Recipients - Managing customer data > Import function for recipient data > Creating a new import profile > Manage columns

Manage columns

The Manage columns function gives you a powerful tool for handling the import of CSV files more flexibly.

OpenEMM works internally with fixed defined names for database columns such as lastname, gender and email. However many CSV files use other designations, so a mix-up can occur upon import.

An example: The e-mail address of a CSV file is located under the column header email address instead of the internally used email. Normally you would have to first modify the CSV file for import by changing the column name. OpenEMM does this considerably more easily, and once configured can even carry this out fully automatically. Staying with the example: Via the Manage columns function, you tell the system to assign the column entry email address to the database column email.

The Manage columns function offers further practical features as well as field assignment: You can in addition determine whether certain fields must be mandatory present in a CSV file and optionally assign a standard value for empty fields.

Fig. 4.13: In the Manage Columns tab you define for each column of the CSV a corresponding database column.

Fig. 4.13: In the Manage Columns tab you define for each column of the CSV a corresponding database column.

In the New column input mask, enter the column name that you want to assign to a database column in OpenEMM and confirm your entry with Add. This system now shows the column name under CSV column.

Tip: If you do not have the exact designation of the column names of your CSV file to hand, or want to avoid typing mistakes, OpenEMM offers you a practical, and above all, time-saving alternative. Click on the Browse button, tell the system where your CSV file is saved and then confirm this with Upload. OpenEMM subsequently reads out the column names of the CSV file and automatically adds them to the tab Manage columns.

Fig. 4.14: The system automatically reads in the designations of the CSV columns if you enter the path for the corresponding CSV file.

Fig. 4.14: The system automatically reads in the designations of the CSV columns if you enter the path for the corresponding CSV file.

In this way you can add the column names of different CSV files to your import profile. By clicking on Remove you discard the current CSV file and inform the system where the next CSV file is located via Browse. This however does not permit duplicates: You can assign only one CSV field to the same database field.

Fig. 4.15: To exclude mix-ups, each CSV field can only be assigned to one database field.

Fig. 4.15: To exclude mix-ups, each CSV field can only be assigned to one database field.

OpenEMM offers you the following options for each column name that you add to the import profile:

DB column: Here you determine to which database column the column name you have entered is to be assigned. If you want to exclude data sorted under the CSV column names, use the standard choice --do not import column. Further options are:

Database column

Meaning

--do not import column

Excludes the column given from import into OpenEMM.

lastname

The last name of the recipient.

gender

The gender of the recipient.

title

The recipient’s title, for example Dr..

firstname

The forename of the recipient.

email

The email address of the recipient.

mailtype

The type of mail that the recipient wants.

Mandatory: With this setting you determine whether the CSV column must be present in the CSV file. Tick the desired table entry.

Default value: If a column in your CSV file should have no empty fields, you can assign these fields a standard value upon import. An example: The Newsletter format column is assigned the mailtype database column. If the recipient has not entered the desired format here, he will receive the newsletter in HTML format. The value 1 is therefore entered into the input mask Default value. If you have selected a self-defined field with a default value, this value is automatically displayed but you can overwrite or delete it.

In the Manage columns dialog field, you can Add and edit any number of column names. To delete an element from the list, click on the delete symbol on the rate of each line. Save lets the system note your settings without closing the input mask.

Please note: To import recipient data successfully, you must assign at least one column in the CSV file to a column in the database. Moreover, the key column must be imported.