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Help with Importing not updating existing entries

By: Martin Lord | Asked: 06/06/2023
Forums › Category: How-to › Help with Importing not updating existing entries
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Martin Lord asked 2 years ago

Hello. I have a excel sheet that looks similar to the following:
Common names; Scientific names;       IUCN Red List status 
Rifleman               Acanthisitta chloris    LC
Bushwren             Xenicus longipes       EX
Rockwren             Xenicus gilviventris   EN
My form is 3 text fields. Each is called the same as the title of the CSV headers. 

When I import I put the CSV header to the corresponding field of the the name.  Below the blue import button there's a note.
"Note: If you select a field for the Entry ID or Entry Key, the matching entry with that ID or key will be updated."
How do I go about using this?
I cant seem to find anything in the documentation to help me. 

I wish to have the Scientific names as the unique ID, Entry ID or Entry Key. 
But I also need the Scientific names to be its own field.
How do I go about this? 

1 Answers
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Rob LeVineRob LeVine answered 2 years ago
I suggest exporting some existing entries from any table. That way you'll see the "Key" column. If you're creating your own entry key, you can put your own values in that column and when you go to import, make sure you map the columns correctly if they aren't automatically. If you don't put anything in the "Key" column Formidable will generate a key unique to your system. If you do fill in the column on your own, you need to be sure they're all unique. You will tear a hole in the space-time continuum if there are two entries with the same key.
Martin Lord replied 2 years ago

Thank you very much. I will go try this out.
And ill double-check for any potential space-time-worthy errors!

Victor Font replied 2 years ago

This article explains keys vs. ids and how to structure your forms to make them transportable across WordPress instances. It may bring some light to the requirement you're trying to solve: https://formidable-masterminds.com/writing-transportable-code-keys-vs-ids/

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