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Data Import: Associating Entity Records AND Still Populating Field. RRS feed

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    I've been using Laura Robinson's excellent article on associating contact and account records in a single data import. But I've been trying to do something a little different (thanks to all those who have answered my questions thus far). Instead of importing to accounts and contact I am importing to contact and application - application being a custom entity we created.

    Now, I've gotten the records to associate by creating a unique ID field in each and then on the Application entity telling it to using that unique ID field as a Contact lookup.

    Here is the problem - I also need that field to populate with the unique ID field...but it doesn't. It seems like I can choose to have it used as a lookup OR have it populated, but not both at the same time. Please tell me I'm wrong?

    Thanks,

    Dave Mackey

    Tuesday, January 22, 2013 9:23 PM

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    The lookup field will populate with the GUID of the Contact, once the import has resolved it. The field used to identify it will not be kept.

    It sounds like you need a text field on the application entity and then you can double up the column in your spreadsheet (copy and paste) and import it into both (annoyingly even if you want a column to be imported into two fields, which logically ought to be allowed, the GUI does not give you a way to do it).

    Hope this helps.
    Adam Vero, Microsoft Certified Trainer | Microsoft Community Contributor 2011
    Blog: Getting IT Right

    • Marked as answer by davidshq Thursday, January 24, 2013 2:49 PM
    Wednesday, January 23, 2013 5:38 PM

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    Can you possibly elaborate a bit more on where you are having trouble? 

    Sounds like you created a look up field on Contact to Application and another look up field on Application the looks up to Contact?

    And when you map the fields during the import, you are mapping the source field to a field in the look up that should be unique?

    Jason Lattimer
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    Wednesday, January 23, 2013 2:09 PM
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    The lookup field will populate with the GUID of the Contact, once the import has resolved it. The field used to identify it will not be kept.

    It sounds like you need a text field on the application entity and then you can double up the column in your spreadsheet (copy and paste) and import it into both (annoyingly even if you want a column to be imported into two fields, which logically ought to be allowed, the GUI does not give you a way to do it).

    Hope this helps.
    Adam Vero, Microsoft Certified Trainer | Microsoft Community Contributor 2011
    Blog: Getting IT Right

    • Marked as answer by davidshq Thursday, January 24, 2013 2:49 PM
    Wednesday, January 23, 2013 5:38 PM
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    ya ,if that is the case we should go to relationship and then go with data mapping  where based on relationship type whether its 1:N,N:1 we need to choose it an select the source and the destination entities.

    If possible make your question more clear.....

    Thursday, January 24, 2013 6:03 AM