Rules for editing a tab-delimited file in Excel

You can edit existing records or create new records in Excel. The information that you change, add or delete in Excel does not affect the records in the database table until you perform the final update. Follow the editing rules to prevent validation errors when you import the file into SA Mass Maintenance Administration.

Perform these actions to facilitate editing:

  • Delete an extraction record, which is a row.
  • Delete an extraction column
  • Change the order of the columns.
  • Sort the data. Freeze the top row so you can sort by the column headings.

If you delete a row or column, the extraction records in the SA Mass Maintenance Administration are not affected when you import the data.

Refer to Microsoft documentation for information about editing an Excel spreadsheet.

Rules for editing extraction records

When you edit extracted records, follow these rules:

  • Only edit the fields that you selected on the Extracted Columns page. Do not change the values in these columns, or delete these columns:
    • Extractseqno

    • Columns with key values

      These columns vary, based on the data that you extracted. The key values columns are between the extractseqno column and the source-decsc-name column.

    • Rowpointer
  • Do not delete the first row that contains the column headings.
  • Specify the correct data type and format for the field.

Rules for creating new records

When you create new records, follow these rules:

  • Specify 0 in the extractseqno cell, but leave the rowpointer cell blank. When you import the data, the values in these cells identify the record as a new record.

  • Specify the correct key values. You cannot specify 0 or leave the field blank for most key values.

    This table shows the key values that are exceptions to the rule. You can leave the cells for these key values blank.

    Table Key value
    OESSRE-Order Entry Setup Sales Rep Exceptions

    custno

    shipto

    prodcatending
    ICSL-Product Line Master whse

    For new customer and vendor records, you must provide the customer and vendor numbers. If you created a new record in Customer Setup or Vendor Setup, the number can be automatically assigned. This feature is not available through the mass maintenance function.

  • If the key value is a character data type, ensure that the value meets the character length requirements for the field.
  • Specify a number in numeric columns. Specify 0 if you do not know the correct value.
  • Specify values in the fields that are required to create a new record.