This chapter will show you a sample import of products using Dotypos Cloud, step by step. With this guide you can perform imports on your own. This guide is meant for customers who do not have any products in the cash register yet. So, typically you can use it when filling out the cash register for the first time with new items.
Data control when importing products
Important notes
•When importing new products into the cash register, each product receives a unique number (productId). This number is used for further updates of the identical record. So, if you export the imported products from the cash register and in the file you change the properties of the product with the productId 6351216842362154, these product adjustments will be transferred to the cash register during the next import. The existing productId allows the cash register to recognize it as an existing product. If you delete the value in the column productId, a new product will be added to the cash register.
•If you edit the .csv file with existing products from the cash register using the Excel application, you have to set the value of the column productId and others with multi-digit numbers to Text and save the file. Otherwise, Excel may treat the data in this column as numbers and adjust them automatically. That would change the unique identifier of the product and the file could not be imported back after modification. To see the correct process, please check out this chapter.
•Do not erase the unused columns, just delete their contents without headings containing the column name.
•You can verify the properly prepared .csv file with data by opening it in a notepad.
•If products in the cash register contain any incorrect data after the import, do not delete these products. Just export the products from the cash register and correct the data in the file, then import it again. The productId allows you to fix product properties.
•The modified file must contain data at least in the required items (columns), otherwise it cannot be loaded into the cash register. These columns must not be empty. The description of individual items (columns) in the file for import, including the required ones, can be found in the chapter Importing products.
•As separators you can use ; (semicolon) and , (comma). If you use the semicolon, you can use a comma or period to separate decimal places. If you use a comma as a data separator, you must use a period to separate decimal places.
Let’s import the products
Log into Dotypos Cloud and go to Item management » Products. In the top right corner click on the button IMPORT and select Import products. Next click on button DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE to download template to your computer as a productsTemplate.csv file. |
The file productsTemplate.csv can be opened in a spreadsheet (Excel, in this case). After opening, you will see only text information in lines not divided into cells. Dividing the information into individual cells (columns) makes editing more comfortable. This can be done with the guide offered in Excel. The data between semicolons will be separated into columns. Mark both lines containing text and go to the item Data, where you select Text to columns. Another possibility is to import the file directly using this wizard, and the instructions can be found in the chapter How to format cells correctly. |
The wizard for converting text into columns opens. In the first step, leave activated the option Separator and continue. Mark a comma as a separator and don't forget to set the format of cells with numbers to Text. As soon as you have completed the wizard with the button Finish, individual items will be divided into columns. This way you have a properly prepared file for editing and you can start to add individual items. During adjustments, leave the heading (column names) in the table, i.e. start with the second line and rewrite it. The information in it is just a sample. The description of individual items (columns) in the file for import can be found in the chapter Importing products. |
Once you fill the file out with data, save it in the same format as CSV (text file with separators). You can verify the properly prepared file by opening it in a notepad, where you will see the comma-separated text with diacritics and numbers without errors. |
Now go back to the web interface of Dotypos Cloud and, at the page for the import, set the encoding Windows 1250 . This encoding was used by Excel for the saved file. Click on the section to select the modified and saved productsTemplate.csv file. It will be automatically uploaded to the cash register. |
The imported products should appear below the import dialog. After synchronizing, the new products will also appear in the Dotypos cash register. |
Data control when importing products
If you import a .csv file with product properties and categories, the file will be checked after it is inserted. The individual rows are checked to see if they contain all required columns and if the expected and correct values are in each column. However, the encoding of the file is not checked, so care should be taken to select the correct encoding in the import dialog before actually inserting the file.
If fewer than 11 errors are found in the file, these errors will be displayed in a separate dialog:
In our case, the 3 products on lines 2-4 do not have the correct category. They contain an ID of a non-existent category and the category name is also missing. The product on row 5 does not contain the mandatory value in the discountpermited column. That is, whether bulk discounts are allowed for it. If you see this dialog, check the displayed rows and correct the errors. Then close the dialog and perform the import again.
We always strongly recommend that you test the import on a small number of products first. After carefully checking the imported data, you can then import all products. |
If the imported data contains more than 10 errors, the errors are saved in a .csv file for download:
Download the file with the corresponding button and check the individual records. In this case, our imported products did not contain the required pricewthoutvat or pricewithvat value, i.e. price without / with VAT. At least one of these values must be entered assuming the VAT rate is filled in.