Importing CSV data creates duplicate entries

[grant]

Hi All,

I am puting a catalog together and am having a few problems with importing updated data using a flat csv file. I have a huge collection of products within an existing database application. This aplication can export its data to a CSV file.

The data it exports is obviously nothing like the sample Actinic csv files etc, but all I am after is changing the prices of the products. What I am after acheiving is building the shop by hand, including assigning images to each product etc. Each product will have a short description based on the product code generated by my software.

Is it then possible to import a csv file with just 2 parameters - short description and price? Get these mapped in the relavent places in the import wizard, and prices will be updated. I gave this a go but the file import wizard was after specific areas etc.

So I created a CSV based on the samples in actinic, copied and pasted the info from my software database into it, and imported. It should be said that I am duplicating the info in some columns in the csv, as my output from my software obviously does not contain all i need for the Actinic CSV.

So - imported it into Actinic and all is well. Changed some prices on the CSV and reimported. What I now have is duplicate entries in Actinic, rather than just the prices updated. If I chose replace during import then I am left with just one set of products and the price changed, but all other changes overwritten. IE - If i have assigned an image to a product, this gets wiped.

So - what is the best way to just update the prices from data i aquire from my product software that is delivered to me in a CSV file?

Sorry if tthis all sounds a bit convoluted but I am sure there is an easy way to acheive what I am after.

Cheers guys and gals

Grant

[Dan_Lacey]

Importing CSV data....

Hi There,

as far as Im aware your data would need to include a product reference at the very least so that Actinic knows what to do with the data (ie link it to the product with the same reference number). You would probably need to turn off the 'automatic generation of product reference numbers' in Actinic.

If you are creating new products (as opposed to updating them) then I think you will need to include a field called 'Section Text' where you include the name of the section to be created / the product will be placed in, something like the following:

do a search for 'Import CSV' in the Actinic help files and you should find more info to help...

[wjcampbe]

Grant - are you using the same product references? Or adding the product references before you import the file?

How is Actinic to know which product each line refers to?

[pinbrook]

you have to include the path to the section too.

Product reference alone is not enough for the import.- even though it is unique - maybe actinic should look at this

so to import a price you need section text, product reference, price

[grant]

Thanks guys,

Playing around with turning off automatic generation. I have the "Product code" as served up by software mapping to product reference, with Price maped to price.

but am getting the error "incompatible information in field 2 etc . Expected up to 20 characters but got "6242YH2:1"" . It should be noted that the product code from my database for this particular product is 6242YH2:1

Am I doing something wrong, or is there another way of approaching this?
As stated before, all I after doing is expediently updating my prices from a database application that I have, that does an export to CSV.

Cheers

Grant

[Jan]

The ':' character cannot be used in an Actinic product reference. You willl also need to make sure that your prices are in pennies in the import file.

Regards,

[grant]

Thanks Jan, have just worked that out, seems there will be quite a bit of modification to the data befre import.

Cheers
Grant

[grant]

kind got this working now..

so to import a price you need section text, product reference, price

..but you also have to have Short Description as well, or so I have found

Cheers - tis Friday and time for a beer

Grant