Possible to permanently update core database from external link?

[tattysilver]

We are using external linking from a large inventory in an Excel spreadsheet, but now our inventory has reached the 5000+ mark Actinic is becoming unbearably sluggish. We're in the process of switching over to SQL, but because the inventory is only updated once in a blue moon (and stock isn't an issue as we have unlimited quantities of each product) there is no need to have a permanent link to the inventory file.

If I unlink the external inventory file, all attributes return to what they were months ago, as this is how they are in the Actinic MDB database. What I want to know is, is there a way to purge the values in the MDB to match the current ones in the external file at a given time? If so, we can disable all external linking unless the inventory has been recently modified, thus speeding up Actinic dramatically. I'm unsure why Actinic keeps the old values at all, it doesn't seem logical.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Matt

[Mike Hughes]

Importing rather than linking will update the database.

Also look at the 'Slow Performance' thread at the top of this forum. A simple change will speed up V9.

Mike

[tattysilver]

Thanks for the information Mike. I have changed the cache size and there is a noticeable improvement in speed

I'm aware that importing will update the database, but to do this we would have to spend many hours creating a hierarchical file (bearing in mind the numerous choices and permutations for 5000 items, and the 30 or so custom variables). The work is already done for our Excel spreadsheet, and soon SQL. But is there no way to purge the linked feed to the Actinic MDB, or to convert the linked feed to a hierarchical file for import?

Matt

[Duncan Rounding]

Not actually tried this but thinking aloud....what happens if you export the catalog with a linked file?
If it exports the linked data then you can unlink and import back in.

[tattysilver]

If you export it with a linked file it exports the unlinked (original) values. Very frustrating - this was one of the first things I tried.

Still trying to work out a solution...

Matt

[Mike Hughes]

Which values are you linking in?

If you choose to do an 'update' rather than 'replace' (I think they're called) then importing a hierarchical file just needs the product References and fields you want to import. It's just like linking except it loads the data to be updated into the database. Everything else stays the same.

Mike

[tattysilver]

Every value used (price, ref, description etc.) including custom variables all are linked from the external Excel spreadsheet. It is very convenient this way; creating a new hierarchical file every time would be a nightmare. I am aware that you can import as little or as much as desired from a hierarchical file, and link the rest, but it doesn't solve the task of taking values directly from the externally linked file and writing them permanently to the database.

If we were to spend many hours creating a hierarchical file it would leave open major room for human error, not to mention the inconvenience whenever some updates needed to be made.

I guess there isn't a way to do this. Perhaps Actinic should consider a kind of "purge from external file" option - it would be very useful indeed.

Matt