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v6.1exportimportv7csv
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gunnar

I am playing around with csv import since a while and have not even once managed to import anything successfully. Current example is trying to import products. I have taken an existing product and exported it to a csv with the following fields:

categ_id/id,purchase_ok,sale_ok,standard_price,sale_delay,name,seller_ids,company_id/id,active,uom_id/id

I take this csv and change the values. importing that back in gives me

Missing required value for the field 'name'. This might be 'Name' in the current model, or a field of the same name in an o2m. at row 2

Even if I import the exact csv that I have exported earlier results in a similar error message. just that the error is spotted in line 4. Even if I deselect the field 'name' (which wouldn't be a workaround of course) I get the same error

At present I feel I am missing some sort of 'touch' to do this successfully. On the other hand I guess a certain 'touch' shouldn't be necessary. Is this just not working yet?

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gunnar
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found out for my specific example: if I import back the csv there are two 'name' fields you can map the name to. One of them would work, the other one wouldn't. Whether I used comma or semicolon as separator didn't seem to make any difference.

michel Guénard

I also noticed that the name "item" appears twice within the list of selection; only the second one does work. I mentionned this to the support (with a screen capture) and received an answer that "NO there is only one "name"". Comma or semicolon does work; You must also select the UTF-8 encoding. When you save your csv file, always verify that the encoding is UTF-8.

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ton123
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Yes it is normal that csv import almost never is working.

I am struggling this for almost a year now.

The causes are in different area's:

Business Model:

  • Business model is based on paid migrations
  • Business model is based on paid consultancy

Note: There is nothing wrong with this. Software is free but the development and maintenance need a financial basis and there has been made a choice for this model.

Complexity of the database:

  • The database has very very much tables
  • The tables are complex related not only 1-1 but also 1-many, may-1 and many to many

Note: This is a fact that cannot be changed. Software like this need this by definition.

Documentation:

  • The database is not enough documented
  • The import / export function is not enough documented

Note: This is because of the business model and also because of the rapid development. I hope this new forum will be of help to improve the documentation.

Technicalities and tips:

  • There are some bugs, registered or not registered.
  • Before you import always set the language on English, when you use other languages, you are in trouble.
  • Before you import always use data from the database and make a small export both in quantities and field to start with.
  • Always start with flat data. E.g. no products import / export with already defined product categories.
  • When you have exported the data be carefull to save according the original format.
  • If the export fails try to change the seperator to ;
  • If the import failed it can be needed to add or change header fields.

OK, I am aware this is not all. I am still struggling myself with import / export.

But I hope this is a littlebit helpful.

By the way a lot of people are struggling with import / export. And there are also a lot of movements to use other methods.

Other methods:

  • ea_import
  • SQL export / import
  • Direct database import / export via pgAdmin
  • Bramwell's method via Google documents
  • XML scripting
  • ETL Tools
  • Other modules
  • Workarounds (partly) like mass_editing
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wjn

The biggest problem I encountered, except for lack of documentation, are for the multilanguage items. You cannot import this with CSV, you have to do this directly into the database. (You can see all translation fine via Settings > Translations > Application Terms > Translated Terms and export there, but you cannot import)

klacus

Yeah, but the products export / imports are works. That's a basic option. The other thinks. you need to see the model, and you have to do the sql injection, or you buy the support. I think this is one of the method, how to pay the service if something is free :-)

wjn

Try to import multilanguage product descriptions, it is also a basic requirement and it is not possible with csv. The translation for OpenERP itself is no problem to import, I do not understand the difference between this and product translations. It's the same translation table.

gunnar
Author

@ton: you mean basically in order to create a demand for (paid) help it was made complicated to use on purpose? Not sure whether this made sense for a long term strategy (if it is true what you imply). I'd say the better the product OpenERP is the more successful it might get. But that is just an opinion of course.

gunnar
Author

@ton: alright. thanks for clarifying

ton123

@gunnar If my answer is the answer on your question I appreciate if you marked it as answered. If you find my answer is useful and interesting for others you can best vote it up.

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klacus
Best Answer

Please try this.

Change the separator the bottom of import page form "," to ";" and set the product_tmpl_id column to product_tmpl_id if necessary. And just Execute. Must be read, under 6.1, if not you have a problem vith csv structure, check by some table editor like excell, or Libre...

active;purchase_ok;sale_ok;product_tmpl_id/id ;product_tmpl_id/name;company_id/id;standard_price;cost_method;sale_delay;uom_id/id;property_stock_inventory/id;valuation;produce_delay;mes_type;name;property_stock_procurement/id;procure_method;type;property_stock_production/id;uom_po_id/id;default_code;list_price;supply_method;track_incoming;track_production;track_outgoing;uos_coeff;price_margin
True;True;True;;;base.main_company;40.0;Standard Price;7.0;product.product_uom_unit;stock.location_inventory;Periodical (manual);1.0;fixed;Your product name;stock.location_procurement;Make to Stock;Stockable Product;stock.location_production;product.product_uom_unit;Your_product_def_code;50.0;Buy;False;False;False;1.0;1.0
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Ray Carnes
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@ton123, @gunnar

I am presenting an OpenERP webinar next week - May 1st at 10am PDT / 5pm UTC.

Among other things is a section where I will cover the foolproof 'steps for a successful import'.

I invite anyone who is having problems to attend. If you can't make it, the slides will be posted after the webinar (I'll update this post with the link when they are available).

Importing is easy, when you know how. I hope to teach anyone who is struggling.

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ton123

@Ray Carnes This is a very good initiative. Thank you. Unfortunately I don't know If a can join, because I will be on a business trip that day, I hope it fits in my schedule. Slides are nice to have. I hope somebody can record the webinar and post it on Youtube. But I looked at the url and see: "US Accounting on OpenERP V7.0". How about that?

Ray Carnes

That is the webinar with a topic on Importing. I will turn that topic into a blog post so if you miss the webcast you can still learn about it. I will add the link here when it is done.

gunnar
Author

that's great, thanks. I think csv import can be a very powerful chop if you master that. Will try to drag me into it at 1 am (which will be my local time)

Ray Carnes

With our rehearsal today, it was agreed that this topic is too complex to be part of our webcast. I will still show importing, but the 'how to do it' part will be only on the blog. (At least you both get to sleep now!). I will post the link when it is done.

grayson

Any word on that blog post?

Ray Carnes

I am working on it. Many of the problems I and others have had with exporting are addressed by a bug fix at https://bugs.launchpad.net/openobject-server/+bug/1194893 - I suggest you apply that bug (the same fix works for 6.1 and 7.0). Then any export of a model that is related to another model will get the correct ID's even if the related model has not already been exported.

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wjn
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Previously, when importing back you have two fields called "Name" (on the top row, where you can select to which field your data has to be imported to). You need to select the second one to import to, then it's fine.

With one of the last updates of v7, this problem was solved. You have to check you versions.

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gunnar
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yes, I have figured out that double name filed issue (see comment above).

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Baseline
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@gunnar I do not imply and I do not meant to imply it is made complicated on purpose. The database is complicated because it can't be simple for such a feature rich software package.

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Fabien Pinckaers (fp)
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see http://help.openerp.com/question/12474/mapping-imported-data/

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