PDXpert PLM Software
On-line Help Guide

This help topic describes the current PDXpert PLM release. Earlier releases may be different. To view your release's version of this topic, open PDXpert and press the F1 key or select the Help menu.

Item files & links import

This file defines how PDXpert attaches item-level files and external links to document and part records.

Each row in the import file represents an item record with

  • a file that is imported into the library, and attached to the record's Files: Item Files list; or
  • an external URI (with protocol such as http: or file:) that is attached to the record's Files: Item Files list.

The import file adds or updates parent-child relationships regardless of the parent item's iteration status (pending, released or canceled).

This format imports historical or background files and web links that are not under change control.

For revision files under change control, use the Revision files import format.

For important rules that affect this import, see the Item-level relational imports help topic.

Rows on the Files: Item Files list are added cumulatively. That is, you can import a different row (say, a new website link) without affecting the current list. If you want to replace an existing list, clear the list using the DELETE-ITEMFILE-LIST or DELETE-ITEMLINK-LIST special values.

Before each new import, ensure there's enough disk space to accept all files in the import list.

Do not attach multiple files with the same name to one item record.

Do not import a Windows Link (.lnk) file. The real data file is not saved, and the link file doesn't contain information that's useful to other computers. Use a URI item link if you don't want PDXpert to manage the actual file.

Windows has a practical device:\path\filename.ext length limit of 260 characters. Verify that deep folder paths and their files are within this limit. To avoid problems when users view or copy item files from PDXpert to their computers, keep item filenames under about 80 characters.

A new import copies item files into the \Data\Library folder. Files that are no longer needed are not automatically deleted from the folder. Test your import carefully with a small set of data before importing the complete set of files.

The Batch Importer tool can generate a CSV template file, which can be used to import your data. Select List: Item Files and Links from the dropdown list, click the Export button, and save the file to a convenient location.

Column name Data type Value if empty Description
Class string Part or Document Part If not specified, then the parent item's Class is assumed to be a part.
Owner Organizations home organization Identifies the organization that is primarily responsible for the parent item's specification and which issues the item Number. If not specified, then the home organization is used.
Type Document Types or Part Types default member If not specified, then the appropriate type collection is determined by this parent item's Class, and the default member of the resulting type collection is used to match the record's Type selection.
Number string row is skipped REQUIRED: Part or document number. If the value is empty, the row is not imported.
ItemFile file: length ≤ 1000 characters see note 1

This is the full file path and name of the file, e.g., C:\MyData\MyFile.txt, that is copied and attached to the corresponding item's Files: Item Files list. As the file is copied into the system library, its attributes are copied to the file's attachment record.

If the file does not exist at the specified path, then the file is not attached. If the file name is the same as an existing attachment, then the imported file replaces the existing file. The special value DELETE-ITEMFILE-LIST removes all item files (but not links) from the item.

It is highly recommended that the imported files are located on the same physical machine—that is, not on a network or mapped drive—as the importing PDXpert client.
ItemFileNote string: length ≤ 4000 characters no value This value is imported into the file's Notes area.
ItemLink URI: length ≤ 1000 characters see note 1

This identifies the location of an external resource ("URI"), such as a supplier website. The URI is added to the parent item's Files: Item Files list. Your string should conform to a standard URI scheme, such as http:// or file://. For example, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_URI_scheme#Windows

The importer warns about an invalid URI (such as UNC) but the value is accepted. The resource is not checked that it actually exists. If the URI value is the same as an existing URI, then the URI details (like date) are updated. The special value DELETE-ITEMLINK-LIST removes all item links (but not item files) from the item.

Be cautious about importing local URIs, such as network file shares, where the path may be renamed or deleted. A resource name resolved using DNS is usually better than a hard-coded IP address.
ItemLinkNote string: length ≤ 4000 characters no value This value is imported into the URI's Notes area.

Notes:

  1. At least one of these two columns must have a value. We recommend importing files and links on separate rows. One data row can import both an item file and item link, but if either value fails then the entire row (both columns) fails.

1213