Data Import

This topic describes data import from the new stack.

Data to be imported needs to be in JSON format, it is an array of user data and array of models data:

{
  "users": [...],
  "models": [...]
}

You can generate data from an existing Instance with the pos-cli data export command (read more about this here). It will generate the data.json file. You can also import data from other sources (e.g. old stack, other systems) once you generate the proper JSON file. It is fairly easy to convert, for example, a CSV file into a JSON file.

General information

• Before import, your model schemas need to be deployed.

• When importing data, the id fields will be changed. Relations will be kept. If you have your own relations defined in properties, you need to first describe them in model schema files - read more about this here.

• If you test your imports and need to clean Instance data, use the pos-cli data clean command. Note, that this command will work only on staging Instances.

• When you run import twice, it will try to match previously imported data without removing existing changes. Example:

  1. You have a model shirt with properties: color, size
  2. First import adds new shirt with JSON: { "id": 1, "properties": { "color": "red" }}
  3. User sets attributes of shirt, now shirt has the following properties: { "color": "green", "size": "large" }
  4. Second import with the same file changes shirt object to: { "color": "red", "size": "large" }

• Import will only do basic validations, such as the existence of properties and type validation. It doesn't check any of the validations defined on forms.

Data Import with CLI

With pos-cli data, you can export/import Instance data (information entered by the users).

platformOS CLI provides the pos-cli data import command for uploading and importing data from a JSON file. It accepts one option:

• --path (short: -p): A path to a JSON data file to be imported

Under the hood, the CLI uses the GraphQL import API that's described in the next section. However, using the CLI provides some major benefits:

• Uploading file from disk
• Leveraging the CLI's authentication mechanism (i.e. you don't need to manually send your authentication token)

Input format

The required data format is a JSON file with users and models keys that have an array of maps. Each of those collections needs to be in the same format as a corresponding GraphQL mutation. Under the hood import is just a set of mutations: import_users(), import_models(). When importing data using the CLI, the file should contain data in a format that matches the following structure:

{
  "users": [<UserImport],
  "models": [<CustomizationImport>],
}

Example

Example data import file data.json

{
  "users": [
    {
      "id": 1000,
      "email": "tom@example.com",
      "first_name": "Tom",
      "slug": "tom"
    },
    {
      "id": 1001,
      "email": "mike@example.com",
      "first_name": "mike",
      "slug": "mike",
      "created_at": "2010-10-10 10:00:00",
      "profiles": [
        {
          "type_name": "student",
          "id": 2001,
          "properties": {
            "age": 21
          },
          "attachments": [
            {
              "name": "document",
              "url": "files/document.pdf"
            }
          ],
          "images": [
            {
              "name": "avatar",
              "url": "files/avatar.png"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "models": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "user_id": 1000,
      "type_name": "house",
      "customizable_id": 1000,
      "customizable_type": "User",
      "properties": {
        "color": "red"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "user_id": 1001,
      "type_name": "house",
      "customizable_id": 1001,
      "customizable_type": "User",
      "properties": {
        "color": "green",
        "buyer_id": 1000,
        "beach_house_id": 1
      },
      "addresses": [
        {
          "name": "foo_address",
          "address": "Warsaw",
          "postcode": "01-001"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": 3,
      "user_id": 1001,
      "type_name": "house",
      "properties": {
        "buyer_id": 1000,
        "beach_house_id": 2
      },
      "attachments": [
        {
          "name": "driver_licence",
          "url": "files/licence.pdf"
        }
      ],
      "images": [
        {
          "name": "headshot",
          "url": "files/headshot.png"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

To import the data from a file, simply run the following command in the terminal:

pos-cli data import --path=data.json staging-instance

Data Import with GraphQL mutations

It is possible to import data using GraphQL mutations. This gives you more flexibility, and even allows you to create your own import tool as a website feature. Please remember to handle authentication properly.

There are two main mutations for importing import_users() and import_models(). You can create a page that will import sent data.

mutation import_data(
    $users: [UserImport!]!,
    $models: [CustomizationImport!]!
  ) {
  import_users(users: $users) { ids }
  import_models(models: $models) { ids }
}

# views/pages/import_data.json.liquid
---
slug: import_data
method: post
---
{% graphql res = "import_data",
  users: context.params.users,
  models: context.params.models
%}

{{ g | json }}

curl -d @transformed.json \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST https://example.com/import_data.json

Data Import with raw import API

Our CLI uses the HTTP API to import a data file. You can use it in your own tool.
Please note, that you need to provide your authentication token in the HTTP Authorization header of the request.

curl -F "import[data]=@data.json" \
  -H "Authorization: Token token=[YOUR API TOKEN]" \
  -X POST https://example.com/api/app/imports

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