BatchUploader csv file column name / DS field name matching

[Blama]

Hello Isomorphic,

I have a question regarding the BatchUploader:

In the example you use already matching names for the .ds.xml and the .csv-header.

In our application the csv file is the interface between the existing system and our system (as long as we don't have an SOAP API), as with almost every system it is possible to generate Excel exports. But mostly it is not possible to change the export field names permanently. Also, most users won't like if they have to copy a header row every time they want to import data.

So our application has to be flexible here. So I'll be putting the header/field matching in a database table. With that, I could configure the field's name-attribute with a DynamicDSGenerator like in this thread.

But:
- I'd need to inform the client somehow about the field names and which field means what. This would be most likely easy with an additional .ds.xml-attribute.
- The name to use could (would most likely) not meet your JavaScript identifier standards, because it is user supplied and some fields will for sure have spaces in it.

So would it be possible to have an additional .ds.xml-attribute that tells the framework what the .csv-fieldname is? Perhaps "csvColumnname"?
I could dynamically insert the correct value with DynamicDSGenerator and just one database call.
Easier for the user - but more expensive in terms of DB hits - would be a VelocityExpression.

Best regards,
Blama

[Blama]

I just realize that your "if present use different name in further processing"-checking logic should be similar to the nativeName-attribute.

[Isomorphic]

Thanks for the suggestion. We're passing it on to the design team for comment.

Regards
Isomorphic Software

[Isomorphic]

We're thinking this would probably make sense as a DataSourceField attribute like field.importFieldName.
Does that match up with what you have in mind?

If you're interested in us implementing such a feature as a priority, it would be eligible as a feature sponsorship.

Let us know if you'd like to pursue that.

Thanks
Isomorphic Software

[Blama]

Hi Isomorphic,

We're thinking this would probably make sense as a DataSourceField attribute like field.importFieldName.
Does that match up with what you have in mind?

That is exactly what I meant. This importFieldName could be just a String or a VelocityExpression to allow easy database lookup.

Best regards,
Blama