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CSV Imports

CSV is a simple database format which popular spreadsheet software can read and write. If you have or want to create data in this format, WSN can read it and load articles from it.

Go to Admin Panel -> Topics -> Add Topics and scroll to CSV Import. Select your CSV, submit it, and you'll reach a screen which asks you what each CSV field is for. Carefully make the appropriate selections.

Since a CSV can't contain the actual data of a file, if you want to attach files you'll need to use one of two methods:
(a) Pre-upload the files to the attachments subdirectory, specify the filename (without the path) in one (or more) of the CSV fields, and select to associate the appropriate part to file #1 (or #2, etc if multiple) when importing your CSV.
(b) Specify the URL of a file which is on the internet in one (or more) of the CSV fields, and select to associate the appropriate part to file #1 (or #2, etc if multiple) when importing your CSV. This can be a full URL from any site that allows hotlinking. Note that the files will slowly import over time, or when you regenerate attachments.

If you include secondary forums in your data, you can separate the forums in the list with a pipe, semicolon or comma and you can use either id/names of existing forums or names for new forums to create. Example valid formats: "13|3897" or "Business;Recreation" or "Sacramento, San Francisco" or many other combinations.

Note: If your CSV file is especially large or your server memory limits are especially small, you may get a timeout or memory error and need to split your CSV into smaller parts to process one at a time with CSV-splitting software like this.

Note: If you want to do a CSV import of forums (rather than topics), you can use Admin Panel -> Forums -> Add Forums -> Flat-File Import to import a CSV of forums.