Importing Information into Music Library

CTThroop · Post by **CTThroop** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:14 am

Is there a way to import information into the music library?

We already have a lot of information in a spreadsheet - I'd love to avoid typing everything over again.

Thanks,

Terry

Jean · Post by **Jean** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:28 am

Yes, please tell me there is a way to import - at least the names.

NeilZ · Post by **NeilZ** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:57 am

Currently, there is no way to import data into the Music Library, or any other 'Record Keeping' function.

As I remember right, these functions are basically a 'rolodex' type of file, just something to use as a quick lookup, nothing more.

That said, having a way to import the basic information such as title and composer for the music function would be a nice addition.

Jean · Post by **Jean** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:04 am

Our music director likes to have a date by the songs we usually do, so he can avoid doing them too often. I had been keeping the info in access and running a report when he asked. I hate to think about having to enter in ALL the songs we song. Maybe support can think about import functions for all the record-keeping areas.

NeilZ · Post by **NeilZ** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:24 am

Jean wrote:Our music director likes to have a date by the songs we usually do, so he can avoid doing them too often. I had been keeping the info in access and running a report when he asked. I hate to think about having to enter in ALL the songs we song. Maybe support can think about import functions for all the record-keeping areas.

As a work around, you can start adding the songs week by week as they are used. Nothing says you have to do it all at once.

At the end of the year, you should have all the songs used for that year. The others are then added when (IF ??) they are used.

Eventually, you can do away with the Access database. It may take a year or two, but it can be done.

However, adding a text import using comma or tab delimited data would be a nice addition for the next version.

CTThroop · Post by **CTThroop** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:06 pm

NeilZ wrote:
As a work around, you can start adding the songs week by week as they are used. Nothing says you have to do it all at once. At the end of the year, you should have all the songs used for that year. The others are then added when (IF ??) they are used. ...

However, adding a text import using comma or tab delimited data would be a nice addition for the next version.

The incremental approach could be useful for someone familiar with the library. In our case, we have a large library, a new Music Director and the need for a quick start.

An import function would make a world of difference here.

Terry

NeilZ · Post by **NeilZ** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 1:08 pm

CTThroop wrote:
NeilZ wrote:
The incremental approach could be useful for someone familiar with the library. In our case, we have a large library, a new Music Director and the need for a quick start.

An import function would make a world of difference here.

Terry

I agree ... but since you're importing from somewhere, couldn't that be used for now and, as I pointed out above, the songs used added during the year.

I suspect that any import functionality will not be added until the next version release, so an incremental approach may be all you can work with outside of typing the entire library in the system.

Al · Post by Al » Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:03 pm

If there isn't a way to import data to Recordkeeping sections from a spreadsheet, is there a way to create a macro that will copy and paste the data from a spreadsheet? I have a person who wants to move her book library information from her spreadsheet.

NeilZ · Post by **NeilZ** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:59 am

Al wrote:If there isn't a way to import data to Recordkeeping sections from a spreadsheet, is there a way to create a macro that will copy and paste the data from a spreadsheet? I have a person who wants to move her book library information from her spreadsheet.

Any macro created in Powerchurch, can only be used from within Powerchurch, it cannot access another program.

dschinker · Post by **dschinker** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 9:33 pm

We have always maintained our church music library in an Excel spreadsheet. We've spent the last year cleaning up this spreadsheet and mapping the fields to fields in Power Church, ensuring that data requirements (character limits, etc...) conform. We are finally ready to import our data - only to discover via this forum that there is apparently no way to do this - or WAS no way to do this in past years.

Has this feature been upgraded for PowerChurch 10, which we are using? Our software is only about a year old. Or are we just out of luck?

~Debbie Schinker
Trinity Lutheran Church
Kent, Ohio

NeilZ · Post by **NeilZ** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 11:44 pm

dschinker wrote:We have always maintained our church music library in an Excel spreadsheet. We've spent the last year cleaning up this spreadsheet and mapping the fields to fields in Power Church, ensuring that data requirements (character limits, etc...) conform. We are finally ready to import our data - only to discover via this forum that there is apparently no way to do this - or WAS no way to do this in past years.

Has this feature been upgraded for PowerChurch 10, which we are using? Our software is only about a year old. Or are we just out of luck?

~Debbie Schinker
Trinity Lutheran Church
Kent, Ohio

There is no programmatic way to import that data.

That said, if you call the Powerchurch office, they may have some ideas.

ewick86 · Post by **ewick86** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 4:22 pm

Hey,
Although I don't have music to import into Power Church I have figured out a pretty slick way of importing information quickly and easily (if you're a computer guy).

Create a backup of the "Record Keeping" databases.

Open the .zip file and find the database that corresponds with the Music Library.

Use a .dbf editor (I used CDBF Viewer and Editor) to insert your Excel spreadsheet information into the categories of the database.

Then repackage the file into the backup zip file.

Do a restore in Power Church and you're music library should be in there.

Hope this helps (If you haven't figured it out already).

-Ewick86

Post by **Zorak** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 11:22 am

Just be careful in working directly with DBFs, computer guy or not.

We can't support any problems you cause by making changes to the data from outside of the program.

HTLC · Post by **HTLC** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 12:59 pm

Our church is using version 11.5. I have read Ewick86 procedures for importing music inventory. Since it was written in 2008 has anyone come up with a method that works on version 11.5? patrick

NeilZ · Post by **NeilZ** » Fri Oct 12, 2012 4:56 pm

HTLC wrote:Our church is using version 11.5. I have read Ewick86 procedures for importing music inventory. Since it was written in 2008 has anyone come up with a method that works on version 11.5? patrick

FWIW .. I don't believe that area has changed at all since 2008, so it should still work. That said, I would definitely do a complete backup before you test this out, or install a test setup of Powerchurch so you can do this safely without messing with the 'live' data.

You do this by installing PCPlus into a DIFFERENT set of folders, the setup program will allow you to do this. DO NOT SELECT MIGRATE or UPGRADE from an earlier program, you want a blank database. When the setup finishes, bring up the test program, it will ask for your church information, all you really need to enter is your ACTUAL PCPlus serial number.

Then restore a backup of the 'LIVE' data to the test program, and you can then mess around to your hearts content

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