Before you attempt to import data into the database, prepare your strategy. Some things you will need to consider are:

Is the data that you want to import unique, or does it conflict with data already in the database?

The import data feature will not replace existing data. For instance, if you are importing jobs from a legacy system, you cannot import job data if the jobs you want to import contain job numbers that already exist in the database.

Do you have Folder Types defined in your database to accommodate the type of data you want to import?

Does the data you want to import correspond to Folder Types defined in your Virtual Ticket database? Virtual Ticket comes with predefined Folder Types, and can be extended with User Defined Folder Types. When importing data, you have to select a Folder Type for the records you want to import. If an appropriate Folder Type does not exist in the database, you can create one.

Information on creating Folder Types is available in the Creating Folder Types section of this guide.

Do you have fields in your database to accommodate the data to be imported?

Before importing data, you will need to ensure that you have appropriate fields defined in the Virtual Ticket database that correspond to the data fields you want to import. If the data you want to import contains, for example, a phone number and there is no field defined to accommodate this information, you should create one before attempting to import data.

Information on creating new fields in the database can be found in the Defining Database Fields for Folder and Document Types section of this guide.

Do you have a strategy for uniquely identifying imported data?

When importing data into your database, you might want to consider adding a mechanism for uniquely identifying it as having been imported to the database. This can be achieved by adding a field to the appropriate Folder Type that only imported data will use. For example, by adding a simple text field called "Origin" (or any other unique field name) to the Job Folder Type and then including "Imported" text for that field for each line in your data import file, you can easily identify your imported jobs in the database in the future.

Information on adding fields to the database can be found in the Defining Database Fields for Folder and Document Types section of this guide.

Can you test the data import in a test environment before importing into your production database?

It is always recommended that you import data into a test environment before importing it into your production environment. By doing this, you have the opportunity to both test your import files and evaluate the results of importing data without putting your production data at risk.