importing from CSV

[Stuart Fell]

We're in the process of installing vBulletin 3.0.8.

we have some internally written discussion forum software that we'd like to try to import some of the data into vBulletin

I see references to being able to import CSV files but I haven't seen anything in the online documentation that refers to importing CSV files

is there anywhere in the docs that talks about importing CSV files?

I know of the impex tool but didn't see anything specific about importing CSV files in its docs either.

[Jerry]

The CSV import is for importing users only.

It can import username, email, userid and password currently.

It's listed as txt_file in the chooser once ImpEx is installed, the import has instructions per page as to the running of the importer.

Anything more than users from a custom source will take custom coding.

[Stuart Fell]

The CSV import is for importing users only.

It can import username, email, userid and password currently.

It's listed as txt_file in the chooser once ImpEx is installed, the import has instructions per page as to the running of the importer.

Anything more than users from a custom source will take custom coding.

:(

when I asked about "CSV importing", before buying this software, I was told you could import from CSV but was NOT told that it was limited for user list imports. :(

[Jerry]

#43 on the list of importers is :

"Flat file user (CSV style)"

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=102412

[Reeve of Shinra]

Do you have a db schema? If you post a request at vb.org, maybe some of us can help you with the transistion...

[Jerry]

If its a dB based system of a well known board I'll be able to do an importer for it if I haven't already.

[Stuart Fell]

#43 on the list of importers is :

"Flat file user (CSV style)"

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=102412

I need to know what format to lay out the CSV file to import users but can't find anything that mentions this.

also haven't seen anything that describes the process for doing it.

[Jerry]

Running the importer will explain it all.

Impex can take the lay out in any order when you run the importer it asks you what the lay out is of the following :

'username',
'id',
'email',
'password'

and which of the following is the delimiter :

','
'|'
'|||'
'|$|'

The howto is here :

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116398

and the manual is here :

http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/impex

[Stuart Fell]

I had hoped I was doing something wrong as I wanted to be able to import more than just those 4 fields. I'd hoped to be able to import like job title, location, etc. as well.

The outstanding question I have is, "how do I specify a single text file for it to import?" it never prompted me and looking at the config fiile it wasn't clear how to specify the specific file.

Based on what I have been reading, I got the impression we were not supposed to do direct database manipulation for importing users. Is this correct?

If so, if we were to import a batch of users using your import/export tool, can we go back later and populate the missing details using direct database queries or is that also discouraged?

[Jerry]

I had hoped I was doing something wrong as I wanted to be able to import more than just those 4 fields. I'd hoped to be able to import like job title, location, etc. as well.

The CSV import is a minimal importer, they are the only fields it imports and they are the basic 4, email being the only required field for a user.


The outstanding question I have is, "how do I specify a single text file for it to import?" it never prompted me and looking at the config fiile it wasn't clear how to specify the specific file.

When you run the importer it will ask you for the CSV file.


Based on what I have been reading, I got the impression we were not supposed to do direct database manipulation for importing users. Is this correct?

If you do with out knowing the relationships and dependencies between the tables it is highly lightly you will break the database.


If so, if we were to import a batch of users using your import/export tool, can we go back later and populate the missing details using direct database queries or is that also discouraged?

If your data is in a database to start with ?

[Stuart Fell]

are the relationships and dependencies between the tables documented anywhere for us to read?

yes the current users I would like to import are in a SQL database from a cold fusion based discussion forum sofware called CFBB.

I did a dump of the user table into a spreadsheet that I could easily manipulate and then import into vBulletin.

While the number of users is fortunately not significant, this was more of an exercise to know what we can do if need to add a large # of users at one time.

Often if getting a large group of users we may receive a spreadsheet listing names, IDs, and other settings like location, dept, etc. It would be nice if we can import this rather than copy & paste by hand.

we've already changed teh settings so stuff like "bibliography", "location", etc. meet our needs to include "real name", "region", etc.

[Jerry]

If its this one :

http://www.adersoftware.com/index.cfm?page=cfbb

I can just write an importer for it, that's what I do, for the users or the whole thing. I've done a few MSSQL importers, I'd just need a copy of the source database (detached copy of the tables).

If you really want to do it yourself have a read of this :

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showpost.php?p=822785&postcount=3

[mili]

I wish to import users into a usergroup called "VIP" from a CSV. The first line of the file is below:

username,signup_date,expire_date,email,password
bruser,11/15/2003,11/15/2006,lowe79@hotmail.com,killerbee

I want to import their username and have their account expire at the date specified under expire_date

Is there an easy way to do this?
The forum is a fresh install with no posts, nothing
Thank you in advance

mili