Both the user and task imports work according to the same general principles. In each case, the import source file must be in CSV format with DOS/Windows Carriage Return + Line Feed invisible characters. The 1st “line” of the CSV contains “headers” that are associated with AceProject “fields”, each header being separated from the next by a “delimiter” (usually a comma (,) or a semicolon (;)). Each line thereafter represents one “record” (meaning one task or one user), each line consisting of pieces of data separated by the delimiter. Think of this structure as a grid (as a matter of fact, Microsoft Excel is able to represent a CSV file data in its grid form) where the columns represent fields (and data to be inserted into the field) and the rows represent one task or user.
When you import user or task data into AceProject, the application will be able to “understand” the CSV provided that.
- it can “see” where one line in the CSV ends and the next one begins (the CSV file must contain Carriage Return + Line Feed invisible characters between the last header and the 1st task as well as between each task), and
- the delimiter appears the same number of times on each line in the CSV.
These 2 conditions only ensure that the CSV will be “readable” by the AceProject import functionality.
The task and user import CSV files must also respect certain specifications. For instance, there must not be any mistake in the header names provided in the CSV. AceProject will only know where to insert the data into your AceProject database if you specify the exact header names it is expecting. In this regard, we suggest you download the task and user CSV import template files available under Administration => Tools> Import Data . These template files already contain the headers AceProject expects.
There are also specifications regarding the task or user data values your CSV must respect. These specifications may be seen in the following charts:
Task Import Requirements Chart
To access the Task Requirements Chart click HERE
User Import Requirements Chart
To access the User Import Requirements Chart click HERE
Important things to know before Importing Tasks/Users
- The CSV files to import can be named as you wish
- A French CSV file cannot be imported if you work in English and vice-versa. The filed names differ from one language to the other.
- The number of tasks and users imported must not exceed your account’s privileges. Your privileges can be viewed under “Admin -> Overview”.
- The “Next Task Number” field at the project level will not be auto-adjusted when new tasks are imported into a project.
- For Mac users – open CSV files in a text editor and save them with DOS/WIN line feeds before importing them into AceProject.
- For PC users – make sure your CSV files are encoded using “ANSI” format. TO do so, open your CSV file using “Notepad”, save it accordingly and import it to AceProject thereafter.