1dankirkd
I've been trying to figure out the ins and outs of Universal Import. The help docs are not always clear or precise enough, when precision in explanation is necessary, so it has taken a lot of trial and error to get to the point I'm at now.
I've found that when I have an ISBN, while the system uses that to look up the book's details (as documented), ignoring title and author data in my CSV file, there are still a few other import columns that it does pick up, such as tags, a read date, and surprisingly a "notes" column. Sometimes. It seems that if I have "too many" columns, the "notes" column is not ingested. I would love to better know what the special accepted incantations are here, especially since, although there is no documentation that I can find on the matter, I can clearly get notes to import into the Comments field, and if I re-import, you offer a Sync option that allows me to "Replace notes with imported data."
But my puzzlement doesn't end here.
If I'm importing data with no ISBN, then that's clearly when the sample CSV file you refer to comes into its own. Frustratingly, however, while I can ingest a book without an ISBN along with my data for the columns you say you support: "'TITLE'","'AUTHOR (last, first)'","'DATE'","'ISBN'","'PUBLICATION INFO'","'TAGS'","'RATING'","'REVIEW'","'DATE READ'","'PAGE COUNT'","'CALL NUMBER'", if I add "'NOTES'" it is ignored. I have yet to find a way that works to get my notes to import for these ISBN-less entries. I've tried dropping columns I don't have any data for, such as ratings, review and call number, to no avail. I've tried all kinds of things.
Could someone in the know, or the code authors, please provide some definitive documentation or details about how import logic works, and how one can reliably get notes into the system from a CSV file sourced from a personal database, as opposed to an export from Amazon or Goodreads, for example. It seems like the current documentation lacks that kind of specificity.
(Were you to grant me read access to the source code, I'd be happy to contribute such documentation!)
Thanks in advance,
Dan
I've found that when I have an ISBN, while the system uses that to look up the book's details (as documented), ignoring title and author data in my CSV file, there are still a few other import columns that it does pick up, such as tags, a read date, and surprisingly a "notes" column. Sometimes. It seems that if I have "too many" columns, the "notes" column is not ingested. I would love to better know what the special accepted incantations are here, especially since, although there is no documentation that I can find on the matter, I can clearly get notes to import into the Comments field, and if I re-import, you offer a Sync option that allows me to "Replace notes with imported data."
But my puzzlement doesn't end here.
If I'm importing data with no ISBN, then that's clearly when the sample CSV file you refer to comes into its own. Frustratingly, however, while I can ingest a book without an ISBN along with my data for the columns you say you support: "'TITLE'","'AUTHOR (last, first)'","'DATE'","'ISBN'","'PUBLICATION INFO'","'TAGS'","'RATING'","'REVIEW'","'DATE READ'","'PAGE COUNT'","'CALL NUMBER'", if I add "'NOTES'" it is ignored. I have yet to find a way that works to get my notes to import for these ISBN-less entries. I've tried dropping columns I don't have any data for, such as ratings, review and call number, to no avail. I've tried all kinds of things.
Could someone in the know, or the code authors, please provide some definitive documentation or details about how import logic works, and how one can reliably get notes into the system from a CSV file sourced from a personal database, as opposed to an export from Amazon or Goodreads, for example. It seems like the current documentation lacks that kind of specificity.
(Were you to grant me read access to the source code, I'd be happy to contribute such documentation!)
Thanks in advance,
Dan
2gilroy
The Universal import does not offer a NOTES option:
'TITLE' 'AUTHOR (last, first)' 'DATE' 'ISBN' 'PUBLICATION INFO' 'TAGS' 'RATING' 'REVIEW' 'DATE READ' 'PAGE COUNT' 'CALL NUMBER'
These are the only columns that the universal import will understand. That I'm aware of, there is no way to import notes other than copy paste or with an import from another cataloging site, using their export file. Adding the Note column won't add it to the import.
Unless you already have reviews in addition to notes, you could import them as reviews then copy and paste them over to notes, as a potential work around.
'TITLE' 'AUTHOR (last, first)' 'DATE' 'ISBN' 'PUBLICATION INFO' 'TAGS' 'RATING' 'REVIEW' 'DATE READ' 'PAGE COUNT' 'CALL NUMBER'
These are the only columns that the universal import will understand. That I'm aware of, there is no way to import notes other than copy paste or with an import from another cataloging site, using their export file. Adding the Note column won't add it to the import.
Unless you already have reviews in addition to notes, you could import them as reviews then copy and paste them over to notes, as a potential work around.
3SandraArdnas
I never dabbled much with universal import, but your import file has to conform to the sample. No columns left out or added. If there's no data, you just leave it empty, but it has to be there.
4dankirkd
>2 gilroy:
Thanks for your response. In actual fact, as I've pointed out in my posting, one can import notes. I've done it.
There are two primary conditions on import: either a row has an ISBN or it doesn't. If it does, then the import uses it to find other metadata for a thing, but a few additional fields that are part of the documented list will also be extracted, such as TAGS and DATE READ. But I've found that I can also populate the Comments field with a NOTES column in my CSV file. Through trial and error I have determined a setup that makes that possible.
If the row does not have an ISBN, then the import behaves differently, and it only works when one uses the documented set as found in the sample CSV file. I have found no way to additionally slurp in a NOTES column when there is no ISBN.
As a result I actually prepare two different import files: one that is only things with ISBNs, and one that are those without ISBN, each with a different set of columns.
And then there is the Sync option to "Replace notes with imported data." Please explain what that is saying, if it isn't actually saying what it seems to be saying, which by my reading is that the option will use the notes in my imported data to replace the notes in my library. To me notes means comments, especially given what I've observed and explained.
But like I said, trial and error is a tedious replacement for definitive, correct documentation that details all of the above, which I haven't really been able to find.
Regards,
Dan
there is no way to import notes
Thanks for your response. In actual fact, as I've pointed out in my posting, one can import notes. I've done it.
There are two primary conditions on import: either a row has an ISBN or it doesn't. If it does, then the import uses it to find other metadata for a thing, but a few additional fields that are part of the documented list will also be extracted, such as TAGS and DATE READ. But I've found that I can also populate the Comments field with a NOTES column in my CSV file. Through trial and error I have determined a setup that makes that possible.
If the row does not have an ISBN, then the import behaves differently, and it only works when one uses the documented set as found in the sample CSV file. I have found no way to additionally slurp in a NOTES column when there is no ISBN.
As a result I actually prepare two different import files: one that is only things with ISBNs, and one that are those without ISBN, each with a different set of columns.
And then there is the Sync option to "Replace notes with imported data." Please explain what that is saying, if it isn't actually saying what it seems to be saying, which by my reading is that the option will use the notes in my imported data to replace the notes in my library. To me notes means comments, especially given what I've observed and explained.
But like I said, trial and error is a tedious replacement for definitive, correct documentation that details all of the above, which I haven't really been able to find.
Regards,
Dan
5dankirkd
>3 SandraArdnas:
Thanks for your reply. What you write is reasonable if you go by what you can read in various topic threads. Maybe a little less obvious if you go by what's on the help page for this at https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Adding_and_importing_books. But in practice not entirely true, as I've discovered through hours and hours of trial and error.
your import file has to conform to the sample. No columns left out or added.
Thanks for your reply. What you write is reasonable if you go by what you can read in various topic threads. Maybe a little less obvious if you go by what's on the help page for this at https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Adding_and_importing_books. But in practice not entirely true, as I've discovered through hours and hours of trial and error.
6gilroy
>4 dankirkd: See you cut off part of my response, which is confusing you.
with an import from another cataloging site offers a sync. Not the universal import. (Though rumors are the developers are doing something to fix it.) Sync will be used to make sure two shelving programs (like GoodReads and Librarything) have the same data. There is no export/update/import loop at this time.
I've found that I can also populate the Comments field with a NOTES column in my CSV file It's possible they've been working on a beta project which hasn't been released to the general user base yet. So at this time, the NOTES/COMMENTS column is still a no through all means other than uploading as review and copy paste.
with an import from another cataloging site offers a sync. Not the universal import. (Though rumors are the developers are doing something to fix it.) Sync will be used to make sure two shelving programs (like GoodReads and Librarything) have the same data. There is no export/update/import loop at this time.
I've found that I can also populate the Comments field with a NOTES column in my CSV file It's possible they've been working on a beta project which hasn't been released to the general user base yet. So at this time, the NOTES/COMMENTS column is still a no through all means other than uploading as review and copy paste.
7bnielsen
>6 gilroy:
Here another idea:
Install koha locally, import the books. Enable kohas z3950 server. Add it as a library source in LT. Import from your koha server.
Not sure if you could add Notes that way, though :-)
Here another idea:
Install koha locally, import the books. Enable kohas z3950 server. Add it as a library source in LT. Import from your koha server.
Not sure if you could add Notes that way, though :-)
8dankirkd
>6 gilroy:
Hello. No, I read your whole response, I just quoted the salient point relevant to my question. I'm not importing from another cataloging site, so those choices are not going to be of help to me, although I appreciate the attempt to offer up an alternative.
You mention a "they". I'd love to hear from one of the developers. Do they read these posts?
See you cut off part of my response, which is confusing you.
Hello. No, I read your whole response, I just quoted the salient point relevant to my question. I'm not importing from another cataloging site, so those choices are not going to be of help to me, although I appreciate the attempt to offer up an alternative.
You mention a "they". I'd love to hear from one of the developers. Do they read these posts?
