The import data file must be a comma delimited (.csv) file. A comma (“,”) will be used to separate each column. An excel file can easily be saved as a comma delimited (.csv) file by selecting the File >> Save As option and changing the Save As Type field to “CSV (Comma Delimited) (*.csv)”.

If a comma must be included as part of the data of a single column, the column’s data should be enclosed in double-quotes. If a double-quote character must be included as part of the data of a column, then it should be “escaped” by being immediately proceeded by another double-quote character. (e.g. "Hello world" would be encoded as ""Hello World"" if the double-quotes were required as part of the value for a field.)

A carriage-return+line-feed character combination will be used to terminate each row. If a carriage-return+line-feed character combination must be included as part of the data of a single column, the column’s data should be enclosed in double-quotes.

The file will consist of a header row followed by one or more data rows. The header row will explicitly state which fields will be updated (and, by inference, which tables). The header row will include fields from a set of five tables. The row does not need to list all the fields in a table, nor does it need to reference each available table; it should only list as many fields as will be imported. The order in which it lists these fields will dictate the order in which the data will appear in the subsequent data rows.

Immediately following the header row there should be one or more data rows. Each data row shall contain the necessary command, key and data values needed to import one row of data into the database table(s). There must be one value column for each field-definition column declared in the header (though the columns can be left blank when appropriate).

If an error occurs on any row, it will skip that row and process whatever rows it can. The import screen will display any errors that occur and will provide record counts.

The first non-blank row in the import file shall be interpreted as the header row. The header row shall be used to define which fields will be imported for the Vendor.

There is on mandatory field. Each field to be imported shall occupy one column. There is no upper limit to the number of columns. Every column should be unique within the header row (no duplicate columns).

The format for each field-definition column is <table name>!<field name>. For example, in order to update the NAME field of a VENDOR record, the field-definition column should say “VENDOR!NAME”.

Following the header row are one or more data rows. Each data row shall start with one mandatory column in addition to one or more data columns. The data columns must exactly match the layout defined in the header row. The mandatory column is as follows:
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All subsequent columns should contain data (or be blank when appropriate). The field order should exactly match the field order specified in the header row, as should the field count.

Any field which is left blank in the data row will be ignored. Such fields will not be given blank values in the database (they will not be updated at all). If you need the field to be set to “null” in the database, then specify the literal text “<blank>” in the value of the field. In the case of inserts, blank fields and fields that contain the text “<blank>” will both result in null values in the database.