General Information
To make content available in Purple DS Apps or the Purple DS HUB, a so-called CSV file can be created that contains all the important information about the data you want to import.
Once all the necessary information has been entered into the CSV file, it can be uploaded to an SFTP directory. The Purple DS Importer will automatically check at regular intervals, whether a new csv file has been uploaded or an existing one updated.
Requirements
Text editor: e.g. Brackets or Atom, do not use spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel. These can change the file format when saved, which means that an import no longer works.
CSV file:
- The file extension needs to be *.csv
- Entries/columns are separated by a semicolon (;)
- The file encoding must be UTF-8
- The column specification in the first line of the CSV is used to specify metadata (e.g. issue or publication name) and to reference the files (issues, additional covers, etc.).
- Each subsequent line of the csv file represents an issue to be imported
Instructions
1. Structure
If you open a CSV file, it usually looks like this:
With the preview on a Mac (select the CSV in the Finder and press the space bar), it looks like this. In this view, you can see the columns much better.
2. Column content
Various columns can be created in the CSV file. These can be used for example to add a cover picture or add the price to an issue via the Product-ID during automatic import.
The following column sections can be used in the CSV import file:
| Spaltenbezeichnung | Beschreibung |
|---|---|
| folder* | File path for the input file (Zip or PDF) |
| publication* | The publication-name used in App and Purple Manager |
| issue name* | The issue-name, as displayed to the users |
| publication date* | Date when the issue is published |
| team | Name of the Purple Manager Team |
| issue alias | Alias for Issues (possibly relevant for tracking) |
| issue number | Issue number (relevant for entitlement) |
| ios product | Product-ID for iOS single issue purchases |
| android product | Product-ID for Android single issue purchases |
| cover | File path for an alternative cover image |
(*)required information
3. Format specifications
3.1 Column: publication
This column determines the publication in which a file is published. The entry must be identical to the name of the publication in the Purple DS Manager. Pay attention to upper and lower case. If there are any deviations, the import will most likely fail.
3.2 Column: publication date
The following date formats are valid:
- YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
- YYYY-MM-DD
- DD.M.YYYY HH:MM:SS
- DD.M.YYYY
- DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM:SS
- DD/MM/YYYY
The year can be shortened by the first two digits for each of the above input formats, e.g. from 2018 to 18
3.3 Column: Cover
If a cover is specified in the CSV file, it will always overwrite the cover that the Importer creates by default from the first page of the delivered issue.
The file type for a cover image can be "jpg/jpeg" or "png".
For covers, we recommend creating a separate folder called "cover" in the upload folder to store the cover images.
Example:
An alternative cover has to be imported for an issue.
The file has the format *.jpg. It is named Covernew.jpg and stored in the cover folder.
In the CSV, the file must now be referenced correctly. So the column Cover will have to read :
- cover/Covernew.jpg
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