Editing data using RIA
You can use the Replicon Import Add-in (RIA) to mass edit or delete data from your Replicon instance. If you use an Update templates, only the data you selected will be updated. And in the following cases, the new data will be appended the existing settings:
- User assignment updates, when you include a new effective date
- Project allocations, and team and rate assignment updates
To update data using RIA, first log in to RIA, and then:
- Select a template and import fields
- Add data identifiers to the template
- Get existing data from Replicon and update it
- Import the updated data
Changes you make using RIA cannot be reversed. Therefore, use caution when working with RIA, as it allows you to easily make changes to large amounts of live data that cannot be undone.
You can also use our in-app data import feature to add, edit, or delete projects, tasks, clients, project and task assignments, users, holidays, activities, and groups. It doesn't require installation, and is supported for use on Macs.
A. Select a template and import fields
- Select Update for the template whose fields you want to edit.
- Select the fields you want to edit. The ones selected by default are required to carry out the import.
- Click the Create Template button.
B. Add data identifiers to the template
When you click Create Template, a Load Identifier dialog displays.
This dialog allows you to choose whether to automatically or manually populate the spreadsheet with identifier values, like user or project names, that identify the data you want to edit. Refer to the sections below for information about each option.
In either case, you’ll be able to load existing data from Replicon for the fields you want to import.
If you want to identifiers to automatically populate the template…
- Choose Yes in the Load Identifier dialog.
Identifier data will load. This may take a while if you’re loading lots of data.
- Once the identifiers have loaded, select Yes from the Edit column for each row you’d like to update.
If you’d like to manually add identifiers to the template…
- Choose No in the Load Identifier dialog.
A blank template will display.
- Click OK to clear the Get current data message that displays.
- In the template, enter identifier values for the data you want to update.
C. Get existing data from Replicon and update it
- Once you’ve added your identifiers and, if applicable, selected which rows you want to update, click the Get Data From Replicon button in the Add-in top menu.
Existing data will populate the spreadsheet.
- Edit values, as needed. Cells you have edited will turn yellow.
Refer to About the RIA data entry features for tips on entering values in a RIA template.
D. Import the updated data
When you’re ready to import your updated data, click the Update button.
An import dialog will display, with the status of the import.
Once the import is complete:
- All updated values will be highlighted green and values not successfully imported display in red
- Messages about the import will display in the Internal: Remarks column on the right-hand side of the spreadsheet
Refer to Adding data using RIA for information on troubleshooting errors in RIA.
FAQs
If we need to mass edit user details, should we use RIA or the mass edit feature available in the interface?
Replicon’s user mass edit feature is still useful in cases when you’re applying the same changes to a small group of users, when it may not be worth it to load and set up RIA. If you’re importing large amounts of data, or you already have data saved in a spreadsheet, you should typically use RIA instead.
What does (Identifier) appended to a field name mean?
These fields identify the users whose data you want to update. Values for these fields cannot be updated unless you selected them when choosing fields to edit.
If I leave a cell blank, will that delete the existing value?
Yes, the value will be deleted, providing it isn’t a required field in Replicon.
Refer to Deleting and disabling data for more options for deleting data using RIA.
Can I add more rows to the template after clicking Get Data From Replicon?
Yes, you can. But, when you click Get Data From Replicon after selecting new data rows, be sure to choose No in the Warning dialog that displays.
This will ensure any data you’ve updated but haven’t yet imported is retained. You can click Yes if you don't mind if changes you haven't imported are overwritten.
On the User - Update template, why doesn’t the User Name / Login Name field display login names?
This field shows the user name by default, but you can paste login names into this field and update based on those.
Why are the Department and Resource Placeholder mandatory in certain templates, when they don’t need to be included for the import to succeed?
Department and Resource Placeholder are listed as mandatory in the Add and Update templates for the following:
- ProjectResourceAssignment
- ProjectResourceBillingRate
- TaskResourceAssignment
- ProjectResourceAllocation
This is because, when setting up a project team, you can assign individual users, entire departments, or placeholders. Therefore, you must include at least one of these types of team member fields in any resource import. However, they are conditional fields since only one of the three types needs to be used in an import.
Why do Department Name and Employee Type appear as identifier fields in the User - Update template?
These fields can be used to help filter users. Refer to About the RIA data entry features for information on filtering data in RIA.
Related links
Using data import to mass add, update, and delete data
Integrating with Replicon
Introduction to the Replicon API
Using the Replicon Import Add-In (RIA)
Editing data using RIA (video)
