Dialog Import records

In this dialog, you can specify which data will be imported and how identical records will be handled during the import.

Overview of the main dialog elements:

File type:

Select the desired file type from the drop-down list. Depending on the import format defined here, the [...] button becomes active and in the subsequent dialog you can specify the details of the import behavior (e.g. with regard to the configuration file).

Notes:

An exchange of records via the "EPLAN Data Portal exchange format" is possible only if you dispose of the "EPLAN EDZ format" license module. This has to be validated in your customer license so that this exchange format is available to you, and you can fully export one or several parts including associated reference data (drilling patterns, manufacturers, etc.) and associated additional files (images, macros, PDF documents) and then re-import on another computer.
Select the "VDMA 66413" file type to import XML files with safety-relevant characteristics, the so-called "safety-related values", which are structured according to the VDMA exchange format. The abbreviation "VDMA" stands for "Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau" ("German Engineering Federation") and designates the association of machine tools and plant engineering. It represents approx. 3,000 primarily medium-sized member enterprises and is one of the most influential trade associations in Germany.
To be able to import data, a simple mapping is to be made. With this you determine which identifying property in the XML file corresponds to which unique part property in your parts database. The mapping is specified in a subsequent dialog which can be reached with [...] in the File type field.

File name:

Enter the name of the import file here, or click [...] to select it interactively (multiple selection is possible). The file name extension is automatically appended to match the file type selected in the field, (e.g., .csv for all "CSV for <...>" file types).

You can use the Insert path variable popup menu item to branch to the dialog Select path variable where you can select one of the available path variables.

Field assignment:

From this drop-down list, select the scheme that defines the fields in the database to which the exported data is to be written to, for the structure and the free properties. This simplifies the data exchange between customers who use different structures.
Click [...], to open the Field assignment dialog and create a new user defined scheme.

Import behavior:

Using the options in the lower section, you can also specify the following settings:

Add new records only: Specifies that existing records should not be changed; only new ones will be added.
Update existing records only: Ignores new records, only updating changed data in existing parts; this is necessary for price changes, for instance.
Update existing records and add new ones: Combines the two options of above.

Note:

Be aware when performing an Update of attributes and free properties that data is updated but not exchanged. For function templates, however, existing data is exchanged.