If you have a large list of values that you would like to use in multiple lists, or a
list that has been exported from an external source, you can import pick list values. Importing pick
list values can reduce both entry time and errors.
About this task
An import file uses the following format, where the description is optional:
| [child list name] |
tab |
description |
tab |
[parent list name] |
| child item name |
tab |
description |
tab |
parent item name |
Note: To see an example of a text file containing valid pick list data, you can export a pick list
in the database and view the file which is created. You could then use this file as a template for
other pick lists to be imported. See
Exporting code lists. The number of
tab-separated values must be the same for each row in the file. Two tab characters are required if
there is no description.
Procedure
-
In the left Database window, select a pick list, right-click, and select
Import.
The Import Code List dialog is displayed, in which you
select a file containing the pick list data. Only text files (with a . txt extension) can be
selected. If your file has a different extension, you must change it to . txt before it can be
imported.
-
Select the required file and click Open.
After choosing a
suitable text file, you need to define how you import the list. There can be zero, one, or more pick
lists defined in a text file, and the dialog shows you what is defined in the file and, if there are
valid lists, offers you options for importing each list.
Information about the number of pick
lists in the selected text file and the name of each pick list to be imported is displayed in the
Import Code List dialog.
Each pick list is imported in the order in which it is found in the
text file. For each list, you have the option to import it or skip the import and move to the next
list.
