Import a Taxonomy/Hierarchy

Taxonomies and hierarchies are both managed just about exactly the same way. This section is written to address taxonomies but almost all of it is the same for hierarchies. Any content for hierarchies that is different will be noted.

The Import feature work may only work on taxonomies and hierarchies whoseSource has been defined as Import from a file. (See Create/Edit a Taxonomy /Hierarchy.)

The easiest way to determine the format of an import *.csv file is to export the taxonomy/hierarchy in a &.csv file. The exported *.csv file can then be modified and reimported to update the taxonomy/hierarchy. This is useful if there’s a large number of changes that need to be made. Also, instead of modifying the *.csv file directly, the file can be opened with Excel, modified, and saved as a *.csv file. The steps to import the file are shown below.

  1. Open the Model – Taxonomy tab, (see Open Taxonomy/Hierarchy List Tab.)

    Model Taxonomy Tab

  2. Select the taxonomy for the file to be imported into and click the Import button on the Model – Taxonomy tab’s Activity Bar. The Import window will open. (In the image below, the window is mis-labeled Export.)

    Import a Taxonomy

  3. The configuration options for the Import window are:
    • File Name: (Required) Click the Choose File button to select a file to import.
    • Import Type: Indicates the arrangement of the data elements in the file being imported. PIMLoad is most often used.
    • Import File Type:
      • CSV: Comma Separated Values. Typically this indicates the delimiter between fields is a comma, but this can be overridden by the Import File Delimiter.
      • XLS : Excel (1997 – 2003)
      • XLSX : Excel Workbook
    • Import File Delimiter: Select the delimiter used in the file.
    • File Action:
      • Add Code : If selected, codes in the import file that do not exist in the target taxonomy will be added to the target taxonomy.
      • Update Codes : If selected, if a code in the target taxonomy has a matching code in the import file, the code in the target taxonomy will be updated with the new code from the import file.
      • Delete Codes : If selected, if a code in the target taxonomy does not have a matching code in the import file, the code in the target taxonomy will be deleted.
  4. To begin the import, select the Import button. The import will begin. A status message will appear at the bottom of the display to indicate the completion status of the import.