Creating Import Profiles

Use Import Profile Maintenance to create profiles for importing files into different areas of the system. A profile tells the system how to manage the incoming data. You can identify what items are required to help maintain consistency. You can determine which part of the system processes the data you bring in.

The standard, installed profiles cannot be modified. For more information, see Considerations when Changing Import Profiles.

To create an import profile:

From the Tools > Importing menu, select Import Profile Maintenance to display the Import Profile Maintenance window.
Click New Profile.

If a profile you need to create can be based on an existing profile, you can copy a current profile, make adjustments and save as a new profile ID.

Note: Use the ORDER profile for the sales order bid functionality, when importing a purchase order to include in your bid. You can limit the number of data fields that the system uses in the import profile, but you need to create a new profile based on the existing ORDER profile, by making a copy of it. The ORDER profile is the uneditable Eclipse base profile.

In the Enter New Profile ID field prompt, enter the name you want to use for the profile you are creating.

We recommend being consistent with your naming convention. For example, if you handle multiple payable profiles, start each with PAY_ so when recalling the profile for editing or loading for import, you can easily locate it.

In the Import Processing Routine field, the Eclipse PICK program that processes the data.

Note: The system contains several generic actions classes from which to select. For more information, see Import Profile Action Class Details.

Important: This routine must begin with the word IMPORT, such as IMPORT.PAYABLES. Only routines that begin with the word IMPORT display in the drop-down selection.

In the Action Class field, select the action type for the process routine, such as Payables Action class when importing payable records.
In the Universe File field, select the file on which you want to build the profile.
If this is profile for a sales order import, select the Order Entry Profile checkbox. The Solar Eclipse File Import accessed through the Sales Order Entry window only uses profiles that have been created with this designation.
Use the table columns to define how you want to import your files:

Column	Description
Field Label	Enter the field name to display in the import utility that users see when running the process. More
Field ID	Enter the KEY that is passed to the import utility along with the value(s) from the file, such as JE.DATE for a journal entry date.
Required	Select to make the field required for record import to complete. Note: When you select Required Allowed, the Default Value Allowed is automatically selected and cannot be deselected. This dependency allows a default value to be specified on the import utility so a record can still be created even if the required data is missing from the import file.
Constant Value Allowed	Select to set up a constant value to be specified. For example, when the import runs if you require a branch to be entered. Users must enter a branch value for the import to complete.
Default Value Allowed	Select to allow the field to have a default value in case the mapped value from the import file is missing.
Field Validation	Select an item to display in the import utility for the Constant Value Allowed and Default Value Allowed fields. For example, you set this field to Vendor. Only Vendor IDs can be entered in these fields for the import utility. If the Field Validation field is left blank, the system does not check entries and free-form information can be added.
Field Conversion	Determines how to modify the Constant Value Allowed and Default Value Allowed field for display purposes. For example, you may import TERMS_ID, but want the system to display Terms Type. For example, if you set the Field Validation column to Date, use the Field Conversion column to dictate how the date should display, such as MM-DD-YYYY.

The Field Validation and Field Conversion fields work together. The value or field type you have in the Field Validation field, determines what you need to enter in the Field Conversion field. Similar to a MS Excel cell format, if you select in the Field Validation field for the value to be Numeric, then you use the Field Conversion field to tell the system how you want that number to use the decimals. For example, to move the decimal to the right two places, you enter MR2. Press F10 to display a list of valid options.

Save your changes and exit the window.