Importing User Defined Variables

[firefoo]

Hi,

I am trying to import some products into Actinic version 8 using a heirachical file import.

Some of the products I am importing are books, and I would like to import an ISBN and Author for them.

In version 7, I could set a ValidCustomProperty to ISBN and then set the ISBN number for each product I was importing using a CustomProperty.

How do I achieve the same result in version 8?

If i am correct, in version 8 this sort of thing is done with User Definable Fields. When looking at the Importing Content into Actinic page from ActinicMainHelp I do not see any mention of how you import values for user definable fields. All I see is that you can attach a product to an nContentCategory, and also set what user definable fields can be set on the product using the Variable Name field in the import file.

So... the question is, how do you import values for user definable fields? For example, how do I also import an ISBN of 123-456-789 for book XYZ during the import?

Thanks in advance.

[wjcampbe]

To populate variable values at the product level with an import, it will need to be done using heirarchal import, not a flat spreadsheet.

Best way to experiment would be to create the variable in v8 and add details on one page. Then do an export of the catalog and look at that file to see how the section (page) is laid out, and then use that file data as a template for a new import file.

[NormanRouxel]

V8 does what were Custom Properties differently than V7.

They are now Variables and are not pre-defined in the import. You don't use import lines like these (we're setting a property CVAR1 with "Wowza" in a product):-

Header,ValidCustomProperty,Name
Header,CustomProperty,Custom Property Name,Value,Is File Name,Use File Content,Use as CUSTOMVAR
ValidCustomProperty,"CVAR1"
Product,<normal product fields>
CustomProperty,"CVAR1","Wowza",0,0,1

at all.

Instead you add the Property names to the Header line for Product. E.g.

Header,Product,Short description,Productreference,......,CVAR1
Product,<normal product fields>,"Wowza"

[wjcampbe]

Thanks Norman - I gave the v7 answer without even noticing the Q was in the v8 forum. I need to find a way of grouping the "New Posts" results in this place.....

[firefoo]

Instead you add the Property names to the Header line for Product. E.g.

Header,Product,Short description,Productreference,......,CVAR1
Product,<normal product fields>,"Wowza"

Thanks, that seems to have worked

[NormanRouxel]

However, in case Actinic is listening, I can see no way of importing a top-level Variable's value. You used to be able to do this in V7. Any ideas?

[cdicken]

Any ideas?

Nope - sorry. You need to create the variable within Actinic before you can import values for it via a hierarchical import.

You can create the variable automatically by sending your customer a 'Partial Site Design Snapshot' that just contains the new user-definable variable.

[NormanRouxel]

You need to create the variable within Actinic before you can import values for it via a hierarchical import

Chris,

I'm happy with the idea of separating design from content. What I can't seem to be able to do is to import the values for top-level Variables.

In all previous versions of Actinic it was possible to hierarchical import the values of customver's for the entire catalog simply by putting a

CUSTOMVAR,....

declaration before any product declarations.

There will probably be many users who've invested a lot of time and effort into creating hierarchical import files (or written programs that create them) and will be rather dismayed that a feature has gone awol and that the format is now so different.

[NormanRouxel]

Ahah. I think I've got it. You import these as Design Elements. A Variable Header then later some Variables.

Header:Variable,Name,Description,Value Type,...
Variable,"Name","Description",...

Off for a test. Bit hampered by the being numerous fields in these lines and I'm not sure what they all do. Is there any more information than the Help saying "look at a sample export"? That won't tell me what stuff like Value Provider,Value ID,Control ID,Group ID, etc does.

[cdicken]

Yep - there's a section on importing design elements in the main help that includes all the fields for variables. I'm not sure what half of them do...

[giles.thurston]

Instead you add the Property names to the Header line for Product. E.g.

Header,Product,Short description,Productreference,......,CVAR1
Product,<normal product fields>,"Wowza"

I am trying to do a similar thing where I am importing a manufacturer for each product.

I have created a Manufacturer variable in the design library in the products group. I have added the Manufacturer to my import file as outlined above but when I try to import the file Actinic identifies the Manufacturer field but doesn't include the Manufacturer variable to map it against.

Any ideas?

An extract of my import file is below

Header: Product, Product Reference, Original Product Reference, 
Short Description, Full Description, Report Description, Price, Image Filename,
Extended Info Image, Extended Info Text, Stock in hand, Tax treatment, 
Generate Popup Page, Hide on web site, Display by link, Display by Image, 
Manufacturer

Product, "17-5000-11","17-5000-11","Big Bag Navy/Olive",
"The original, and still the best BIG BAG...",
"Big Bag Navy/Olive","2809","Oceanic\Big Bag.jpg",
"Oceanic\Big Bag.jpg","The original, and still the best BIG BAG.",
2,2,1, 0, 1,1,"Oceanic"

[brian.rippon]

I had the same problem - the variable wasn't in the list to map against. I tried using the variable in the design, but no better. Then I exited from Actinic and tried again - this time it appeared.