Basic Metadata Import
The basic import tool is fast and easy, but less flexible than the advanced metadata import using the Metadata Table Editor. General features of this importer are:
- Can import from Excel (.xlsx/.xls) format files.
- The first column in the Excel file must have unique entries. It will be designated as the key column.
- Data elements in the Workbench can have metadata associated as part of the import if desired.
- Association with metadata is done by matching data element names with the entries in the first column of the spreadsheet. Name matching can be based on exact or partial matches.
- If metadata association will be done, visual feedback about the elements associated with metadata is provided in the Wizard.
- All columns will be imported as text columns.
If desired, a metadata table can be edited later from within the Metadata Table editor as described in section 3.2.2. There, you can change the column data types (e.g. to types of numbers, dates, true/false) and you can designate a new key column.
To run the basic importer, go to:
File | Import (
) | Import Metadata (
)
- In the box labeled Spreadsheet with sample information, select the Excel file (.xlsx/.xls) to be imported.
The rows in the spreadsheet are displayed in the Data Association table, as shown in figure 3.9.
Figure 3.9: After and excel file is selected, its rows are visible.The ? symbols to the left of each row indicate that no data will be associated with that metadata row. You can choose just to proceed with the metadata import with no data association at this point by clicking on the the button labeled Next.
If you wish to associate data with this metadata, then
- In the box labeled Location of data, select the data elements to have associations with this metadata.
- In the Data Association area, select whether data element names must exactly match the entries in the first column of the metadata to have an association created, or whether partial matches are allowed (figure 3.10). The two matching schemes are described in detail in section 3.2.2.
Figure 3.10: Three data elements have been selected. Metadata rows that will have associations made to them have checkmarks beside them in the view of the table. Here, partial matching has been selected. - Click on the button labeled Next.
- Select where you wish the metadata table to be saved.
- Click on the button labeled Finish.
The associated information can be viewed for a given data element in the Show Element Info view, as show in figure 3.11.
Figure 3.11: Metadata associations can be seen, edited, refreshed or deleted via the Show Element Info view.