External database linking - section creation

[los_design]

Hi Guys

Just discovered the wonderful world of external linking via actinic

I notice that you can set up all the fields etc which is going to be a real time saver but you cannot import section text? Namely, all products must be drag and dropped into a section.

Is this deliberate and/or is there a workaround?

Cheers guys
One happy bunny
Daren

[1stweb]

Hi,

If you are using a flat file (or hierarchical) import you are able to products into defined sections. If you use the pipe command | (Shift backslash - on a UK keyboard) you can get actinic to create the sections and associated subsections as shown below:-

Section|Subsection1|Subsection2|Subsection

We use this on a very regular basis and it works extremely well. The last one we did was only 4000 products and were imported into their own sections/subsections within seconds.

[los_design]

Hi

you can specify flat/hierachal via external linking? (as opposed to importing)

Where is that option, can't see it anywhere?

Thanks
Daren

[los_design]

Hi,
We use this on a very regular basis and it works extremely well. The last one we did was only 4000 products and were imported into their own sections/subsections within seconds.

Hi Jon

Just re read your post, it is not for import that I require the sections (already use that) but for external linking.

Tried all manner of combinations but it plonks the items into 'unassigned products'. I was wondering if there was a way of forcing the issue to get Actinic to create a section rather than have to drag and drop?

Regards
Daren

[cdicken]

You cannot create sections with an external link - however, if the product is already correctly placed within a section (e.g. by an import) you can then link your products in Actinic back with the external file.

As long as the products in Actinic have the same product reference as the products in your spreadsheet/database then Actinic will automatically match them and establish the external link.

Make sure you have 'link all products to external data if available' is selected in 'File | External Links'

[los_design]

Cheers Chris

Already spotted that, why did I not spot this earlier . It not only saves me time it also has speeded up V8 greatly.

Regards
Daren