This function allows you to quickly create and update the characteristics within on equipment, from an Excel or CSV file.

This file if of the cross-table type:

• Each line corresponds to an item of equipment affected by the import and the values of its characteristics.
• Each column represents a characteristic.
• The characteristic's value is located at the intersection between the equipment line and a characteristic column.

Example:

Access the import of equipment characteristics

1. On the equipment characteristics form, select [Import equipment characteristics], via the menu of the icon
   → The Import equipment characteristics form is displayed.

Import conditions

1. The column separator in the file is a semi-colon (;). Example: Excel file saved in CSV format,
2. The equipment referred to in the file must already be included in the application,
3. The characteristic codes used must be configured in the application (Characteristic present in the System module).

Import procedure

Describing and loading the file

Position of lines:

• Header of characteristic codes: Indicates the line number where the characteristic codes are located.
  The top lines (lower number) are ignored for data read processing.
  The lines at the bottom (upper position) are taken into account in the import processing.
  
• Equipment: Equipment type concerned by the data to be loaded. Only equipment-related types can be selected.

Position of columns

• Code: Position of the column containing the equipment code. Must be lower than the position of the 1st characteristic (below).
• First characteristic: Position of the 1st characteristic column to be taken into account.
  The characteristic is taken into account from this column position and moves to the next column (on the right) up to the last column in the file.
  Columns with a lower position are not considered as characteristics.
• Wildcard character: Possibility of adding a specific character, allowing the importing of a characteristic with an empty value for an item of equipment.
  As default, any empty value for a characteristic is interpreted as an absence of the characteristic. 
• Encoding: Specifies the encoding format of the imported file (important in the event of special characters or if there is no header).
• File: Select the file using the "Browse..." button.
  Once the file has been filled in, click on "Send."
  → The application reads the file and displays a line for each characteristic in the file found to be imported into the application, for the corresponding equipment.

Viewing data

You can the content of the file by limiting the display to the updated lines, only via the Display control.
As default, the table lists all the lines that are ready to be imported.

• UPDATE: Indicates, if checked, that the characteristic is available on the equipment and that it will be updated with the displayed data if necessary.
• Code: Code of the equipment concerned, having the characteristic.
• Characteristic code : Code of the characteristic of the impacted equipment after importing the file.
• Name: Name of the characteristic.
• New value: Value of the characteristic being created or new updated value after file import. This value can be changed directly in the list if necessary.
• Existing value: Value of the characteristic that already exists on the item of equipment in the application (only entered if there is an updated line).
• Group: Designates the grouping of the characteristic on the related entity.
  Upon creation, the value corresponds to the default value of the characteristic (System module). This value can be changed in the list if necessary.
  On updating, the value is initialized with the value of the item of equipment's existing characteristic.
• Important: Refers to the characteristic considered as important. Same behavior as for group on creating and updating.

Import

All the checked lines will be imported.

1. Uncheck the lines which must not be imported and click on the "Import" button.
   → Creations and updates are applied to equipment in CARL Source.