In this article, we will help you to understand how to export and import workitems.
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Overview
Exporting workitems enables sharing files and helps in adding and modifying workitems offline using MS Excel. Export the structure to add and upload items or all content for all fields to modify and/or close items. On Importing the files back into the application, items are added/updated/closed.
To bring in workitems from other systems into the application, export the structure of that workitem i.e., Skeletal Export, and then enter data formatted to the columns in the file. This will allow the smooth import of workitems i.e. without any errors.
Steps to Export Workitems
You can export workitems into an XLS, XLSM, or CSV format as a compressed file. Select one or more items at a time and download them along with the attachments within. You can choose to export the full content with or without data i.e. the Skeletal Export.
Note: The XLSM file is an Excel Macro-enabled Workbook, which is supported in Excel 2007 or newer versions.
You can even choose to export all fields or only those that are displayed in the List View.
To export workitems:
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Go to the Module, and in the List view, select the required items from the list. Click the Export icon.
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In the Export window, select the Export Format in the list. Selecting this option only, exports selected items with data in the export format selected. To export the structure of the item i.e. as columns without the data, you can select the Skeletal Export option.
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Additionally, you can select the following options, as required:
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Select the List View option to export only fields that are displayed in the List view, as defined in the Table View. You can reset the Table view to export required fields/columns.
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You can select the Zip Output file to export as a compressed file.
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Click OK. The File Download dialog box is displayed. Click Open to open the file or Save to save the file onto your system.
If you chose the Zip Output file option, the compressed file is saved with the name as per the workitem type for example, ‘Defect’.
Note: If the number of instances is more than 1000 then a popup message will be displayed about exporting the first 1000 instances only. Also, the search select fields of the workitem appear with drop-down values in the exported files.
When you extract the compressed file, if you selected List View, only the data for fields you defined in the List View exists in the file. If you chose Full export, the extracted contents of the file are full export of the details of the Defect items. The Attachments, if selected are saved in the respective folders created for each item named on the item ID, for example, DEF1 and DEF2. If an item does not contain an attachment, no folder is created.
In the Excel/CSV files, you will notice certain symbols in the column headings. You can add items, close items, and modify field values in the exported file using the Add, Modify, Close, Add, and Close options in the Action column indicated by symbols. These symbols are used to understand the functions that you can perform in a particular field.
Following is the explanation of the symbols in the Column headings, prefixed with the column names.
#Indicates the workflow stages
| Symbols |
Description |
| ! | Indicates that the column can be modified |
| * | Indicates a mandatory column |
| $ | This symbol adjacent to the Comments and Attachments column indicates that in the CSV file, there can be multiple records. These records are separated by a dot.
This $ symbol adjacent to the Add a Comment and Add an Attachment column indicates that you can add comments and attachments in the respective columns in the CSV file. |
The read-only fields and the closed workitem rows are highlighted in a gray color to indicate that they are non-editable.
Steps to Import Workitems
Ensure that you import the same file you exported and you have entered values in the mandatory fields.
You can copy data in the string, numeric, date, and time format from an Excel file (file which is not exported from the product) to the product-exported Excel file. Rows added with data will be imported as new workitems in the product.
To import workitems:
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Go to the Module and click the Import icon on the List view toolbar.
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In the Import window, browse through your system and select the required file. You can select Notify by e-mail to receive a notification email after the import process is completed; useful for large data to be imported.
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Click Upload to import that particular file.
After the import is completed, the status is displayed for indicating successful and failed records along with reasons for failures. See the Validations for Importing Workitems section below for more details.
Validations for Importing Workitems
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If mandatory fields are not entered for new or modified items, the reason is listed for import failure in the Import Status window.
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An item is updated into the product on validating that there are changes over the data exported. If the item is marked as ‘M’ and there is no change in the system records, the Import Status window displays the message that the item is not modified and hence the item is not imported.
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For a field that is configured to ‘Mandatory on Close’ at the Form level and a file that is modified using the following functions.
- Add: When a workitem is being added, the Mandatory on Close should not be blank, wherein the workflow is set such that all the stages are set to Skip except the Initiator stage (which cannot be skipped in any case).
- Modify: When a workitem is being modified, the Mandatory on Close should not be blank wherein the workflow is set such that all the next stages including the current stage are set to Skip.
- Close: A workitem is being closed; the Mandatory on Close should not be blank.
- Add and Close: A workitem is added and immediately closed; the Mandatory on Close field should not be blank.