Import Customers

The Import Customers screen can be used to import customer records from a tabular CSV file.

A tabular CSV file is a CSV file that is formatted as a single table of rows and columns.

Screen: Import Customers Screen

To import the customers do the following:

1. Press the "Select File" button to select the relevant CSV file to import.
2. Select the "Predefined Format" that you have previously saved, or map the fields and then save the mapped fields as a predefined format.
3. Press the "Start Import" button to import the records into the Bookkeeping Pro program.

To map fields do the following:

First ensure that you have selected the file to import.

1. Set the "Header On First Row" switch on if the first row of the CSV file contains the column names
2. Set the "Column Separator" appropriately for the particular CSV file. The default is COMMA, however you can also use SEMI-COLON or TAB
3. Set the "Encoding". The default is UTF-8 which is the recommended file encoding. The only other supported encoding is ASCII.
4. Set the "Decimal Separator" to define whether decimal numbers in the file are expressed using a period (.) or a comma (,)
5. Scroll down and tap on a row in the "First Row Columns" section, then tap in the field that the column maps to.
6. When you are finished mapping the fields that you want to import press the "Predefined Format" button and select "Save current format"
7. Enter a name for the mapping you just completed so that you can use it again in the future without having to map the fields again

If you want to concatenate multiple columns then map then successively to the same field in the "Format Definition" section.

The labels on the fields in the "Format Definition" section are the same labels you will see on the Customer Screen in Bookkeeping Pro.

The "External Identifier" field is mandatory and is the key used to determine whether the customer already exists in Bookkeeping Pro and should be updated or whether a new customer should be created. If an customer already exists in Bookkeeping Pro with the same external identifier then the customer will be updated, otherwise a new customer will be created.

Some fields do not take literal values but rather are mapped values that have meaning. These fields are: