This article describes how to export data from Outlook Express so that you can import it into WorkingArtist.

Please review the chapter on Importing in the WorkingArtist User's Guide or in Help so that you are familiar with the fields that are required in WorkingArtist and to learn how you can use defaults to enter data that you do not have in Outlook Express.

Also, please read Knowledge Base Article #Q1014 - Tricks for Importing Artwork and Patron Data from a Text File for a description of how to concatenate fields in Microsoft Excel.

Exporting your data from Outlook Express

1. Open Outlook Express by clicking on Start/Programs/Outlook Express.

2. Select File/Export/Address Book

3. On the Address Book Export Tool dialog, select Text File (comma separated values), then click on the Export button.

4. On the CVS Export dialog, enter a name for your cvs file, click on the Browse button to select a folder to save the cvs file to, then click on the Save button on the Save File dialog. We always recommend creating a date name for a file so you know at a glance when you created the file, such as OE031015 (for Outlook Express, 2003, Oct 15).

5. Click on the Next button on the CVS Export dialog.

6. Select fields to export, then click on the Finish button

Editing your data in Microsoft Excel

The purpose of editing your file in Excel is to make sure that all your columns have the correct data and to add additional columns for required data fields in WorkingArtist. This will make your import into WorkingArtist much easier.

1. Click on Start/Programs/Microsoft Excel to open Excel.

2. From the File menu, select Open and locate the cvs file that you saved from the Outlook Express export. Make sure that in the Open File dialog you have selected "All Files" in the File of Type drop-down box. Otherwise, your CVS may not appear in the list. Select the cvs file and click on the Open button.

3. You may need to expand your columns so that you can see all the data in them. To expand your columns horizontally, select all the columns with your cursor, then place your cursor between two column headings and drag the column to the right to expand all columns.

4. You may need to expand your rows so that you can see all the data in them. To expand your rows, select all the rows with your cursor, then place your cursor between two rows in the row headings and drag the row downward to expand all the rows.

Deleting Carriage Returns from File in Excel.

When there are two address lines for a particular address record in Outlook Express, the exported cvs file may contain a carriage return in the address field. This will not import correctly into WorkingArtist. The address column needs to be split into two columns and the carriage return deleted.

1. Insert a new column by placing your curser on the letter at the top of the column to the right of Home Street column to highlight the column. Select File/Insert or Right Click/Insert to create the new column.

2. Make sure your rows are expanded vertically so that you can see if there are carriage returns in any cells.

3. Look at row 3, column E (Box 3E) in the example. Notice the small square after 66 Williams Rd. This square represents a carriage return. Locate any cells in the Home Street column that have carriage returns.

4. For each cell that has a carriage return, click on the cell in the Home Street column (or any other column). When selected, the data in the selected cell will appear in the formula bar at the top of the spreadsheet.

5. Cut and paste the 2nd line of the address into appropriate cell in the new column. Do this by highlighting the 2nd line in the formula bar with your cursor. Select Ctl-X from your keyboard to "Cut", then place your cursor in the new column cell and select Ctl-V to paste the data into the new cell.

6. Delete the carriage return by placing your cursor to the left of the small square in the formula bar, then hit Delete TWICE on your keyboard. The carriage return is actually comprised of two characters, the small square and a hidden character. You need to delete both of them.

7. Check every cell in the spreadsheet for other small squares and fix as necessary. If you have many cells that have two lines separated by a carriage return, you might consider reading Knowledge Base Article #Q1024 - Parsing Double-Line Address Field in Excel.. However, this is only recommended for users comfortable with using formulas on the Excel spreadsheet.

Creating a Column for IdentifyBy

When you import your patron data into WorkingArtist, you will need to define each patron as either “individual” or “company”. You can designate the patron in the Excel spreadsheet by creating a new column and putting a 2 for an individual or 1 for a company in the appropriate cell.

PLEASE NOTE: If all of your patrons are individuals (or all companies) you can set a default in WorkingArtist in the import mapping function.

Creating a Column for Patron Type

WorkingArtist requires a patron type designation. To define the patron type in the Excel spreadsheet, create a new column and enter the patron type for each patron in the appropriate cell.

PLEASE NOTE: If all of your imported patrons are the same type you can set a default in WorkingArtist in the import mapping function.

Hint: When our tester was working on this, he imported all of his individual patrons with a patron type that he hadn't used for any other patrons. (He used Workshop Participants) After he had successfully imported the patrons, he was able to go to Patrons form in WorkingArtist, create a filter for "Workshop Participants", then change the patron type as appropriate for each newly imported patron.

Delete the Header Row

Since you do not want to export the top row of your Excel Spreadsheet if it is a header row, then be sure to delete it. To delete the row, click on the grey box on the left of the header row, then click on Edit/Delete.

First Row Is the Map

The first patron row on your Excel Spreadsheet will be the record that is used to map individual fields to the WorkingArtist fields. If there is an error mapping the first record to the WorkingArtist fields, then every imported patron will have the same mapping error. So we recommend that you make a numerical list of the data in the spreadsheet from left to right in case there are blank cells or confusion between home, business and fax numbers. This will help you to map the record in WorkingArtist.

Save the file as a Tab-Delimited Text File.

In order to import your file into WorkingArtist, you need to save it as a tab-delimited text file as follows:

1. Select Save As from the File menu.

2. In the File Type box, select Tab-Delimited Text File (Txt).

3. Click on the Save button.

4: When you close the file, you may be asked again if you want to save changes to the file: Click Yes.

Importing your tab-delimited text file into WorkingArtist.

Before importing data into WorkingArtist, we recommend that you manually add artwork sizes and mediums from the data that you are importing into the Size and Medium tables. New sizes and mediums are not automatically entered from imported data because the dimensions for each (2 dimensions or 3 dimensions) must be designated. To add size and medium to the tables click on Artist Info/Options, and then click on the Tables tab. Click on the Artwork Size button and the Artwork Medium button. In the tables you can add all your sizes and mediums in one go, rather than having to add and make changes one record at a time during the import process.

1. Close Microsoft Excel and open WorkingArtist.

2. Select Import from Text File from the File menu on the Main Switchboard.

3. Click on the Patrons tab.

4. Follow instructions in the Import Chapter in the WorkingArtist User's Guide or click on Help and locate the Chapter on Importing in the Help file.

5. After successfully importing your information into WorkingArtist you should examine each newly imported patron.

6. If you have not deleted both carriage return characters from an imported record, you may find that a vertical bar was imported into the address field.

7. This is easily resolved by clicking on Edit Address and deleting the mark.

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