Costpoint Online Help

Using the Help Search
Using the Help Search
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For more information:Searching Online Help

Processing Details

The Import Employee Data screen performs multiple actions when you import input files.

  1. Multiple employee records for the same employee can be imported using either the comma-separated file layout or the user-defined file layout. The effective date in the records must match with each other. For example, an employee record can be imported with an effective date of 3/01/2017. Records 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 must all have that effective date. Another record for that employee can be imported using an effective date of 8/01/2017 and all those records must use that date.  
  2. Any existing rows in the worktables are deleted. (Normally there is not any data in these tables at the start of processing unless a previous attempt to use the Import Employee Data screen terminated abnormally.)
  3. The input file you specify is opened for read-only access. An output file with the same name as the input file but with the three-letter extension ".ERR" is opened for write access. For example, if you select an input file of "EMPLDATA.DAT," the preprocessor opens an output file called "EMPLDATA.ERR." (Note that, if a file with the same name as the output file already exists, it is overwritten.)
  4. The input worktable is loaded with data from the input text file. For Comma-Separated Format (CSV) files, the program checks the length of each field as it is being read into the worktable. If a field is too long to fit into the input worktable, the field is truncated, the record is rejected, or you are asked whether to truncate or reject the record, depending upon your selection in the Truncated Values drop-down list. For fixed-length format files, the preprocessor checks the line length and displays a warning message if a line is either longer or shorter than the expected length.
  5. When the input table has been loaded, the preprocessor begins scanning the records for null values in any fields you have designated for default value substitution in the Default Values group box. For example, if you specified that WKLY is substituted for any blank Timesheet Cycle fields, the preprocessor scans the table for any blank Timesheet Cycles. If a blank is found, the preprocessor changes the field value to WKLY.
  6. After all default value substitutions are completed, the preprocessor performs all data validations on the input table (see discussion below). Records containing invalid field values are marked for deletion, and error messages are written to the error table.
  7. When validations are finished, the preprocessor deletes all records containing invalid values from the input table and writes these records to the output error file. At the conclusion of processing, you can review the error report and make corrections. After the corrected error file is renamed, you can re-run the preprocessor using that file as the new input file.
  8. After the application deletes records containing invalid field values, the input table contains only records that passed all validation tests and are valid candidates for insertion or update in the Costpoint database tables. The preprocessor calculates the value for certain computed columns (such as Annual Salary) and updates the input table with these values.
  9. The Costpoint database tables are now updated. If records already exist, they are updated or replaced. New records are inserted. If any fatal errors are encountered during this phase of processing, all transactions are rolled back and processing is aborted. For example, if the database server were to crash during the insertion of a new employee record, all processing that took place during the upload would be canceled, including all prior transactions. Either all transactions succeed or they all fail.
  10. Finally, the Audit and Error reports are printed. After printing is completed, the contents of the worktables are deleted, and processing is finished.

Other Output

  • Error File (input file name + .ERR)
  • Edit Report
  • Error Report