (string, integer, date, and so on) for imported fields. If you clear this check box, the data import process runs the default validate rule of the data type on each record that is imported, which causes the import to take longer. Hence, it is a best practice to clear this check box only when needed.
10. Click Start validation to begin validating the data. No data is imported during this step. A dialog box is displayed that shows the validation progress, the start time, running time, number of valid rows, and the number of invalid rows. If there are errors, the record number and error details are displayed.
11. If your data import process has errors, click Download to download a .csv file that lists the errors. The .csv file has an additional column that contains the error details for the records on each row in the file. You can fix the errors and import data again for your data type.
12. Click Continue import to import the data or click Cancel if there are errors in the data that you want to fix before importing. If you import even if there are errors, only the rows without errors are imported. A dialog box listing the time taken for the import, the number of records created and updated, and the errors in the import is displayed.

    You can close the dialog box for the data import process. The process runs asynchronously and is visible on your worklist.

    You can also cancel the import by clicking Stop import. The import stops when the current batch finishes processing.

13. Click Finish to return to the Data Designer and see the new and updated data for your data type.