Import data

How to Import data to the platform

Manually import with CSV file

In TicTAP you can manually import data from a CSV file. This is useful when you want to import data from a third party system or when you want to import data from a spreadsheet.

Import from the list

The first step to import data from a CSV file is navigate to the entity list of the definition you want to import data. For example, if you want to import data for the definition bie, you must navigate to the entity list of the definition bie:

Once you are in the entity list, you must click on the import button:

When you click on this button you need to select a CSV file from your computer. The CSV file must have a header row with the names of the fields that you want to import.

Map the fields

The system will automatically show a dialog where you can map every column of your CSV file to a field of the definition. If you don't map a column, the system will ignore that column.

Special fields

There are some special fields that you can map:

• reference : This field is used to identify the entity. If you map this field, the system will try to find an entity with the same value in the field reference. If the system finds an entity with the same value, then the system will update that entity. If the system doesn't find an entity with the same value, then the system will create a new entity.

• parent entity: This field allows importing the list of entities as a tree. If you map this field, the system will try to find a parent for each of the imported entities using the parent reference. If the system finds a parent entity with the same value in the field reference, then the system will set that entity as the parent of the imported entity. If the system doesn't find a parent entity with the same value, then the system will create a new entity without a parent.

• Media fields: some of the fields in the CSV can contain the name of a file. If you map a field that is a media field, the system will try to find a file with the same name in the media library. If the system finds a file with the same name, then the system will set that file as the value of the field. If the system doesn't find a file with the same name, then the system will give an import error.

Import CSV file with FTP

You can also import CSV files using SFTP: to do this, the TicTAP Team will create a folder in the FTP server ( sftp://ftp.tictap.me ) having an inbox and an outbox folder.

First of all, a known mapping configuration must be created by the TicTAP Team. This configuration allows the system knowing which column in your CSV maps to which definition field.

Using .lock

In order to let the system know that you have uploaded data to the inbox folder, a semaphore is being used in the following way:

• You need to upload a file named .lock. This file is used to avoid the system processing the file while you are ready uploading.
• Then you upload a file named .csv. This file is the CSV file that you want to import.
• If the .csv file has media fields, you need to upload the media files to the inbox/media folder too. Every media file must have the same name as the value of the media field in the CSV file.
• Remove the .lock file.

When you remove the .lock file the system will start processing the .csv file and the media files. Firstly, it will upload every media file to the media library. Then it will import the CSV file.

Many CSV files

It is possible to upload several files related between them. For example, we could upload a list of bie entities and each of them having a relation to a model entity. In this case, we need to upload the CSV files in the following order:

• Upload the .lock file.
• Upload the .csv file with the bie entities.
• Upload the .csv file with the model entities.
• Upload the media files.
• Remove the .lock file.

Using the outbox folder

When the system finishes processing the CSV file, it will log the result in the outbox folder. The result will be a file named {csv_file}.log with the same name as the CSV file that you uploaded. This file will contain the result of the import process. If the import process was successful, the file will contain the list of entities that were created or updated. If the import process failed, the file will contain the list of errors.

Besides, it is also possible to configure having certain output .csv files in the outboux folder under certain events. For instance, the system could create a .csv file every time an entity has been edited of marked as end of life , or when a new entity has been created and many other events supported, such as reminder_created , state_changed , submission_received...

In the integration phase, the TicTAP Team will create the right configuration to decide under which events the information needs to be created in the outbox folder.

Import workspace

The import feature in TicTAP allows you to add assets within a workspace by importing a structured hierarchy from a specific node and all its children (the entire descendant tree). It is also possible to import directly at the workspace root node (level 0).

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Step 1: Export the Sample Structure

To understand the required structure for import, first export an example Excel file from an existing workspace. When opening the exported file, you can see:

• The hierarchy of nodes with their names.
• The level each node occupies (0 for location, 1 for category, 2 for articles).
• The asset type associated with each node (e.g., location, category, article).

Example structure in Excel:

Level 0	Level 1	Level 2	Type	Reference	State	Last Used	Photo Reference	Photo	Quantity	Supplier Reference
Calabria			Location	123
Calabria	Material envíos TicTAP		Category	1234
Calabria	Material envíos TicTAP	Bolsas PE Autocierre 12x18	Article	12345	ok		87914	bolsas.JPG	49

Import preview showing nodes and number of items per category

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Step 2: Upload the File to Import

To start the import:

1. Select the node within which you want to import assets (e.g., the root node "Calabria" or any child node at level 1).
2. Use the option to import CSV or Excel file.
3. Select the exported or compatible structure file.

When loading the file, a window appears to select the CSV/XLSX file.

File selection screen for CSV / XLSX import

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Step 3: Import Preview

The system shows a preview with a summary tree:

• Total number of detected items (e.g., 36 items).
• Distribution by type (Location, Category, Article).
• Ability to select which parts you want to import.

Summary of elements detected in the file before importing

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Step 4: Field Mapping

Next, map each column in the file to the system fields for each asset type.

For example, for the Article type, you can map:

• Item level (Level 2)
• Name / Reference
• Last Used date
• Photo (associated reference)
• Quantity
• Supplier
• Minimum/maximum stock
• Stock unit cost

Example of mapping CSV columns to asset fields for import

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Key Notes

• For properties related to other assets (photo, supplier, etc.) use the reference to avoid duplicates.
• The file should have flat data without formulas; CSV is recommended to avoid issues.
• Supports import of URLs for images and PDF documents (datasheets).
• The system downloads and assigns these URLs to the asset during import.