[solved] generating records for intranet contacts directory from excel file

Hello,

I am hoping to use Modx Evo for an intranet site - it will be brilliant and up to the task as per usual - the only thing I am not sure about is how to generate menus or search results for a company contacts directory with 200 records that is currently in excel format.

The client’s current Intranet is written in asp and it has a search facility that indeed returns results in tabular format from an excel spreadsheet - so I know it can be done somehow, just not sure if and how with Modx.

The general updater of the intranet will be an office person - so I am looking for a solution that a non technical person could easily maintain by uploading a new excel or csv file directly from the Modx manager.

I posted a query in the AjaxSearch section (http://modxcms.com/forums/index.php/topic,61513.0.html) but was advised that it would be very tricky with AjaxSearch.

The current headings - and the various ways I would like the menus or "search" to work - are: name, position, department, extension, mobile extension, mobile number.

Some fields in the spreadsheet such as department, mobile extension and mobile number maye be blank for particular records in the excel file.

Is there a way to import an excel or csv file with the modx manager and dynamcially create pages or menus or search results or whatever is required so that when a new version of the excel file is uploaded, the results will be updated automagically as well?

Any ideas?

Thank you in advance.

there is fast-content-csv in the development-forums. But its not that easy to setup the first time. I also did a modul sometimes ago where one can paste tables from OO-calc into a textarea to update resources. I’m not sure if that will work for you.

I personally would use Revolution which offers you a great API to use on your custom tables once you set up a schema and a model for it (how to is in the docs). Then I’d make a manager page where you can maintain the contacts.

I’ve not really done lots of custom development in Evolution, but you could do something similar with a Module and a database table which you access directly through MySQL.

Thanks Mark. I am not a fan of Revo so will stick with Evo for this project. I’ll see if I can make sense of it.

Thanks Bruno - "fast-content-csv" sounds along the lines. I checked it out but as you said it looks a little complex to set up.

I’m really not sure how to tackle this.

I’m a real Revo fan boy (I’m sure others can confirm that) but it’s no problem to use Evolution either.. Revo is still young and intended at slightly different target groups, whereas Evo has matured and does what’s it’s supposed to do.

Quote from: Mark at Feb 24, 2011, 06:55 PM

...whereas Evo has matured and does what’s it’s supposed to do.

That’s why I like evo!

I must say I really like the chunks and template variables in the LHS with the documents in Revo. But I really don’t like the ajax config (or whatever its called) in revo - so slow and unecessarily awkward with the ajax, when simple tabs and KISS theory like in Evo works much beter.

fast-content-csv is brilliant - exactly what I needed - thank you Bruno!

For future reference / revo users looking for the same thing:
If things work out with this client (which I’m pretty sure of at this point, but we only just started talking), I’ll have a fast-content-csv clone/port for Revolution up in a few weeks from now which may or may not work in a similar fashion but will definitely be applicable to cases like the one in this topic.

Also the 2.1 release (which is in rc1 now) got rid of a couple of ajax calls related to template variables And I know there are ideas floating around to take it a step further. Even if you’re sticking with Evolution (which is perfectly fine, and suitable in certain cases!) do not shut yourself away from the rapid development in Revolution, there’s big things coming up all the time.

Thanks for the Revo update Mark.

I’ll hit up Revo when I can click the Evo to Revo button!