File Upload Connector
Intro
The File Upload Connector allows you to easily bring your important spreadsheet files into Domo and begin making decisions faster. Regardless of the file type you choose (CSV, XLS, or XLSX), there are a wide range of configuration options to meet your custom file needs.
As of our February 2018 release, there are two versions of the File Upload connector available in Domo:
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The newer—and recommended—version of the connector provides an intuitive workflow to make even the most complicated Excel or CSV files usable within Domo. It lets you maintain all of the organization and configuration of your custom Excel or CSV files and still have usable data within Domo. Requiring virtually no input, this version does the heavy lifting for you.
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The legacy version of this connector is also still available. This version requires you to configure a number of advanced settings (most of which are set for you automatically when using the new version of the connector).
You can begin the process of creating a File Upload DataSet in one of several different ways:
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By going into the Data Center and choosing the File option from the toolbar at the top of the screen.
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By clicking the
icon in the upper right corner of the Dashboards tab, selecting Create new Card, selecting Visualization, then clicking Upload. -
By clicking
in the upper right corner of the screen from anywhere in Domo, selecting Card, selecting Visualization, then clicking Upload.
This topic discusses the fields and menus that are specific to the File Upload connector user interface. General information for adding DataSets, setting update schedules, and editing DataSet information is discussed in Adding a DataSet Using a Data Connector.
Video - File Upload Connector
Prerequisites
If you are connecting to an Excel file that is password-protected, you will need to know the password. Otherwise, no credentials are required to use either version of this connector.
Using the new ("wizard") File Upload connector
This section enumerates the options in the File Upload wizard. The components of the other pane in this page, Name & Describe Your DataSet, are discussed in greater length in Adding a DataSet Using a Data Connector.
"Upload spreadsheet" screen
In the first page of the File Upload connector wizard, you simply drag and drop an XLS, XLSX, or CSV file from your computer into the box or select the desired file from your computer. Once you've dragged or selected your file, the next pane in the wizard opens automatically.
"Select tables" screen
This screen displays a preview of the selected file and provides options for selecting and formatting the data. Options for configuring the file may appear depending on the file type (Excel or CSV) and properties (such as whether your Excel file is password-protected).
Options for Excel files
Data selection
By default, when the Select Tables screen opens for an Excel spreadsheet, all of the cells in Row 1 of your spreadsheet are considered column headers, indicated by dark blue highlighting, and the rest of the data in the spreadsheet is considered to be your selected "body" data, indicated by light blue highlighting. This means that if you were to create a DataSet from this data, all of the data would be imported into the DataSet, with the Row 1 cells acting as the column headers. This is also reflected in the Column Headers and Selection fields under "Data Grid," in which Column Headers shows the coordinates for the first and last cells in the first row, and Selection shows the coordinates for the first and last cells in the body.
The following screenshot shows an example of this initial selection. Note that the column header cells in the preview appear unselected (as these are considered separate from the "body" of the spreadsheet). Also note that the Column Headers fields in the bottom left read "A1" to "G1" and the Selection fields read "A2" to "G51" (which are the first and last selected cells in the body).
If a user then selects a different block of data by mousing over it, the Selection fields update to reflect this. Note that the Column Headers fields are not updated. If you want to update the selected column headers, you can do so by either...
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setting the coordinates manually in the Column Headers fields, or
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clicking within either Column Headers field then clicking and dragging over the desired column headers in the preview.
This latter concept is very important. If you click anywhere in the Column Headers fields, any cells you select in the preview are considered to be column headers (and the coordinates in the Column Headers fields will update) whereas if you click in the Selection fields, all cells you select in the preview are considered to be "body" data (and the coordinates in the Selection fields will update). In other words, you can toggle the "active" selection method by clicking in the field that corresponds to that selection method.
In the following screenshot, the user highlights cell "A2" to cell "E10." By default, the Selection toggle is active, so these cells are considered to be body cells, and the Selection fields update to reflect the change.
But, if the user clicks in either Column Headers cell, then that toggle becomes active. The user then selects the top two rows of data in the preview, and the change is reflected in the Column Headers fields.
Format
As mentioned above, by default all Excel spreadsheets brought into Domo are assumed to have column headers instead of row headers or a cross-tab (pivot) layout. If this is not the case for your data, you can select the correct format in the Format menu. For more information about the different kinds of data layouts, see Understanding Chart Data.
Sheet selection
If your Excel file consists of more than one sheet, you can select the desired sheet in the menu just above the preview.
Generating headers
If you check the Generate Headers box, a row (or column, if you have selected Row Headers) of headers is automatically generated with generic names such as "_Column_1," "_Column_2," etc.
If your spreadsheet is missing any column or row headers, these will be generated automatically when you click Preview. For example, in the following screenshot, a header was missing in the fourth column, so the header "_COLUMN_4" was generated automatically.
Options for CSV files
Data selection
All data from a CSV file is imported into a DataSet when you build it, even if you click and drag to highlight a specific portion.
Generating headers
By default, the top row in your CSV sheet is considered to be the header row. You can automatically generate a new header row with generic names such as "_COLUMN_1," "_COLUMN_2," etc. by checking the Generate headers box.
File encoding
By default, UTF-8 encoding is used for your CSV file. If desired you can select a different encoding type in the File Encoding menu.
Delimiter
By default, a comma is used as the delimiter for your CSV file. If desired you can select a different delimiter in the Delimiter menu.
Using the legacy File Upload connector
This section enumerates the options in Details and Advanced panes in the File Upload Connector page. The components of the other pane in this page, Name & Describe Your DataSet, are discussed in greater length in Adding a DataSet Using a Data Connector.
Details pane
In this pane you select the file you want to upload and the file type. If you are uploading an Excel file, you may also enter the password and sheet name, if applicable.
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Menu |
Description |
|---|---|
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Select File |
Select the Excel or CSV file from your machine or network you want to upload. |
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Choose File Type |
Select whether the file you have selected is a CSV, XLS, or XLSX file. |
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File Password (Optional) |
If the Excel file you are uploading is password-protected, enter the password here. |
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Sheet Name (Optional) |
If the Excel file you are uploading is found on a specific sheet, enter the sheet name here. Be sure to check the sheet name for accidental spaces. If you do not enter a sheet name, the first sheet of the workbook will be used. |
Advanced pane - Excel
In this pane you configure advanced options for the Excel you have uploaded.
|
Menu |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Layout |
Select the layout of your Excel file. The following options are available:
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Mode |
Select how the cell range of your Excel data will be determined. If you select Auto, the range is determined automatically. If you select Manual, you will be asked to enter the column header and data ranges manually. |
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Column Header Range |
Enter the range for the column headers in your Excel sheet. For example: A2:F8 |
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Row Header Range |
Enter the range for the row headers in your Excel sheet. For example: A2:A8 |
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Data Range |
Enter the range for the data (non-header) cells in your Excel sheet. For example: A3:F20 |
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Header Start Row (Advanced only) (optional) |
Enter the header row number. If you do not enter a number, the first row is considered the header row. |
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Data Start Row (Advanced only) (optional) |
Enter the starting data row number. If you do not enter a number, the first row after the header row is considered the starting row. |
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Footer Rows to Skip (Advanced only) (optional) |
If there are one or more rows at the bottom of the file you do not want to import, enter the number of rows to skip. |
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Date Format (Advanced only) (optional) |
Select the date format used in the Excel data. If you want dates to be represented as text, select Show Dates as Strings. |
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Blank Rows (Advanced only) (optional) |
Select the desired outcome if blank rows are encountered in the Excel file. If you select Skip blank rows, the file is processed as normal without the blank rows. If you select Stop at the first blank row, everything is pulled up until the first blank row. |
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Empty Column Headers (Advanced only) (optional) |
Select the desired outcome if empty column headers are encountered in the Excel. If you select Add blank columns, new columns are generated with default names applied. If you select Stop at the first blank column, everything is pulled up until the first column with an empty header. |
Advanced pane - CSV
In this pane you configure advanced options for the CSV file you have uploaded.
|
Menu |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Delimiter |
Select the desired delimiter for parsing your CSV file. |
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Quote Character |
Select the desired quote character for parsing your CSV file. |
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Escape Character |
Select the desired escape character for parsing your CSV file. |
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File Encoding |
Select the desired file encoding for your CSV file. |
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Add Filename Column? |
Select whether or not a BATCH_FILE_NAME_ column should be added to the final DataSet for your CSV file. |
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Header Start Row (optional) |
Enter the header row number. If you do not enter a number, the first row is considered the header row. |
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Data Start Row (optional) |
Enter the starting data row number. If you do not enter a number, the first row after the header row is considered the starting row. |
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Footer Rows to Skip (optional) |
If there are one or more rows at the bottom of the file you do not want to import, enter the number of rows to skip. |
Other panes
For information about the remaining sections of the connector interface, including how to configure retry, and update options, see Adding a DataSet Using a Data Connector.
Editing your configuration
As with all connector DataSets, you can edit your uploaded Excel or CSV DataSet configuration in the details view for the DataSet.
To edit your Excel or CSV DataSet configuration,
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Open the Data Center.
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Use the search and filter options to locate the DataSet you want to edit.
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Click on the DataSet to open its details view.
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Click on the Settings tab.
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Make changes as desired.
FAQs
What is the file size limit for this connector?
The File Upload connector can handle files up to 250 MB. If you need to import a file larger than 250 MB, consider using the CSV SFTP or Excel SFTP connectors.
Why am I getting an error saying my file is not supported?
The file you are trying to upload contains features not currently supported by the connector. Try using the File Upload Legacy connector instead.
How can I easily update an existing File Upload DataSet?
You can update a File Upload DataSet by doing the following:
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Navigate to the DataSet in the Data Center.
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Open the Settings tab for the DataSet.
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Upload the new version of the file using the Upload field.
The DataSet will be replaced with the new version of the file, and any Cards built off of the DataSet will automatically update.