Best Practices for using Excel to Export and Import Data
The following best practices can aid your import or export process:
• If you encounter scripting errors, consider changing the ActiveX settings in Excel:
1. In Excel, select > .
2. In the Excel Options window, select Trust Center. Then click Trust Center Settings.
3. In the Trust Center window, select ActiveX Settings. Then select Disable all controls without notification.
• Before importing, use the Export Importable Spreadsheet action and use the exported spreadsheet as a template for the import. When you export, site-defined and classification attributes are included.
• Because the Import from Spreadsheet action checks for Create permission only, even users who do not have Modify or Revise permission could modify or revise a part or a document using the Import from Spreadsheet action. To prevent this, create a policy access control rule denying Full Control (All) permission on the ImportJob object type in all life cycle states in an appropriate domain.
• Before you import a spreadsheet, it may be helpful for you to review sample Excel spreadsheets. The following sample templates are available:
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The Excel files can be used with either an XLS or XSLX extension.
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◦ From ptc.com:
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Also includes example of new view version as well as manufacturer and vendor parts.
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◦ The same sample import files are provided with the installation in the following location:
▪ http://<hostname>:<port>/<WindchillAppl>/examples/xls/part-import-template.xls
For example, the path may be: http://hostname/Windchill/examples/xls/…
http://<hostname>:<port>/<WindchillAppl>/examples/xls/bom-import-template.xls
▪ http://<hostname>:<port>/<WindchillAppl>/examples/xls/axl-import-template.xls
▪ http://<hostname>:<port>/<WindchillAppl>/examples/xls/document-import-template.xls
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The URL for sample spreadsheets may also begin with https://. The files can also be located on the server at <Windchill_loadpoint>/examples/xls/.
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• When you launch the
Import from Spreadsheet window, be aware of any import jobs that create baselines, documents or parts that may be running in the background. Deleting or updating these parts, documents or baselines may cause the import to fail.
• Using text format is recommended for all cells in the spreadsheet. For example, if you are importing a number with leading zeros, Excel trims the zeros unless you are using text format.
To set the cell format, complete the following steps:
1. Select an entire column or row or a specific cell.
2. Right-click and select Format Cells.
If a field contains a numeric value, a green triangular glyph appears at the upper-left corner of the cell. If the cell contains a combination of a numeric and character values, for example 123Text, the green triangular glyph is not present.
When making changes to reference designators or line numbers, if one row changes a value to a value that is used in a subsequent row, the change fails. This failure occurs because the subsequent row that is using the value has not been changed. The best practice for making mass changes to reference designators or line numbers is to load the product structure without them. This removes all existing reference designators and line numbers from the product structure. Then you can load the product structure again with the new values.
• It is important to ensure that the values you enter in the spreadsheets adhere to the requirements and constraints outlined in the following topics:
