Launching the Wizard
You can start any of the Setup Wizard's from mDesktop's Wizard Pane, or you can access the Setup Wizard from the Import menu. The Getting Started Guide provides a step by step example for using the Setup Wizard.
Importing Data
Assuming that you have a file of names and addresses, you need to specify its Input Format and the Field Layout. If the file is on CD or some other removable media, it may be best to copy it to your hard disk first, making it ready for input.
The Setup Wizard provides the simplest method of importing data into mDesktop, from a variety of file types. The Wizard will read DBF, Access, Excel and ASCII text files, as well as an ODBC Connection file. Text files can be one of four types: comma delimited (commonly known as CSV), tab delimited, fixed width or fixed width without Carriage Return Line Feed (CRLF) characters – for this last type, you must specify the record length.
The use of the Setup Wizard is described in the Getting Started Guide, which is available as a separate booklet or in PDF format from the mDesktop Help menu.
Effective Quality Assurance is necessary to detect any problems with less common or inconsistent input formats. If files are inconsistent in their input format, they will not be imported properly. Please note that the Intelligent Setup Wizard only examines and displays the first few records in a file when trying to determine the type of data and its width – make sure that (for delimited files) fields are not being truncated. It is best to err on the side of caution by allowing too much width. You can check or change maximum field widths after Import by using the Database Utilities option Change Fields to Fit.
Before Import
After clicking "continue", the next screen in the Setup Wizard asks what needs to be done with the data next. The exact options available will depend upon the version of mDesktop being used and the type of data imported.
- "Create Match Keys" must be checked to find duplicates within a file, or find matching records in another file e.g. if this file is a suppression or "stop" file.
- "Use Zip+4 Address Validation" can be checked to verify and correct US zip codes and address (available only with addressIT).
- "Create Salutations " must be checked to derive Salutations (e.g. Dear Mr Brown) - these can only be derived if Match Keys are created. The Default Salutation (see Default Salutation) is used if mDesktop cannot work out the correct salutation. You can change the default using the Options button.
- "Correctly case name and address" should be checked if:
- the data is all upper case
- the casing is poor or inconsistent
- Matching records can be found to:
- Individual, Family or Household (Address) level for personal data
- Contact, Business or Address level for business data
- You must select the matching level by using the buttons at the top of the window.
- The More…/Basic… button toggles between advanced import options and basic import options.
What happens after the Setup Wizard is determined by the options set and then which action button is selected.
Import Only
Select this to create a Main File and import the input data file into it, without finding matches.
Use this if:
- you want to change any of the matching rules before Find Matches
- this is a suppression file which you want to compare against another file but don't want to Find Matches within.
Find Matches
Select this to create a Main File, import the data and then find matching records using default matching rules. Don't select this option if you are setting up this Main File to use in the Multiple File Wizard later, because the Multiple File Wizard performs the matching.
Save and Exit
Select this to create a Main File layout with the required fields (including mDesktop's fields chosen through the checkboxes), but empty of records. Use this if you want to change any Input or Operational options before importing the file, or if you are setting up Main File layouts to use in the Multiple File Wizard and want to leave the time-consuming process of Import until later.
Cancel
Select this to quit the Setup Wizard and lose the information entered about the file setup.
End of Import
Once the data has been imported, mDesktop displays a dialog to allow you to choose from several options:
- "Q/A Wizard" to view the imported records, data summaries, records by categories, and rejected records.
- "Find Matches" to display the Matching Key and Range screen.
- "Cancel" to return to the main menu.
Importing Data
Importing without using the Setup Wizard
If the file is in the same input format and field layout as a file that you have previously loaded into mDesktop, you don't have to go through the Setup Wizard again. The field layout is stored in the Main File that you used previously and the Input Options specify the Input Format and what processing you want to do on Import.
To import a file into mDesktop without using the Setup Wizard, select Import Records from the Import menu. Firstly, select the Main File that you used previously, or create a copy of this file's layout by using the copy main file layout option. mDesktop then prompts you to change the Input Options if necessary (via the Change Basic Parameters button) e.g. if the last file you Imported was Comma Delimited but this file is Fixed Width:
If you want to dedupe the file at a different matching level than the last file you deduped e.g. individual last time but family level this time, select Restore Standard Parameters and select the appropriate matching level. This restores not only the matching level (in Matching Options) but also the matching weights (and the settings for a different nationality).
Next, select the input file (the source file) that you want to load into mDesktop.
If there are records in the Main File from a previous run, mDesktop wipes the file clean (also known as "zapping" it) before it loads in the new data.
Contacts and Salutations
mDesktop has the facility to generate contacts (Prefix Initials Surname e.g. Mr J R Smith) and salutations (e.g. Dear Mr Smith) for every record in a Main File. To derive salutations, check the "Create Salutations?" box at the end of the Setup Wizard.
If your data is originally in "prefix, forename, surname" format, mDesktop will use these fields to generate the contact. Otherwise it will look for a prefix in the "addressee" field or use the forename to assign Mr or Ms if there is no prefix present – it can only do this when the forename is in mDesktop's Names and Words table as male or female. Prefixes are also defined by entries in mDesktop's Names and Words table, along with the appropriate salutation rules.
A default salutation is used when mDesktop cannot work out an appropriate one from the customer's name. This default can be changed via the Default Salutation option under the Jobs/Setup menu, Options, Input tab.