Import People
The process for bulk importing people from a Tab Delimited text file is the same as any other import function – a Tab Delimited text file must be created first, and then, it is imported into the LMS. Just like Import History, start with the Object Data Item called Import Learner Mapping.
1.) Select CONFIGURATION | OBJECT MANAGER from the Manager menu.
2.) Search for Import Mapping and locate the LearnerImportMapping object. When ready, press the Green-i icon.
3.) Then click on the OBJECT DATA ITEMS tab.
4.) Click on the LIST ALL link along the bottom and scroll down to the bottom of the list. The data items that have a DISPLAY SEQUENCE VALUE are the items that AbilityLMS is expecting to be included in the Tab Delimited text file. Each Data Item represents a column of data.
The Data Items and the order displayed are completed user defined. To remove a data item from the required columns, click on the edit icon (pencil) and remove the DISPLAY SEQUENCE value. Save the changes.
TIP: While it isn’t necessary to provide data for every Data Item mapped, the Tab Delimited text file must account for the data for every column, even If it is just a blank.
The Tab Delimited Text File
The easiest way to work with import files is to use Microsoft Excel. Once all the data is entered in the proper rows and columns, the spreadsheet can be export as a Tab Delimited text file. In this example, the first row of the spreadsheet (Column Labels) correspond to the order of required Data Items found in the LearnerImportMapping object.
TIP: The LearnerImportMapping object can be found here: Manager Menu | Configuration | Object Manager and then search for LearnerImportMapping. Click on the green "i" icon and then click on the "Object Data Items" tab.
Each row after the first row of column labels is used to identify a new Learner. Enter all of the corresponding data belonging to this new learner into the appropriate columns, leaving the columns empty if the data is not available or required.
TIP: Some employee or user data can actually be exported out from another system. Then the data can be copied | pasted into the spreadsheet and modified, as required.
1.) When ready, save the file, first as a standard Excel spreadsheet. This will serve as a backup to the work already completed. Then select FILE | SAVE AS.
2.) Change the SAVE AS TYPE filter to Text (Tab Delimited) and press the SAVE button to continue. An alert box displays. This is typical because the spreadsheet contains multiple sheets in the workbook, something not supported by the text file.
3.) Press OK to continue the process.
4.) One final alert box is displayed. Press YES to keep the workbook as a text file.
The Tab-delimited text file is created. If opened with a text editor, such as Notepad, the data display in a precise order, left to right for every person on the spreadsheet.
TIP: Use the saved spreadsheet as a future template. Just delete the entries and keep the first row of column labels to remind you where the data items belong.
Import Learner Text File
Once the Tab Delimited file is created, select PEOPLE from the Manager Menu. Locate the IMPORT PEOPLE icon inside the submenu tool bar and click it.
This starts the Leaner Import Wizard. Click on the BROWSE button and locate the Tab Delimited text file. Choose the appropriate Domain that the learners are to be added. Finally, enter 1 in the HEADER LINES TO IGNORE so the column headings will not be processed.
When ready, press the NEXT button to continue. The Wizard will not let you pass this next page if there is an error in the text file. In this example, the last learner data was entered incorrectly. Note the yellow fill inside the First Name column. Hover over the filled area to display more details about the error.
Press the NEXT button. It will dismiss the Wizard automatically. Make the necessary corrections and start the Learner Import Wizard when ready. Once the corrections have been made (and it may take multiple attempts), the successful text file results with the ADD THESE LEARNERS TO THE DATABASE option.
Click on the option and press the NEXT button. This may take some time, based on the number of learners and columns that must be processed. Let the process complete on its own.
TIP: Large text files tend to make errors difficult to find. Start with a small set of learners and gradually increase the number of learners to import. Also, an error will occur if a unique value, such as the LearnerID, is already assigned.