Using Data Loader

Overview

Rootstock Custom Objects can be populated or modified using Data Loader. Data Loader is a client application from Salesforce used for the bulk import or export of data. Use it to insert, update, delete, or export Rootstock/Salesforce records. When importing data, Data Loader reads, extracts, and loads data from comma separated values (CSV) files. When exporting data, it outputs CSV files. The latest version of the guide from Salesforce can be found here .


Installation Considerations

Over time, several versions of the Data Loader client application have been available for download. Some earlier versions were called “AppExchange Data Loader” or “Sforce Data Loader.” You can run different versions at the same time on one computer. However, do not install more than one copy of the same version. The latest version is always available in Salesforce. If you have installed the latest version and want to install it again, first remove the version on your computer. 

Data Loader must be installed on the computer from which the data is to be uploaded. For instructions on installing Data Loader, please refer:  https://help.salesforce.com/HTViewHelpDoc?id=installing_the_data_loader.htm&language=en_US 

Login Considerations

• Data Loader requires an additional piece of information in the Password field – A Security Token. Your Security token must precede your Password:  Security Token + Salesforce Password.

• If you do not have a Security Token:  in Salesforce, go to Setup, My Personal Information, Reset My Security Token. Click the button, and a token will be sent to your email listed with the Salesforce environment from which the reset action is initiated.

• Data Loader must “point” to the correct environment (Settings). To add data to the production environment, the server host setting should be https://login.salesforce.com. For a Sandbox environment, the value should be https://test.salesforce.com (see image below).

• Also in Settings, the recommended Batch size setting is 1. This means Data Loader will wait until the first record is processed before starting the second; avoiding errors related to the Data Loader trying to process too many records at once. In a single insert, update, upsert, or delete operation, records moving to or from Salesforce are processed in increments of this size. There are some Objects that allow you to specify a larger number for the batch size (The Maximum value for this setting is 200.)  – these Objects will be noted. 
   

Data Import Limits 

The following limits apply to data imported using Data Loader. Only dates within a certain range are valid. The earliest valid date is 1700-01-01T00:00:00Z GMT, or just after midnight on January 1, 1700. The latest valid date is 4000-12-31T00:00:00Z GMT, or just after midnight on December 31, 4000. These values are offset by your time zone. For example, in the Pacific time zone, the earliest valid date is 1699-12-31T16:00:00, or 4:00 PM on December 31, 1699. When using Data Loader version 28.0 and later, the maximum field size for imported CSV files is 32,000 characters.

Process

Data Loader allows you to add new records, modify existing records, or delete existing records. The “Upsert” option is a combination of inserting and updating. Rootstock uses the Upsert option when creating new records. The Update option is used to Update existing records and requires the actual Record ID to be specified. 
 

1. Open the Data Loader, login, specify Production or Sandbox, update Batch Size if necessary. 

2. Choose Upsert to add new records or update existing records.

3. Choose an object.
    

  EXAMPLE If you are inserting Engineering Item Master records, select Engineering Item Master.
 

4. Click Browse > To select your CSV file.
    

  EXAMPLE If you are inserting Engineering Item records, you could specify a CSV file named insertItems.csv containing the list of Items with their corresponding data elements.
 

5. After the object and CSV file are initialized, click OK.

6. If you are performing an upsert, your CSV file must contain a column of ID values for matching. The column may be either an external ID (a custom field with the “External ID” attribute), or Id (the Salesforce record ID). From the drop-down list, select which field to use for matching.

7. If the object has no external ID fields, Id is automatically used. Click Next to continue.

8. If your file includes the external IDs of an object that has a relationship to your chosen object, enable that external ID for record matching by selecting its name from the drop-down list. If you make no selection here, you can use the related object's Id field for matching by mapping it in the next step. Click Next to continue.

9. Define how the columns in your CSV file map to Salesforce fields. Click Choose an Existing Map to select an existing field mapping, or click Create or Edit a Map to create a new map or modify an existing map. For more details and an example of usage, see Engineering Item Master Import Data Loader Process. 

10. Click Next to continue.

11. For every operation, the Data Loader generates two unique CSV log files; one file name starts with “success”, while the other starts with “error”. Click Browse... to specify a directory for these files.

12. Click Finish to perform the operation, and then click Yes to confirm.

13. As the operation proceeds, a progress information window reports the status of the data movement.

14. After the operation completes, a confirmation window summarizes your results. Click View Successes to view your success file, click View Errors to open your errors file, or click OK to close. For more information, see Reviewing Data Loader Output Files. 
    
     

SEE ALSO

Engineering Item Master Import Data Loader Process
Inventory Item Master Data Loader
Import Vendor Master
Import Routing Operation
Import Purchase Order
Import Inventory Adjust
Import Product
Import BOM