Introduction to Data Table Upload

The Data Table Upload feature enables users to import structured data from an Excel or CSV file into the system. This feature offers a flexible method for uploading data while ensuring both consistency and accuracy. The upload process is based on a configurable framework that supports various Templates, which define the available upload types. 

Once an upload is initiated, a run-time engine processes the data, similar to the system’s Import/Export engine. The upload is executed through a workflow. 

Data Table Templates

The Template feature allows users to create a reusable mapping between an Excel data source and a ShareDo Data Table. Users can map columns in an Excel sheet to the corresponding columns in a template once, and then others can apply that saved mapping for future uploads. This makes it easier to work with a preferred Excel format without having to reconfigure mappings each time.

Using the Feature

This feature is released with ShareDo v7.8.0, and updates are planned for future releases. The five-minute video below shows an overview of how to use it.

Feature Configuration

Access this global feature at either:

• Launchpad > Open Admin > Integration > Global Features. Search for upload.
  or
• Launchpad > Modeller > Global Features > Case > Data Table Upload.

The Data Table Upload feature configuration blade shows existing upload templates and the Document Repository Settings section.

Use the Document Repository Settings section to set where files are stored when the upload has no context.

The Actions menu has the following options:

Edit or Create a New Template

To create a new template, click Add at the top of the Data Table Upload feature configuration blade, or click Edit in the Action menu to modify an existing template.

When creating a new template, you can drop a valid Excel file onto the editor to use its columns. You can also select an existing workflow to use its details, or create columns manually.

The caution icon indicates if an existing template has configuration issues. Editing the template shows how many issues there are, and clicking the warning shows the issue descriptions.

Template details

1. Edit the template Name, System name, and Description as needed.
2. Select a Context for the template to upload data into. 
   1. Global: the data upload will be available globally.
   2. Work Item: The upload will be in the context of the selected work item.
3. Enable or Disable the template with the toggle button.
4. In the Loader section, choose the Load Method (currently, only Workflow is available).
5. Select an existing workflow (which you can edit from here if necessary) or create a new one for this template.
6. Specify which permission is required to create an upload using this template.

Column Details

Select a column in the editor blade to display the Column tag with details for that column. Ensure you have selected the appropriate Variable Mapping for that column in the drop-down menu. Columns can be repositioned by dragging their handles, which are located to the left of the column number (the six dots).

Uploading Data

There are two ways to initiate a Data Table Upload:

• Select Upload from the action menu of the template you wish to use.
• Configure a menu command (Run data table upload) and use it from its configured menu.

Configuring and using a Menu Command

For information on editing menus, see the article Configuring menus for work type and work item blade ribbons.

The command to use is Run data table upload, which opens a data table upload blade with the specific template selected when configuring the command.

When a user clicks on the menu command or selects Upload from the template's action menu in the global feature, the four-step process for uploading data to ShareDo begins.

Step 1/4: Provide a name and select the file with the data to upload. You can also download an example file that will let you confirm the data structure in the file you want to upload.

Step 2/4: Confirm which rows and columns you want to upload. If the first row is a header row, deselect it, or you will receive errors in the next step.

Step 3/4: Verify the data to be imported and go back to correct any reported errors. The error in the image below results from the first row not being deselected in the previous step.

Step 4/4: Shows the upload in progress and results as they occur.

Data Table Upload Logs

Logs of data table uploads are available at Admin > Data > Data Table Uploads.

Clicking on a row in the list shows the results page as in Step 4/4 above.

Data Table Upload Demonstration Video

This recording was made in December 2024 during the User Forum.