Using ContactManager - Synchronize Client Database
General Information
ContactManager's "Synchronize Contacts" feature lets you import
and update contacts into PortalsXpress using a comma separated
value (CSV) file. So if you're already using a database to store
your client information and it's capable of exporting its data to
a .csv file, you can mirror that data into PortalsXpress. Any
contacts you create in your client database and any changes you
make will also be made in PortalsXpress. Only a Workflow
account's administrator (usually the individual that created your
PortalsXpress account) has access to the "Synchronize Contacts"
feature. Access this feature by picking ContactManager's
"ContactManager / Synchronize Contacts" menu item.
"Mapping" your client database tells PortalsXpress where to
copy the fields in the CSV file.
The contact mapping section at the top of the "CSV Sync"
dialog box consists of two panes. The
left pane displays the headings (fields) used in your CSV
formatted client database file. The right pane displays the
fields (attributes) used in ContactManager. Those fields of
your CSV file that match the ContactManager fields are
automatically mapped. Those fields of your CSV file that do
not exactly match the ContactManager fields are available for
you to manually map. For example, a heading labeled "First
Name" in your CSV file will be automatically mapped to the
"First Name" field in ContactManager. However, a heading
labeled "Client Number" in your CSV file will need to be
manually mapped to the "ClientID" field in ContactManager.
The Contact Synchronization Plugin lets you synchronize "custom"
data from your CSV database file with PortalsXpress. This
means you can create custom data fields in PortalsXpress and
then map fields from your CSV file to those custom data fields.
Details on synchronizing custom data are discussed below.
To synchronize your client database do the following:
- Configure your client database to periodically export your
client data to a CSV file. Refer to your client database's
documentation to find out if it's capable of exporting to a CSV
file and how to setup the export.
- While in ContactManager, click on the "ContactManager" menu
and choose "Synchronize Contacts". This will display a list of
Synchronization Plugins.
- Click on the "CsvFile Synchronization Plugin" then click
OK. This will display the "CSV Sync" dialog box.
- Place a check in the box labeled "Enable CSV Synchronization".
- Click on the "Browse" button and select the CSV file containing
your client database's exported data.
- Specify the frequency of synchronizations by selecting the
desired span of minutes in the "Check for updates every..."
combo-box.
- In the Mapping panes displayed at the top of the screen, view
the default mapping that is established by PortalsXpress,
and perform any edits or add custom data if necessary.
- Click the "OK" button to save your changes and schedule
the synchronization of your client database.
Manually mapping client data
Click to select the desired CSV file field in the left pane and
drag and drop it in the corresponding field in the right pane.
Continue with the import process as discussed above.
Importing custom data
Click on the "Custom Data" PortalsXpress Contact
attribute in the right pane then click on the "New" toolbar
icon. Give the new custom a field a name. Drag and
drop the data field from the
client database (left pane) to the corresponding position in
the right pane. Continue with the synchronization process as discussed
above. Follow the same steps to import additional pieces of
custom data.
Setting a new contact's portal login name
The
RequestedLoginName field is special - it lets you set a
portal user's login name (an ID they can use to login to their portal
if they don't have an email address). If the name is already in use,
the login name assigned to the new portal user will be automatically
indexed so that it's unique. For example, it you request a login name
"johndoe" and it's already taken your new contact would be given
"johndoe2" instead.
Introduction
Welcome to ContactManager