Appendix A

To upload your product inventory in bulk, you will need to create a CSV (comma separated value) file, which is a commonly used output by the market leading spreadsheet programs, such as Microsoft Excel and Lotus 123 or a database like Microsoft Access.

CSV Format (Version 3)

FIELD NAME	TYPE	LENGTH	DESCRIPTION
Product Data
Product Identifier	Integer		A whole number greater than zero which uniquely identifies an existing product in your inventory. Used only when editing existing products (Optional if not editing)
Product Name	Text	1 To 80 Characters	The name of your product. This will name a new product or rename an existing product if you are editing one. (Optional if editing)
Product Code	Text	1 to 16 Characters	The code for your new or existing (if editing) product (Optional)
Visible to customers	True Or False		If this flag is set to true then the product will be visible to your customers. If set to false then the product will be stored but invisible to your customers. The visibility can be changed at any time by editing a product after it is stored. (Optional if editing)
Descriptive Keywords	Text	1 Character Or More	You may enter one or more descriptive keywords for keyword searches within your catalogue. The keywords should be separated by single spaces. (Optional)
Short Description HTML Flag	True Or False		If a short description (see below is entered for the product then you may wish to include HTML formatting within it. If so then enter true here otherwise (for plain text) select false. (Optional)
Short Description	Text	Variable Length	This is a short description of your product (which may include optional HTML formatting - see above), which will be displayed on category pages of your site.
Long Description HTML Flag	True Or False		If a long description (See below) is entered for the product then you may wish to include HTML formatting within it If so then enter true here otherwise (for plain text) select false (Optional)
Long Description	Text	Variable Length	This is a long description of your product (which may include optional HTML formatting - see above), which will be displayed on full product information pages of your site. (Optional)
Image Identifier	Integer		A whole number greater than zero, which uniquely identifies an image currently, stored in your database. This image will appear as part of your full product description
Thumbnail Image Identifier	Integer		A whole number greater than zero, which uniquely identifies an image currently, stored in your database. This image will appear as part of your short product description. (Optional)
Product Weight	Floating Point Number		A number, zero or greater, that denotes the weight of your product - it does not represent a particular unit of weight other than in relation to the other products in your inventory. (Optional if editing)
Product Height	Floating Point Number		A number, zero or greater, that denotes the height dimension of your product - it does not represent a particular unit of height other than in relation to the other products in your inventory. (Optional if editing)
Product Width	Floating Point Number		A number, zero or greater, that denotes the width dimension of your product - it does not represent a particular unit of width other than in relation to the other products in your inventory. (Optional if editing)
Product Depth	Floating Point Number		A number, zero or greater, that denotes the depth dimension of your product - it does not represent a particular unit of depth other than in relation to the other products in your inventory. (Optional if editing)
Tax-Rate Group	Integer		A whole number greater than zero, which uniquely identifies a tax-rate group already, stored in your database. (Optional)
Shipping-Cost Group	Integer		A whole number greater than zero, which uniquely identifies a shipping-cost group already, stored in your database. (Optional)
Product Discount Scheme	Integer		A whole number greater than zero, which uniquely identifies a discount scheme already, stored in your database. (Optional)
Product Instructions	Text	1 Or More	A list of integer values contained in double quotes and separated by commas. Each integer represents a product instruction already stored in your database. (Optional)
Product Priority	Integer	1 Or More	A whole number that represents the sorting priority for this product when it is displayed in a list of products (1 being the highest). If no value is entered then the default of '500' will be used. (Optional)
Variant Data
Variant Identifier	Integer		A whole number greater than zero which uniquely identifies an existing variant in your inventory. You must also have specified the correct product identifier for the product that contains this variant. Used only when editing existing products and variants. (Optional if not editing)
Variant Price	Floating Point Number		A number, zero or greater that denotes the price of this variant. (Optional if editing)
Variant Description	Text	1 To 80 Characters	This is a description of your variant that will be displayed on the variant information pages of your site. (Optional)
Visible To Customers	True Or False		If true then the variant will be visible to your customers and will appear in your catalogue. If false is entered then the variant will be stored but invisible to your customers. The visibility can be changed at any time by editing a variant after it is stored. (Optional if editing)
Use Stock Checking	True Or False		If true is entered then stock checking will be active, if false is entered then stock checking will be inactive. (Optional if editing)
Variant Reorder Level	Integer		A whole number, zero or greater, that denotes the reorder level for the variant. If the stock level falls below the reorder level then you will be advised by the system. (Optional if editing)
Variant Initial Stock Level	Integer		A whole number, zero or greater, that denotes the initial stock level for this variant. (Optional if editing)
Hard-Goods Or Downloads	Integer		If set to 1 then the variant represents 'hard-goods', if set to 2 then the variant represents 'Download'. Any other value is erroneous (Optional if editing)
Downloads Identifier	Integer		If downloads have been selected by the flag described immediately above then this identifier references a previously created downloads in your database. (Optional if hard goods editing)
Downloads Access Days	Integer		If the hard/downloads selection flag is set to downloads (see above) then this whole number represents the number of days that the particular item is available to your customers. (See below) (Optional if hard-goods editing)
Downloads Access Hours	Integer		If the hard/downloads selection flag is set to downloads (see above) then this whole number represents the number of hours that the particular item is available to your customers. (Optional if hard-goods editing)
Delivery Flag	True or False		If true is entered then delivery will be active, if false is entered the delivery will be inactive. Downloadable goods default to false. Hard goods default to true.
Variant Discount Scheme	Integer		A whole number greater than zero which uniquely identifies a discount scheme already stored in your database. (Optional)
Variant Instructions	Text		A list of integer values contained in double quotes and separated by commas. Each integer represents a variant instruction already stored in your database. (Optional)
Variant Priority	Integer	1 Or More	A whole number that represents the sorting priority for this variant when it is displayed in a list of products (1 being the highest). If no value is entered then the default of '500' will be used. (Optional)
Category Data
Category Identifier	Integer		A whole number greater than zero which uniquely identifies an existing variant in your inventory. You must also have specified the correct product identifier for the product that contains this variant. Used only when editing existing products and variants. (Optional if not editing)
Category Date	Date		A date that represents the start date that this product will appear in the category described above. (Optional)
Category Days	Integer		A whole number greater than zero which uniquely identifies an existing variant in your inventory. You must also have specified the correct product identifier for the product that contains this variant. Used only when editing existing products and variants. (Optional if not editing)

Note: 'Integer' denotes a whole number, 'floating point number' denotes one that may have a decimal place and 'Date denotes a date in the format of YYYYMMDD.

Example CSV Format

,PNAME1,PCODE,true,DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS HERE,FALSE,S_DESCRIP,FALSE,L_DESCRIP,1,2,100,1,1,1,,,,,500,d135,1,V_DESCRIP1,true,true,10,100,1,,,,,,,500,1,,10
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1,V_DESCRIP2,true,true,10,100,1,,,,,,,,,, (Adding Variant 2)
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1,V_DESCRIP3,true,true,10,100,1,,,,,,,,,, (Adding Variant 3)
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,500,2,,1 (Putting the product into category 2)
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,500,3,,1 (Putting the product into category 3)
,PNAME2,PCODE,true,DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS HERE,FALSE,S_DESCRIP,FALSE,L_DESCRIP,1,2,100,1,1,1,,,,,500,,1,V_DESCRIP1,true,true,10,100,1,,,,,,,500,1,,10
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1,V_DESCRIP2,true,true,10,100,1,,,,,,,500,2,,1 (Adding Variant 2 & putting the product into category 2)
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1,V_DESCRIP3,true,true,10,100,1,,,,,,,500,3,,1 (Adding Variant 3 & putting the product into category 3)
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1,V_DESCRIP4,true,true,10,100,1,,,,,,,500,4,,1 (Adding Variant 4 & putting the product into category 4)
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1,V_DESCRIP5,true,true,10,100,1,,,,,,,500,5,,1 (Adding Variant 5 & putting the product into category 5)

The example above clearly indicates that variants can be added to products without the need to repeat any of the initial product details. The additional variants can be added to the product by putting only the variant details into the following line of the CSV file. It also shows that the product can be added to different categories by entering the additional category data into a new CSV file row.

Operational Tip: To delete any of the products from the Click and Build database using a CSV file simply place a 'D' in front of the specific product's ID number. You can also delete any of the variants from a product, again by just placing a 'D' in front of the variants ID number. When uploading this edited CSV file it will delete the marked information from the Click and Build database.

Warning Messages

Row: 2- Unknown image '72' ------ Your inventory file contained a reference to an unknown image, no image will be stored for the product if this occurs but an image can be selected using the product edit menus.

Row: 2- Unknown thumbnail image '49' ------ Your inventory file contained a reference to an unknown thumbnail image, no thumbnail image will be stored for the product if this occurs but an image can be selected using the product edit menus.

Row: 2- No product weight - defaulting to zero ------ Your inventory file did not specify a weight for the given product and system has therefore chosen to store the product with a weight of zero. If this is inappropriate then use the product edit menu to alter the product weight.

Row: 2- no category matching ID: 4 ------ Your inventory file contained a reference to an unknown category. The product will not be stored within a category and may therefore become an 'orphaned' product - a product that is not a member of any category ('orphaned' products can be located using the 'Orphaned Product Report').

Row:2- bad product-ID ------ Your inventory file contained a product ID that was not an integer value. The system will assume that this was a typing error and will store a new product instead of editing an existing product. If this storage is unsuitable then delete the product from your database.

Row:2- bad variant-ID ------ Your inventory file contained a variant ID that was not an integer value. The system will assume that this was a typing error and will store a new variant instead of editing an existing variant. If this storage is unsuitable then delete the variant from your database.

Row:2-Product Visibility flag contains unknown value ------ Your inventory file contained a product visibility flag that was neither 'true' nor 'false'. The system will default the product visibility to 'false'.

Row:2- Short-Description HTML flag contains unknown value------ Your inventory file contained a Short-Description HTML flag that was neither 'true' nor 'false'. The system will default the Short-Description HTML flag to 'false'.

Row:2- Long-Description HTML flag contains unknown value------ Your inventory file contained a Long-Description HTML flag that was neither 'true' nor 'false'. The system will default the Long-Description HTML flag to 'false'.

Row:2- bad product tax rate ------ Your inventory file contained a tax-rate identifier that was not a suitable integer - no tax rate will be set.

Row:2- bad product shipping cost ------ Your inventory file contained a shipping cost identifier that was not a suitable integer - no shipping cost will be set.

Row:2- bad product discount ------ Your inventory file contained a product discount identifier that was not a suitable integer - no product discount will be set.

Row:2- bad product instruction ------ Your inventory file contained a product instruction identifier that was not a suitable integer - no product instruction will be set.

Row:2- Un-referenced product instruction: 'BAD-INSTRUCTION' ------ Your inventory file contained a list of product instructions, one of which could not be referenced as an existing instruction. Check the uploaded file and edit the product accordingly.

Row:2- Variant Visibility flag contains unknown value 'BAD' ------ Your inventory file contained a variant visibility flag that was neither 'true' not 'false'. The system will default the flag to 'false' and you may wish to edit the variant and adjust this value.

Row:2- Stock Checking flag contains unknown value 'BAD' ------ Your inventory file contained a stock checking flag that was neither 'true' not 'false'. The system will default the flag to 'false' and you may wish to edit the variant and adjust this value.

Row:2- bad variant reorder level - defaulting to zero 'BAD' ------ Your inventory file contained a variant reorder value that was not a valid integer. The system will default the variant reorder level to zero and you may wish to edit the variant and adjust this value.

Row:2- bad variant initial stock - defaulting to zero 'BAD' ------ Your inventory file contained a variant initial stock value that was not a valid integer. The system will default the variant initial stock level to zero and you may wish to edit the variant and adjust this value.

Row:2- bad variant soft-goods days 'BAD' ------ Your inventory file contained a soft-goods day duration that was not an integer value - no day duration will be stored. You may wish to edit the variant and adjust this value.

Row:2- bad variant soft-goods hours 'BAD' ------ Your inventory file contained a soft-goods day duration that was not an integer value - no day duration will be stored. You may wish to edit the variant and adjust this value.

Row:2- bad variant discount ------ Your inventory file contained a variant discount identifier that was not a suitable integer - no variant discount will be set.

Row:2- bad variant instruction ------ Your inventory file contained a variant instruction identifier that was not a suitable integer - no variant instruction will be set.

Row:2- Un-referenced variant instruction: 'BAD-INSTRUCTION' ------ Your inventory file contained a list of variant instructions, one of which could not be referenced as an existing instruction. Check the uploaded file and edit the variant accordingly.

Row:2- no category matching ID: 32 ------ Your inventory file contained a category identifier that does not match any currently stored in the database. The product will not be stored in any category at this point. You may wish to edit the product and adjust this value.

Row:2- bad category duration 'BAD' ------ Your inventory file contained a category duration that is not a valid integer number. No duration will be stored so you may wish to edit the product and adjust this value.

To view the table of content when viewing this help file in an early browser version click here