Importing data into Thinkwave Administrator

ThinkWave Administrator provides an Import wizard, allowing you to populate the database using delimited text files. The Import Wizard lets you import Student, Class, and Enrollment data.

Important!

Before attempting to import data, be sure to Backup your Administrator datafile. Some data types are never deleted from the Administrator datafile (they are marked deleted, but remain in the database), so if a mistake that occurs during the import process, it might be impossible to undo the effects manually. Therefore, the only way to return the datafile to its pre-import state is to restore from the backup you created before attempting the Import.

File | Import Data

Open the Import wizard by clicking on File | Import/Export | Import Data.

Import Wizard – Screen 1

The first screen of the Import Wizard lets you select what kinds of data you want to import, and for which Term the data should be imported. Place a checkmark next to each category of data that you want to import. If you are importing Classes, select the appropriate Term to schedule the classes.

Use the […] button to open the Select File screen, which lets you choose the file for each category of information that you will Import.

When an Import file has been selected for each of the categories of Import data, then you can click ‘Next’ in the Wizard.

Select File

Use the Select File screen to choose the correct import file. By default, the ‘Files of Type’ control shows files with the extension .TXT. You may also select files with other extensions, such as .CSV, etc.

Select the appropriate file and click Open.

Import Wizard – Screen 2

This screen lets you define what how your import file is structured. Note that the Import wizard only supports field-delimited files. If you need to use a Fixed-Width file, first convert it into a delimited file using some other application (such as MS Excel).
o Select what Field Delimiter separates the data in your file (Comma, Tab, Space, Semi-Colon).

• Checking the ‘Skip Records’ checkbox lets you avoid importing the first row of data in your file, if it contains field headings.
• Checking the ‘Use Field Headings to map…’ checkbox lets the wizard map the names of the data categories in your file, with the names of data categories in the Administrator database. Automatic matching will only if the field headings in the Import file exactly match the field headings in the Administrator data structure.
• Checking the “Skip Student Names…” checkbox will cause the wizard to skip importing students that are already in your database. Note that the Student Number identifies a student within the Administrator data structure. Therefore, if a student number changed, either within Administrator or within the Import file, the student record will be duplicated.

Click Next…

Import Wizard – Map Student Data Fields

This screen lets you define where different data fields in your Students Import File will go within Administrator. To match the data fields:

• Click on the Column Heading of each column, then in the “Import to Field in data file” pull-down list, select where you want that column of information to go in the Administrator database.
• If you do not want a particular column of information to be imported, then leave that field mapped to <none>.
• When you have defined all of the field headings, click Next.

Import Wizard – Map Classes Data Fields

This screen lets you define where different data fields in your Classes Import File will go within Administrator. To match the data fields:

• Click on the Column Heading of each column, then in the “Import to Field in data file” pull-down list, select where you want that column of information to go in the Administrator database.
• If you do not want a particular column of information to be imported, then leave that field mapped to <none>.
• When you have defined all of the field headings, click Next.

Important Note: The class number must be unique for each Class-Term. Therefore, if you have a Math Class in year 2004 which is class number “math100” – then the next year, the class number should be changed (e.g. “math100a”)

Import Wizard – Map Enrollment Fields

The Map Enrollment screen lets you import student enrollment. The logic of the screen is simple: each line of the import file should contain a student number, and a class number. After import is completed, then the student represented by the student number will be enrolled into the class represented by the class number. Since the class number is unique for each term, then based on a simple mapping of student number to class number – you will be assured that enrollment will occur correctly.

Properly map the appropriate column headings as ‘Student Number’ and ‘Class Number’ – then click Finish.

Additional Information

If you have error during the Import process, check the following items:

• Check the Import files (using notepad, or another text editor). Is there any extraneous information, or are there unknown characters in the import files? If so, carefully clean out the Import Files, ensuring that there are no carriage-returns or other symbols before or after the main body of data that you’re importing.
• Are the data delimiters (commas, semi-colons, etc) properly defined?
• Did you properly map the correct column headings to the correct Administrator data fields?
• Did you select the correct Term to enroll the classes? If not, then restore from backup, and re-import using the correct parameters.
• Did enrollment occur incorrectly? Make sure that the enrollment import file contains the exact class ID number, as well as the exact student ID numbers that need to be linked together.
• After you have determined the cause of the error, then Restore from the previously created backup – and re import your data using the clean Import files.