Hi Chad,

This new module looks like it'll do a great job on the display-side of what I'm trying to do, but I also need to sort out the other side, which is 'getting the data into the site'. I'm wondering if you have any possiblities for this aspect.

I have a CSV that is created using an offline app, and is updated every now and then. I need a user-friendly way to get the CSV onto the website and displayed in a configurable manner.

Does one of the other modules do this, or can this method of importing data via CSV perhaps be added to Dynamic Views as a new feature?

Thanks for any advice on this,
Rob

Hi Rob,

Thanks for your comments and your post... I am not really sure I know a module that would directly handle this but you would have access to a few options.

1. You could setup a DTS package on the SQL Server (completely outside of DotNetNuke). The DTS package could be setup as the CSV file for the data source and run some SQL to import that file into a database table... So you could possibly run this weekly or nightly into a flat table etc... If you need help implementing this or would like someone from our team to handle it you can pick up Premium Support hours at http://www.datasprings.com/Premium-Support.

2. Depending on the exact data you are trying to import you could potentially user our Interactive User Import module. This works like you would want it to work as far as running nightly or on a scheduled basis, picking up a CSV file, but beyond that everything else is related to user information and creating/updating users. There are some 'Interactive SQL Events' I guess you could do other things with the data if you needed to.


Thanks!

-Chad

Thanks for the reply Chad,

The CSV would only need to be uploaded manually whenever it has had sufficient changes from the previous upload. It doesn't have to go up automatically or on a schedule as such.

The user import module is the type of thing that is needed, but for general, rather than profile data, and in an idiot-proof manner. It basically just needs to take a CSV and put the data into tables, but it would need to manage everything so that if it were used on a different portal, and someone used the same table names, it would keep everything safe and separate.

I'm finding lots of ways to get data out of DNN, but very few (non-programmer) ways to get custom data into to it. I think it might still be worth considering options along those lines as a companion module for Dynamic Views. I keep coming across clients with such needs, but have never found a ready-made solution that can do it.

I'll have another look at the user import module since I've bought the latest pack and it might have some new bits.
Thanks
Rob

Hello Rob,

Thank you for your input, we can take this into consideration for future enhancements. If you ever need assistance please let us know and I will help you.

Thank you,

Ryan

Just following this up...
Could this perhaps be inhanced to display the contents of an uploaded CVS or Excel file straight off the file system, without even going to the trouble of getting the data into tables?

That would probably do what I'm trying to do.. get data out of an offline app and display it on the website. It'd be easy to just upload a replacement file whenever needed.

I mention it here because I saw another module that purports to do something along these lines and it seems a natural fit for Dynamic Views as well.
REgards
Rob

Hi, this would be somewhat difficult but I think Chad may have some ideas. Because reading straight from a CSV or Excel file would be difficult because oftentimes, these flat files are not formatted or entered correctly so there's no way to map the data accordingly.

How about creating a scheduled task job (SQL server agent job) using Data Transformation Script to read the CSV / XLS file nightly from a network drive location and transfer it to an SQL table? Then your Dynamic Views will always have the latest data from the flat file by way of the SQL table. This is what DTS / SSIS is designed to do. -- David

Thanks for the reply David,

I'm not too fussed about getting the data there automatically on a schedule... that's not really part of it. In fact, for the scenarios I've had so far, manual upload was the requirement.

Just in case Chad feels like mulling it over.. some examples of when I've needed this are:

Person runs a poker-scorekeeping app on his laptop, goes around club events, and when he's ready, the app can export a CSV, and he can upload it. I need to have a module that can read the CSV and display it according to however I have configured it to be displayed.
 

Person is a financial advisor, has a legacy application that stores data on all his customers and their portfolios. The application can spit out a CSV at any time, he wants to upload it now and then to his website so that investors can log in and check up on their status. I need the same functionality as the poker situation, but with the addition of filtering the display by one of the fields, which would probably be an ID in the CVS againt a custom profile property in the portal.
 

Another one is a chap who does long-term wine storage for clients. Again there's a legacy app that has all the data and can put out a CSV. He would upload it now and then manually, and the module again needs the same functionality as with the financial advisor.

I keep coming across the same requirements:

1. Want to upload a CSV or Excel file, and display the data.
2. Sometimes display the data filtered by either a UserID or a sepcific field that relates to a profile field.

It sounds to me like to most basic thing in the world for a computer to do, but I can't find a ready-made way to do it.

The CSV files are created by the applications in a consistent manner. The mapping part of the job has to be able to be done by the page editor or admin in a safe manner so that other tables in the db are not damaged or put at risk - basically all other tables in the database should be off-limits for uploading to and for viewing. The module should operate in some sort of safe bucket. That's why I thought that reading a flat file would suit.. after all it's exactly what Excel does.

The uploading would just be done by a module editor role, who should not be able to break anything.

It seems like we have half of the functionality in plenty of data display modules.. just need an enterprising developer to create the other half

I did get a quote from one of the companies on Snowcovered a while back, for a one-off module for doing just one of the scenarios above, but I think there could be a module that has more flexibility... and Dynamic Views is such a natural fit for it.

Regards
Rob