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Item Master import file
An import file ItemMaster.csv template (with existing item data, if any) can be exported using the External Data Importer tool. Select the Import Type template, and then click the Export button.
The ItemMaster.csv file allows you to import new items with their pending revisions, and update the item-level attributes of existing items. Import items can include custom attributes.
Item master data must be imported to provide a foundation for the relational imports of structures, sources, materials and files.
General guidelines
- The header names are not case-sensitive.
- Imported items that rely on collections (Part Types, Unit of Measures, Make/Buy Categories, etc.) will only be matched to collection members that already exist in the Collection Explorer. However, you can force the system to create new members within selected collections by marking the Create missing collection member(s) checkbox. The new member is assigned only the name and default settings. After importing your data, you should review all new collection members' attributes to ensure they're set correctly.
- The first row of the import file (the "header" row) must contain the column names as defined in this reference, or must match a custom attribute name that's been defined on a Part Type or Document Type collection member. Custom attributes must be defined within PDXpert before importing the item file.
- Do not include more than one column with the same header name.
- Extra (unmatched) columns are ignored.
- Every value must conform to the column's specified data type (collection member, string, number, etc.) or be empty. For example, an attribute that requires a numeric value cannot include non-numeric characters in its value.
- Blank values will be treated according to the column's data type. If the
value is blank and the column expects a:
- collection member (say, the CostCurrency), then the collection's default member (for example, USD) is applied.
- number, then the normal default value for that attribute is assigned.
- Boolean (Yes/No), then a No (False) value is assigned.
- text string, then a blank zero-length string is assigned.
- Depending upon the custom attribute scheme, there may be one or two columns for each custom attribute. The first column contains the custom attribute value, and the second column contains the value's unit of measure (for UOM scheme) or currency code (for Money scheme). This column is omitted for any other custom attribute scheme. If the value of either column is empty, then the custom attribute's default value will be applied.
Importing new items
- If this import file specification doesn't define a column for a PDXpert data attribute, then the default collection member as defined in the Collection Explorer is applied to the new item. For example, the Item Master import template doesn't contain a column for BOM Type Code so each imported part will be assigned the default member in the BOM Type Code collection, usually Direct material. Before importing, ensure each of your collections has been assigned an appropriate default member.
- All columns except Number are optional. When a defined column is missing, then the default value (if any) for the column value will be applied to the new item.
- Attributes will be assigned their default values (if any) unless a different value is provided in the specified column.
- Leading and trailing spaces will be removed ("trimmed") from each data element before it's imported.
- Each imported item has exactly one revision, which is created at a pending release state.
Updating items already in the database
- Each imported item is matched against all items already in the database according to the rules defined in , Item uniqueness defined by: Number, Organization, Class, Type. All columns except Number are optional. If a match occurs, then the item row is not imported, but is used to update the existing part or document record. This update occurs regardless of the release state (pending, released or canceled) of the existing item.
- Leading and trailing spaces will be removed ("trimmed") from each data element before it's matched.
- If an attribute column is omitted from the import file, then items will
not have that column's attribute updated. If the attribute column exists in the import file, then
if the row's value
is
- Empty, then the attribute's default value will be re-applied.
- Not empty, then the new value will overwrite the previous attribute value.
- An item's revision-level attributes cannot be updated.
- Matched items will be updated regardless of whether their current revision is pending, released or canceled.
ItemMaster.csv format column definitions
If you use Excel as your CSV file editor, it may make undesired changes to values that it interprets as a number. For example, part number strings beginning with zero (e.g., 001234) will often be silently converted to a numeric value (1234). If you have any part numbers, document numbers or other data with leading zeroes, don't use Excel. Instead, use Windows Notepad or other plain text editor (not Word) to edit your import file.
| Column name | Updateable | Data type | Assignment if empty | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | No | string Part or Document | Part | If not specified, then the item's Class is a part. Part records have physical attributes like a unit of measure, cost, mass and package quantity; documents do not. |
| Owner | No | Organization | default member | Identifies the organization that is primarily responsible for the item's specification and which issues the item Number. See note 1. |
| Type | No | Document Type or Part Type | default member | If not specified, then the appropriate type collection is determined by the item's Class, and the default member of the calculated type collection is assigned to the record's Type selection. See note 1. |
| Number | No | string: 1 ≤ length ≤ 70 characters | row is skipped | REQUIRED: This value is imported as the new part or document Number value. If the value is empty, the row is not imported. |
| Description | Yes | string: length ≤ 1000 characters | no value assigned | This value is imported as the new Part name or Document title value. If the value is empty, then the item's description will be empty. |
| Trustee | Yes | Person | default member | If the value is empty, then the default person is assigned as the record's Trustee selection. See note 1. |
| Notes | Yes | string: length ≤ 32000 characters | no value assigned | This value is assigned to the record's Notes tab. |
| Revision | No | string: length ≤ 10 characters | no value assigned | |
| Lifecycle | No | Item Lifecycle Phase | default member | If the value is empty, then the default lifecycle phase (typically Production) is assigned to the item record Lifecycle phase according to the specified Type value. See note 1. |
| RevisionNote | No | string: length ≤ 1000 characters | no value assigned | This value is assigned to the record's Revision description value. |
| EffectiveDate | No | date | no value assigned | This is assigned to an assembly's Effectivity or a document's Effective date value. |
| Person1 | No | Person | empty value | This value may not be visible in item record unless the additional person #1 is enabled in the Part Type or Document Type collection member. See note 2. |
| Person2 | No | Person | empty value | This value may not be visible in item record unless the additional person #2 is enabled in the Part Type or Document Type collection member. See note 2. |
| DefaultUoM | No | Unit of Measure | default member | This value applies only to items where Class=Part. If the value is empty, then the default Unit of Measure collection member (typically each) is assigned as the record's Default unit of measure selection. |
| MakeBuy | Yes | Make/Buy Category | default member | This value applies only to items where Class=Part. If the value is empty, then the default Make/Buy Category collection member (typically Unspecified) is assigned as the record's Make/buy selection. See note 1. |
| GlobalNumber | Yes | string: length ≤ 50 characters | no value assigned | This value applies only to items where Class=Part. This is assigned to the Global number (GTIN, UPC, etc.) value. |
| Location | Yes | string: length ≤ 1000 characters | no value assigned | This value applies only to items where Class=Part. This value is assigned to the record's part Location value. |
| CostPerUnit | Yes | double ≥ 0 | 0.0 | This value applies only to items where Class=Part. It's assigned to the record's Unit cost per default unit value. |
| CostCurrencyShort | Yes | Currency | default member | This value applies only to items where Class=Part. Use the Currency member's Currency code value in this column. If the value is empty, then the default Currency collection member (typically USD) is assigned as the record's cost Currency selection. |
| PackageQty | Yes | double > 0 | 1.0 | This value applies only to items where Class=Part. This is assigned to the Standard packaging quantity value. |
| PackageUOM | Yes | Unit of Measure | part's default UoM | This value applies only to items where Class=Part. You must ensure that it's within the same UOM Category as the part's DefaultUoM value. If the value is empty, then the part's Default unit of measure (typically each) is assigned as the Standard packaging quantity unit of measure selection. |
| Certify | Yes | Boolean | False | This value applies only to items where Class=Part. This value is assigned to the record's Part requires: Certification checkbox. |
| Serialize | Yes | Boolean | False | This value applies only to items where Class=Part. This value is assigned to the record's Part requires: Serialization checkbox. |
| Complies | Yes | Boolean | False | This value applies only to items where Class=Part. This value is assigned to the record's compliance checkbox (by default, labeled Meets regulatory requirements). |
| custom (note 5) | Yes | string | no value assigned | Custom attribute value that must be compatible with the defined scheme (numeric, Boolean, collection, etc.). If the custom attribute's scheme is a collection (e.g., Country or Person), then the value must already exist within the collection. |
| custom_Unit (note 5) |
Yes | collection member | default unit assigned | Where custom attribute value's scheme is
|
Notes:
- The cell must (a) contain an existing collection member Name value; or (b) be a blank value, which will cause the default member to be assigned; or (c) contain a new member that will be created if the related Create missing collection member(s) checkbox is marked. If the value fails these tests, the row is not imported.
- The cell must (a) contain an existing collection member Name value; or (b) be a blank value, which will cause a blank (null) value to be assigned; or (c) contain a new member that will be created if the related Create missing collection member(s) checkbox is marked. If the value fails these tests, the row is not imported.
- Matching of collection member names is case-insensitive.
- String length limits are provided for guidance, but these limits are not enforced during import. Lengths longer than those specified may be successfully imported but could be difficult to use or may be affected in future releases.
- Before importing custom attributes, refer to the Collections reference > Custom attributes help topic for naming and use guidelines.
Definitions
- Boolean
- A logical True/False or Yes/No value. If the value is True or Yes (case-insensitive), then the associated checkbox is marked, otherwise the checkbox is cleared.
- date
- A date value in the local system format, which is derived from the importing computer's Regional and Language settings in the Windows Control Panel.
- double
- A floating point number, such as 2.5 and 92.5418, formatted using the importing computer's Regional and Language settings.
- item matching
- A specified set of Class, Owner, Type and Number that is used to match an existing document or part within the PDXpert database.
- The required columns depend upon your identification scheme's uniqueness criteria: if every item is uniquely identified by Owner and Number, then only these two columns need to be included. If there are overlapping part and document numbers, then Class would likely also be included. Other schemes may require specifying the Type to ensure uniqueness.
- The attributes used to specify uniqueness are identified before the Item Master is imported. A difference in any one of these specified values will cause the match to fail.
- string
- A series of displayable letter, number and symbol Unicode characters, such as "Bracket". The length of the string "Bracket" is 7 characters.
- value
- The complete contents contained between two CSV delimiters.
1024
Help topics describe the most current PDXpert PLM software release, and may differ from earlier releases.
