How to identify errors when importing a CSV?

Sometimes, when trying to import information into Stock & Trace (S&T) using a CSV file, such as part numbers, Receive orders, etc., the system may not process the file correctly due to problems with the information contained. In such situations, the system will display a list of errors that prevent the file from being processed.

Although each type of CSV template contains different data, the way the system displays errors follows a uniform structure in all cases. For the purpose of exemplification in this article, we will explain how the system shows errors in CSV files using the CSV for creating Receive orders as an example.

Assuming a CSV file containing invalid information was imported, the system will display something like the following image, where the following sections are highlighted:

Where each section represents the following:

1. Informational data indicating that only the first 10 rows of the CSV that contain errors will be shown.
2. The row number in the CSV with invalid information.
3. The name of the column in the CSV that contains invalid information.
4. The reason why the information is invalid.

Now, taking the previous image as a reference, it exemplifies that a CSV was uploaded where invalid values were detected in rows 2, 4, and 11 of the CSV file. In row 2 of the CSV, invalid information was found in the columns for the warehouse (HEADER_WAREHOUSE) and the account (HEADER_ACCOUNT_SHORT_NAME).

The following types of error messages can be found in CSVs:

• Invalid file format: For the information to be imported successfully, the CSV must contain only the columns that are enabled at the time of importing the file.
• Missing mandatory information: This is the minimum data necessary to generate an order, part number, locations, etc. in the system.
• Information with invalid format: For security measures, the system validates that data with incorrect formats is not entered.
• Information not configured in the system: Includes all information that must be configured beforehand before importing the CSV, such as a warehouse or account not registered in the system.

How to solve the invalid file format?

When importing a CSV file, the system verifies that only the fields enabled at the time of importation are used. If the CSV contains missing or additional columns, a message will be displayed indicating the names of the expected columns, as shown below:

Steps to fix the invalid file format:

1. In the CSV importer you are using, click the Download template tab.
2. Click on here [CSV template] to download the new template you will work with.
3. Open the newly downloaded CSV and enter the necessary information.
4. Save the changes made to the file.
5. Return to the system and click the Import CSV tab.
6. Click the button.
7. Find and select the file you previously saved on your computer.
8. Click the Submit file button.

How to identify why a specific value is invalid?

To verify what data is valid for the system, it has a guide for each type of CSV that can be imported. To access these guides, click the Guides tab.

The guide screens for CSV importers have 4 main sections, as shown in the following image:

1. Mandatory fields for the CSV.
2. The column name in the CSV and which field it refers to.
3. Valid values for the CSV column.
   • 3.1 List of names that must be configured in the system.
   • 3.2 Valid default system values to use.
4. Format that the information in the CSV column must respect.

1.  

In the image above, the guide for using the part number creation CSV was taken as an example. In the guide, you can see a list with the mandatory fields for this CSV (1), as well as a box for each column of the CSV where the details to consider for each one are explained (2). Depending on the CSV being used, the corresponding guide will show different fields according to the specific content of the CSV, although in general, they will also detail the following requirements if applicable.

3.1 List of names that must be configured in the system.

In this type of information, a link to the section where the new value can be configured is shown. To configure it, a user with super administrator permissions must carry out the activity.

3.2 Valid default system values.

The system internally already has predefined values that cannot be modified by a super administrator. For those cases, the specific values you can enter in the column will be listed. Taking the image above as an example, in the UNITWEIGHTTYPE column, you can only send the values kg, g, lb, or oz.

4. Format that the information in the CSV column must respect.

For certain columns, there may be special considerations for communicating the information. For example, in the image above, in the ACTIVEWAREHOUSES column, you can send all the codes of the warehouses where the part number will be used. To do this, it is necessary to enter the warehouse codes separating each warehouse with a comma, resulting in: wh-01,wh-02,wh-03.