Importing Data

 

Importing your existing data into Caspio Bridge is accomplished through the Import Table wizard.  This is often one of the first steps when creating a Caspio Bridge app.  Importing data is a very easy process and is outlined below.

File Types

Caspio Bridge lets you import data to your account in several formats:

  • Microsoft Access files (.mdb and .accdb)
  • Microsoft Excel files
  • CSV (Comma Separated Values)
  • Tab Delimited text
  • Fixed Width text
  • Caspio Bridge XML
  • Custom XML

Prepare your data

To import your data efficiently, check to see if the first row in the file contains column headers.  For Microsoft file types, Caspio Bridge will automatically understand the first row to be column headers and to contain field names.   For data in CSV and TEXT file types you can indicate if the first row contains column headers or not.

If your files are very large, you can compress any file type into a .ZIP formatted archive and then upload that archive directly. This can greatly speed up the import process.  The maximum file size for a single upload is 15MB.

Steps to import data:

1. Open the Import Table wizard

Select Import Data from the File menu or in the Tables section of the Caspio Bridge Explorer window click the Import button.  This brings up the Import Table wizard.

Tables View and Import Data Button

2. Choose the format and select your file

Select your file format.  For TEXT and CSV files check to indicate if the first row of data consists of column headers.  Click the Browse button to find and select the file you wish to import.  Click Next.

Choose the Import File Format

3.  Select the tables to import and the import type

Once you’ve selected your file and pressed Next, Caspio Bridge will upload and analyze your file.  If your file contains more than one table, you can upload them all simultaneously.  For example, every page of an Excel workbook can be uploaded as a separate table.  If the file is successfully uploaded you will see a list of table(s) found in your file.

Select the Import Type

All available data tables are selected for import by default.  Uncheck the table(s) you do not wish to import.

Data can be imported as a new table, or you can append to or replace an existing table in your Caspio Bridge account. From the Import Type column, select any of the following options from the dropdown field. Click Next when finished.

Import Type Action
New Table The data will be imported into Caspio Bridge in a new table with a new structure. If a table with the same name already exists in your Caspio Bridge account, a suffix will be added to the table name by default. You can choose to give the table a new name on this screen.
Append Select an existing table from Destination Table dropdown menu.  This table will be appended with all of the new data you are importing. When imported data is appended to an existing table, the current data in the Destination Table is not affected.  If you have a unique field in your table such as an AutoNumber, Caspio Bridge will not import duplicate entries.
Replace Select an existing table from Destination Table dropdown menu.  When the new data is added, the Replace option erases all existing data but leaves the field names intact. Any new fields contained in the imported file can be either added to the table or assigned to existing field.

4. Format your field properties

Caspio Bridge will format your field properties automatically by analyzing your data file.  It is a good idea to look at the data types and field names Caspio Bridge has found to make sure they correspond to your desired results.

Configure the Field Properties

Repeat this process for each table you are importing by selecting the desired table from the dropdown field at the top right of the window.

  • Importing data as a New Table allows you to change both Data Types and Field Names.
  • When you Append or Replace a table, you can select the appropriate existing field from the Destination Field Name dropdown. You can only append or replace fields of compatible Data Types. You can also choose to create new fields by selecting Field will be created.

If you are appending or replacing an existing table with a TEXT file, the AutoNumber field type is disabled.

Click Finish.

6. Caspio Bridge imports your data

As Caspio Bridge imports and formats your data you can click the Close button to continue working.  The import will continue in the background. After the import process is complete the table will appear in the Tables view.  You will also receive a new alert in the alert section at the top right of the main Caspio Bridge window.

Import in Progress

New Alert Notification

Data Format Questions

What is Caspio Bridge XML?

Caspio Bridge XML is the format Caspio Bridge uses to export your Caspio Bridge objects such as your styles and DataPages.   Only XML files previously generated by Caspio Bridge can be imported in the Caspio Bridge XML format.  XML files from other sources can be imported using the Custom XML format.

Can Caspio Bridge import non-English characters?

Yes. To import tables containing non-English characters encoded in UTF-8, the table data must be in one of the following formats:

  • Microsoft Access MDB files
  • Microsoft Excel files
  • Caspio Bridge XML files
  • Custom XML

It is important to check and correct the names of your tables, views, and fields when importing UTF-8 encoded text files as there are sometimes misinterpretations of data used in naming.

Summary

Caspio Bridge offers an easy way to upload all of your existing data from a variety of formats.  Once your data is uploaded into a Caspio Bridge table it is immediately available to use as a base table for your DataPages.  Caspio Bridge is one of the fastest ways to make your existing data available and searchable over the internet.