When trying to import an external data file in CSV (comma-separated values) or other delimited-text format, the data fields in the external file may not be recognized as distinct field entries on the "Assign Import Fields" dialog box.
For example, when importing a file, the field headers may show as:
First, Last, Title, Company, Address...(etc)
Instead of:
First
Last
Title
Company
Address
As it should be like this:
This is usually a result of a combination of the particular format of the data file and the data contained in the data records. Often in formatted text files, extra commas (",") or tab-spaces can confuse the data import engine and make the program think there are not enough field headers for each record's data. This can also happen when there are numerous "blank" data cells in multiple records.
There are two workarounds that you should try to make the data import work successfully:
- Modify the file type of the external file and try to import again.
Instead of using the CSV or TXT text-based formats, try converting the file to a *.DBF (Database) format, or an Excel file (*.XLS format) and see if the field headers import successfully. Often the more "robust" data file types will let our program perform better management of data fields and data records during the field import process.
- Add a "terminating" column of data to the end of the CSV/TXT file using Microsoft Excel.
By adding an extra column of generic data (like the letter "X") in every data cell next to the last column of your import data, you create a "terminating" column of information that helps our import engine successfully identify the beginnings and ends of data records
Notice that the last column has an "X" typed into every cell all the way through the data record listing. If you do this in Excel and then re-save your file, often the data import process will work successfully afterwards in your program.