The Import Data Dictionary function in the File menu updates the data dictionary from the contents of a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or XML file containing information about an application's tables, fields, and relations. You must have already added the database to the data dictionary; this function then updates properties such as table and field captions, field Reportable status, and table data groups.

Excel Spreadsheet

An Excel spreadsheet must be created in Microsoft Excel 2003 or earlier. If you use Excel 2007, you must save it as a Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 format (choose Save As, Other Formats, and then select "Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook" in the Save As Type drop-down). Also, importing relations in Excel spreadsheets is not supported.

The first row of the Excel spreadsheet must contain headings for the columns. Acceptable column headings are (case is unimportant):

• "Alias" or "Table": the table name.

• "Table Desc" or "Table Caption": the table caption.

• "Field", "Field Name", or "Fieldname": the field name.

• "Field Desc" or "Field Caption": the field caption.

• "Data Group" or "Datagroup": the data group or groups the table belongs to.

• "Reportable": the Reportable status of the field.
  

The last two column headings are optional. The order of the columns is unimportant.

Here's an example of such a spreadsheet:

XML File

Two types of XML import files are supported, one that contains table and field information and one that contains relationship information.

The format for an XML file used for importing table and field information is as follows:

<settings>
  <setting>
    <Table>Table name</Table>
    <TableCaption>Table caption</TableCaption>
    <DataGroup>Data group or groups the table belongs to</DataGroup>
    <Field>Field name</Field>
    <FieldCaption>Field caption</FieldCaption>
    <Reportable>Reportable status of the field</Reportable>
  </setting>
  ...
</settings>

The DataGroup and Reportable elements are optional. The order of the elements is unimportant. Here's an example of such an XML file:

<settings>
  <setting>
    <Table>Customers</Table>
    <TableCaption>Customer Information</TableCaption>
    <Field>CustomerID</Field>
    <FieldCaption>Customer Number</FieldCaption>
  </setting>
  <setting>
    <Table>Customers</Table>
    <TableCaption>Customer Information</TableCaption>
    <Field>CompanyName</Field>
    <FieldCaption>Company Name</FieldCaption>
  </setting>
</settings>

The format for an XML file used for importing relation information is as follows:

<relations>
  <relation>
    <ParentTable>Parent table name</ParentTable>
    <ParentField>Parent field name</ParentField>
    <ChildTable>Child table name</ChildTable>
    <ChildField>Child field name</ChildField>
    <JoinType>Join type</JoinType>
    <JoinWeight>Join weight</JoinWeight>
  </relation>
  ...
</relations>

The JoinType and JoinWeight elements are optional. The order of the elements is unimportant. Here's an example of such an XML file:

<relations>
  <relation>
    <ParentTable>Customers</ParentTable>
    <ParentField>CustomerID</ParentField>
    <ChildTable>Orders</ChildTable>
    <ChildField>CustomerID</ChildField>
  </relation>
  <relation>
    <ParentTable>Orders</ParentTable>
    <ParentField>OrderID</ParentField>
    <ChildTable>[Order Details]</ChildTable>
    <ChildField>OrderID</ChildField>
  </relation>
</relations>