Stock File - Importing/Exporting Data

[RollerBall]

When you export data from the stock file, you will probably want to put the columns of the data file in the same order as they are in the stock file.

However, if you want to import data using the clipboard method (eg from a CSV file) the columns have to be in a completely different order, which makes it a little tricky

However, once you've sussed this it works fine - but make doubly sure that you back up your stock file before you overwrite it with eg a file that you've exported, edited and/or added new/additional data to and then re-imported because if you don't change the column order before you import the updated data you will totally corrupt your stock file.

Be warned from one who found out the hard way ............ but had fortunately done a backup

[Andrew]

Not really, most spreadsheeting applications open CSV files and split them into columns - you can then reshuffle columns and save as CSV again - easy peasy.

[daleadmin]

RollerBall,

When you export the stock table from the POS program you can specify the order the columns are in.

[RollerBall]

RollerBall,

When you export the stock table from the POS program you can specify the order the columns are in.

Exactly. But when you import you can't. And it's only when DHPOS 'checks' the clipboard that you find out what order it expects the columns to be in, in the file that it's importing, which is nothing like the order the columns are in in the stock file.

This weekend I helped someone who's opening a new store on Monday and had obtained a spreadsheet complete with barcodes, prices, costs and inventory numbers for nearly 800 stock items from her supplier. She had already sorted the columns into stock file order and I combined those details with the 'Payout' (category 255) stock items in an external csv spreadsheet.

It was only when I did the initial import for her that I realised the results were wrong. So I noted what order the system was 'checking' the clipboard in and shifted the columns around into the same order. I then re-imported and did a total stock file overwrite (781 lines).

Maybe the column order relates to an earlier version of the DHPOS stock file? Anyway, it worked fine so hopefully her opening will go ahead as planned tomorrow. I'm glad it worked OK because I'm sure she's got enough on her mind already