Choosing an Import Format

Once you choose what columns to include in your borrower records, you need to choose a format for your records. Borrower Import has three formats for importing borrower records. Choose the formats that best meet your library’s needs.

Single line 3.2 format (S32). This format uses one line to specify what borrower information to import. This format lets you use Borrower Import exactly as it was designed—you do not need to change anything. However, this format can only accommodate one phone number and one address. Also, you can update the barcodes but not BSTAT.
Single line 4.1 format (S41). This format uses one line to specify what borrower information to import. This format also lets you indicate how many rows for each table you want to import. (For example, if you know that all of your borrowers have two addresses, you can specify that you want to import two rows for each address column.)
Multiple line 4.1 format (M41). This format uses one or more lines to specify what borrower information to import. This format also lets you import all rows that exist for a table. (For example, you can import all addresses that exist for borrowers, even though the number of borrower addresses varies.)

Here are some notes on working with Borrower Import formats:

Case (uppercase vs. lowercase) is not significant.
Spaces (hex 20) and/or tabs (hex 09) between elements are ignored. Exception: no spaces are allowed in an sql-id or number.
Lines with a backslash (\) as the character just before the return ignore both the backslash (\) and the return and are considered to be continued on the next line.
Within the S32 format, exactly one column named action_code must be specified.
Within the S32 format, column names must correspond to uniquely known tables.
Empty strings are considered to be null on insert. However, in the primary table (borrower), you cannot insert a null to overwrite existing data.
Empty strings are considered to be null on update (backwards compatible).
The string null means the null value in delimited columns.
The string \null or null means the value null.
The permanent address should not have valid_to or valid_from dates.
Multiple temporary addresses can not have overlapping valid_to or valid_from dates.

 


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