Generic import-/export-methods

Import

The generic ASCII-Import method (File -> import -> import data...) with tabulator-separators can be used for any element types. It is only allowed to define elements of the same type inside an import file (e.g. only physical data processing components or only tasks).

An import file has to be built up in the following way (without dotted lines):

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
name        description    hashstring        <name userdefined field 1>       <name userdefinedined field 2>  ...
<Name 1>    <descr 1>      <hashstring 1>    <field content 1>                <field content 2>              ...
<Name 2>    <descr 2>      <hashstring 1>    <field content 3>                <field content 4>              ...
...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

References:

• Column names of the first line have to be specified.
• Several entries in columns have to be seperated by tabulator signs (tabs).
• Empty entries have to be indicated by "" !
• The column "hashstring" has not to be specified. There can be specified an unique identification number for model elements. Subsequent updates are possible above all.
• Columns for userdefined fields have not to be defined.

The content of userdefined columns are located at the options dialog below "userdefined...". The types of the userdefined fields can be edited on menu "Extras".

Export

The generic export method ( File -> export -> export data...) generates ASCII files, which corresponds to the definition of the import files (see above). For instance it is possible to export element data with it. Element data can be edited beyond the tool. Later it can be reimported by using the import method.

References:

• Elements, which you want to export, have to be marked.
• It is not possible to reimport a generated ASCII file if the file contains elements of different types exported at the same time. Only elements by one defined type can be imported from a file.