Importing Attendance Records

Use the Import item on the Attendance Information page Action Bar to load attendance records from files stored on your personal computer or network server.

Menu Path

From the Human Resources menu, select Entry & Processing. From the Employee menu, select Attendance. From the action bar, select Import.

Import Wizard

The Import item on the action bar launches a wizard that will take you step by step through the following processes:

Load the file.
Map the columns on the file to the fields in the database table.
Map static columns that are required, but not defined in the file.
Save the mapping that was created for future file imports.
Generate a list of warnings and error messages found during the data validation. These are the same messages that appear when you manually add a record.

File Requirements

Your ability to import a file depends on the following:

The data in the file fields must comply with the field requirements in Attendance records. For example, if a field requires numeric data and the file contains characters, the system cannot import the file.
The file must be formatted as XML Spreadsheet 2003, Comma Separated (CSV), Tab-Delimited (TXT), or Pipe-Delimited ( I ).
The extension on the file to be imported must be *.xml, *.exml, *.csv,*.txt, or *.unl.
You must have the appropriate security resource to access the Import item.

Create Files for Import

You can create the file to be imported into the table in any manner you choose. The easiest way is to use a spreadsheet program. The fields in the file can be entered in any order. After the file is created, it needs to be saved with the extension of *.xml, *.exml, *.csv, *.txt, or *.unl.

Include required fields in the file or enter them in the wizard's Static Column Value Mapping page. Defaults display on the Static Column Value Mapping page, but you can change them.

The database table used to store attendance records is attend. Following are the database names of the Attendance table's fields and their descriptions:

Field	Name	Description	Required
attend.empl_no	Employee Number	Employee Number	Yes
attend.pay_code	Pay Code	Pay Code If the field is not in the file or entered on the Static Column Value Mapping page, the value defaults from the Pay Code field on the employee's primary pay rate during the import. This field must be 3 characters in length. It may be necessary to format your file so leading zeros remain for the import process.	Yes
attend.start_date	Start Date	The first day of absence or accruing leave.	Yes
attend.stop_date	Stop Date	The last day if more than one day. If the field is not in the file or entered on the Static Column Value Mapping page, the value will default from the Start Date during the import.	Yes
attend.lv_hrs	Leave Hours/Days	The number of hours or days for the leave.	Yes
attend.remarks	Remarks	Enter information about the leave if desired.	No
attend.sub_id	Substitute Employee Number	If the pay code in the file or the value entered for the pay code in the Static Column Value Mapping page is associated with leave, a substitute's information can be entered to be associated with the timecard.	No
attend.sub_pay_code	Substitute Pay Code	If the field is not in the file or entered on the Static Column Value Mapping page, the value defaults from the substitute's Pay Code field on their primary pay rate during the import. This occurs when the three fields, Substitute Pay Code, Substitute Pay Class, and Substitute Pay Rate, are not imported. If the file contains the Substitute Pay Class, but not the Substitute Pay Code, then the Substitute Pay Code defaults from the substitute's pay rate record that is associated with the Pay Class in the file.	Yes if a Substitute Employee Number is present
attend.sub_pay_class	Substitute Pay Class	If the field is not in the file or entered on the Static Column Value Mapping page, the value defaults from the substitute's Class field on their primary pay rate during the import.	Yes if a Substitute Employee Number is present
attend.sub_pay_rate	Substitute Pay Rate	If the field is not in the file and the Job Class and Pay Code for the substitute are associated with a pay rate record, the pay rate amount will default from that pay rate record. If the Job Class and Pay Code are not associated with a pay rate record, the default will be from the Pay Code table.	Yes if a Substitute Employee Number is present
attend.sub_amt_paid	Amount Paid to Substitute	If the field is not in the file or entered on the Static Column Value Mapping page, upon import the Amount Paid to Substitute is calculated using Substitute Leave Hours/Days X Substitute Pay Rate. For a substitute, the pay code must have a pay type of Hourly, Daily or Per Unit. The Amount Paid to Substitute must equal the Substitute Leave Hours/Days X Substitute Pay Rate for the attendance entry to be imported.	Yes if a Substitute Employee Number is present
attend.sub_loc	Substitute Location	If the field is not in the file or entered on the Static Column Value Mapping page, the value defaults from the employee's Location field on the Personnel Tab of Employee Information.	Yes if a Substitute Employee Number is present
attend.sub_tax_ind	Substitute Tax Indicator	Tax Indicator for the substitute.	No
attend.sub_orgn	Budget Unit for the Substitute	This field is required for the import if the substitute's Account is in the file or entered on the Static Column Value Mapping page.	Yes if a Substitute Employee Number and Substitute Account are present
attend.sub_acct	Account for Substitute	This field is required for the import if the substitute's Budget Unit is in the file or entered on the Static Column Value Mapping page.	Yes if a Substitute Employee Number and Substitute Budget Unit are present
attend.sub_start	Substitute Start Date	If the field is not in the file or entered on the Static Column Value Mapping page, the value defaults from the employee's start date.	Yes if a Substitute Employee Number is present
attend.sub_stop	Substitute End Date	If the field is not in the file or entered on the Static Column Value Mapping page and there is no value in the Substitute Start Date field, the value defaults from the employee's stop date. If the Substitute Start Date has a value in the file or entered on the Static Column Value Mapping page and there is no value for the Substitute End Date, then the value defaults from the substitute's start date.	Yes if a Substitute Employee Number is present
attend.sub_hrs	Substitute Leave Hours/Days	If the field is not in the file or entered on the Static Column Value Mapping page, the value defaults from the regular employee's leave hours/days. For the substitute employee, the pay code must have a pay type of Hourly, Daily or Per Unit. The Amount Paid to Substitute must equal Substitute Hours/Days X Substitute Pay Rate for the timecard.	Yes if a Substitute Employee Number is present
attend.cal_val	Use Calendar Validation	If the calendar validation is not in the file and you have the security to disable the calendar validation, the field defaults to a Y on the Static Column Value Mapping page. This field can be modified to an N if necessary. The Y in this field indicates that calendar validation will be performed on the employee for the attendance record during the import. An N indicates that calendar validation will not be performed. If you do not have security to disable the calendar validation, the field defaults to a Y on the Static Column Value Mapping page and cannot be changed.	Yes

Import a File

On the Attendance Information page, on the action bar click Import.
Select Click to upload a file.
Select the desired file. You can drag and drop a file copy or navigate File Explorer, select the desired file, and click Open.
Click Load to load the data from the file.
Select the line to use for Column Titles, and click Set Column Titles. If you select an incorrect line, click Reset Column Titles to return the line in the list, and repeat the step with the correct line selected.
After the column titles are set, select the lines to import.
- To select a range of lines, hold down the Shift key, click the first line in the range, and then click the last line.
- To select multiple lines individually, hold down the Ctrl key, and click each line.
- To select all lines, click Select All.
Click Next.
In the Define Column Mapping page, perform one of the following options:
- Select a mapping from the Saved Import Mapping list.
- Tab to the Table Field column for the first record and select the table field from the database table to map to the column listed in the Import File Column field. The Field Description column defaults the column's user-friendly name and cannot be changed. Map additional fields until each record has a mapping.
Click Next.
- If the data in the file does not meet the requirements of the database table, the Import Errors page will display. You cannot proceed until either the file or the mapping is corrected. Click Previous to go back and edit the mapping.
- If there are no errors but some required fields from the database are not mapped, the Static Column Value Mapping page displays. Complete the following steps.
- If there are no errors and all required fields are mapped, proceed to step 12.
On the Static Column Value Mapping page, required fields from the database table that were not mapped on the Define Column Mapping page will display. Add values as needed. Click Append Row to add other fields that have not been mapped if needed.
After the static mapping is complete, click Next.
On the Save Import Mapping page, complete the following fields. The ability to save new and updated import mappings on the Save Import Mapping page is dependent on security and mapping settings.
- Mapping Name: If you want to save the mapping settings for future use, enter a unique name to describe the mapping settings. The limit is 38 characters.
  - This field is required if you want to save your mapping settings for future use.
  - If you selected a saved mapping, the name is populated. You can edit the name and save it as a unique mapping or leave the name and update the existing mapping.
- Public: Select Public to allow other users to select your mapping. If cleared, the mapping only appears in the list for your user login.
- Restricted: Select Restricted to prevent other users from updating the mapping you are saving. If cleared and your mapping is shared, other users can edit the mapping settings.
- Save Options:
  - Create new mapping: Create a new mapping with your settings.
  - Update existing mapping: If you selected a saved mapping and have security permissions, save the edits that you made in the mapping settings to the existing mapping.
  - Do not save mapping: Do not save he mapping settings you entered for future use.
- Owner: Read-only field displays the logged in username.
Click Finish to exit the Import wizard.
If any errors or warnings are encountered during data validation when the file is imported, the Import Status page displays. The page lists the errors and warning messages.
- Display Results provides options for controlling the display: Select Warnings Only, Errors Only, Warnings/Errors Only, or Show All.
- The Line # column lists the line numbers in the import file so you can find the data that must be corrected.
- The Summary Information section displays the number of Errors, Warnings, and Successes.
You can:
- Click Print to print the list of errors.
- Click Import on the action bar to import any successes. If there are no successes, this menu does not appear.
- Click Back to exit, correct the file, and then re-run the import procedure.
If there are no errors or you clicked the Import item in the last step, a Confirmation dialog appears. Click Yes to import the file and generate a final Confirmation.

The attendance records appear in the Attendance Information page and you can maintain them as needed and post records.

Fields and Descriptions

File Import And Data Selection Page

This page allows users to initiate the Import wizard and select the file and records to import.

Field	Description
File to Import	Location and name of the file on your computer or network server.
Line #	Identifies the line in the file to be imported.
Column 1 - Column 100	Identifies the column headings for the file to be imported.

Define Column Mapping Page

This page allows users to map the columns in the file to be imported with the fields in the database table.

Field	Description
Saved Import Mapping	Lists the mapping you created or mappings set to public. When a saved mapping is selected, the table field mapping defaults into the Column Mapping section of the page.
Import File Column	Lists the Column Titles set on the File to Import Data Selection page.
Table Field	Lists the table and field names from the database table. Select the field you want to map to the Import File Column.
Field Description	User-friendly name for the value in the Table Field column. Display only.

Import Errors Page

This page generates a list of errors when the data in the file does not match the requirements of the fields in the database table.

Field	Description
Line #	Identifies the line in the file to be imported.
Import File Column	Lists the Column Titles set on the File to Import Data Selection page.
Table Field	Lists the table and field names from the database table.
Value	Displays the data in the field generating the error.
Error Message	Error message explaining why the value does not meet the database's requirements.

Static Column Mapping Page

This page allows users to statically map required fields in the database table to a value. The values the user enters applies to all lines of the file being imported.

Field	Description
Table Field	Lists the required table and field names from the database table that are not in the import file. Select Append Row to add non-required fields that were not in the import file and should be added to the records. The value you enter will apply to all the records that are imported.
Field Description	User-friendly name for the value in the Table Field column. Display only.
Value	Displays the value that will be used for all rows in the file being imported.

Save Import Mapping Page

This page allows users to save the mapping created and enter related settings.

Field	Description
Mapping Name	Accepts a unique name for identifying the mapping. The limit is 38 characters.
Owner	Identifies the user who created the mapping. When a user updates the mapping, the user's ID, as well as the date and time, will display next to the field. Display only.
Public	Checkbox for allowing all users to access the mapping. The mapping will appear in the Saved Import Mapping field of the Define Column Mapping page. If the checkbox is blank, only the owner can access the mapping.
Restricted	Checkbox for preventing all users except the owner from updating the mapping. If the checkbox is blank, all users will be able to enter updates.
Save Options	Indicates if and how the mapping should be saved. Select: Create new mapping: Requires a unique Mapping Name. Update existing mapping: Updates the existing mapping with changes made on the Define Column Mapping page or Static Column Mapping page if you leave the Mapping Name as it populated. Do not save mapping: Does not save the mapping you used.

Import Status Page

This page displays any error and warning messages generated during validation of the import's data.

Field	Description
Number of Errors	Read-only field displays the count of errors found during validation that will prevent the data from being imported.
Number of Warnings	Read-only field displays the count of warnings found during the data validation. Warnings will not prevent the data from being imported.
Number of Successes	Read-only field displays the count of successes found during the data validation.
Display Results	Allows you to specify the records to display in the page's list, as well as on the Import Status report. Select: Show Errors Only: Only displays the errors preventing lines from being imported. Show Warnings Only: Only displays the warning messages. Show Errors/Warnings Only (default): Displays both errors and warning messages. Show All: Displays errors, warning messages, and successes.
Indicator	Displays symbols for identifying warnings, errors, and successes.
Line #	Identifies the lines in the import file. If the line is associated with a warning or error, it identifies the line that you need to correct.
Status	Displays the errors and warning messages generated during data validation. Also displays successes if Show All is selected in the Display Results section.