Instructions
You can use the Import feature to add customer accounts from another software package or an electronic list. The source file must be in .db (Paradox) or .dbf (dBase) format. You can open a .csv or .txt file in Excel and save the file as .db or .dbf if you have the proper drivers installed.

Important Note: If you click the Finish button during import customer accounts will be added to your database. It is recommended that you use the sample database to test all of your imports before committing them to your own company database. You can switch now to the Sample database and follow the instructions below to test an import. Click here to open the Open Company dialog. Then, select the Sample Database and click OK.

1. To create an import definition, or use the last definition you made, open the Customer Import Wizard by choosing Tools>Import from the text menu. Or, click here to open the Import Wizard.
    
2. In the dialog that opens select the Customers type in the first box. 

3. Then click the button and point to your source file. If you would like to test the included tutorial file it is located in the directory where you installed Mailware and is named IMPTUTOR.db as in the example above.
    

4. Click the Next button and the following dialog will open.

5. Match fields in your Source File (the right window) to their Destination Fields in Mailware (the left window). To do so simply click the field names that match then click the button to add them to the window at the bottom of the dialog. 
    
   If you make a mistake you can select the matched fields in the lower window and click the button. To delete all Matches click .
    
   Note: As you match fields the Destination Fields in Mailware will disappear, but your Source Fields will remain. This allows you to put the same field from your source file into multiple fields in Mailware, while preventing you from assigning multiple fields in your file to a single field in Mailware.
    

6. After you have matched all fields click the button to perform the import. Caution: Once you click Finish the import cannot be undone. You can view your added records (and manually delete or edit individual records) by opening the Customer screen. Click here to open the Customer screen.
    

Troubleshooting

If some or all of your records did not import the most likely cause is illegal characters in the source file. For example, if you have a non-letter/non-numeric character in the customer name (e.g., %^&/? etc.) Mailware will not be able to insert the entire record. You can review your records in Excel or a database program before importing.

If records contain incorrect information in their fields (e.g., a phone number in the Zip Code field) double check your definition in Step 4 above to make sure you are inserting the correct field. Mailware will accept incorrect data if it is in the proper format.

Look at records in Mailware before importing your source file for expecting formatting. For example, phone numbers in Mailware are formatted as XXX-XXX-XXXX in the United States. If you put () around the area code it may import, but the format will not match Mailware's.

As mentioned above, it is highly recommended that you test your import first with the Mailware sample database.

Following is the table structure for Customer.db from Version 1, build 116 of Mailware.

See Also:
Import Orders
Customers