Data Importers

vAMSYS offers several importers. Before proceeding, it is crucial that you read the Introduction and ensure that you are ready and capable. Importers are advanced and may not be the best option for you.

vAMSYS importers allow you to Create, Update, and Delete records via one file. You can perform multiple actions in one import - editing the CSV accordingly to add, delete, and update entries.

You do not have to import a full set of data (airports, routes, aircraft, etc.) if you are not changing every item. Importers need at least two lines - the 1st line for the headers and the 2nd line for the data you are adding, editing, or deleting. Importing only the data you are changing optimizes the process.

How Importers Work

In simplest terms, vAMSYS importers process one row at a time from the CSV you uploaded. Each row is independent of the others - if one row fails, the others will continue to be processed and imported. Rows that cannot be imported are collected into a new CSV file you can download, with an extra column at the end of each row explaining the failure.

We leverage our infrastructure to process multiple rows simultaneously, typically 50, 100, or 500 at a time, depending on the importer type. Importantly, vAMSYS processes one type of import at a time across the entire system. This means that only one type of import (e.g., one routes and one airports, etc.) is processed at any given time across the entire vAMSYS platform.

Please keep this in mind if you think the importer is stuck.

Creating Entries

Ensure the ID and Delete columns are blank to signal the importer to add the new data to the database.

Editing Entries

Ensure the ID field is present and accurate (get the latest export), and the Delete column is blank to signal the importer to update the record with the provided ID.

Deleting Entries

Ensure the ID field is present and accurate (get the latest export), and set the Delete column to 1 to signal the importer to delete the record.

What is "Blank"?

When we say a column should be "blank," it means the column must contain no data, spaces, or any characters. In a CSV text editor, this will appear as ,, indicating an empty field.

Importer Failures

Sometimes, malformed data or unexpected inputs can cause the importer to hang. If the Rows, Processed, and Successful columns stop updating, it could be because the importer is busy or due to an error in the data. Allow some time to see if the importer completes.

Never upload the same file again and instead seek support. Re-attempting the same import file can duplicate data and cause more issues. Importers are designed to handle various inputs, but unexpected cases can still cause them to hang.

If the importer cannot perform an action, you will be able to download a file with all failed rows and explanations at the end of the import. Address these issues and re-import only the failed rows.

Importers

It is always best practice to first create some entries in VDS and then run an exporter. vAMSYS Importers use same column structure as exporters and are an ideal starting point.

Further, the columns imported have VDS equivalents - if ever in doubt - see VDS prompts and helper text to assist you. For each importer, we will cover only columns of interest.

Aircraft

Airport

Container

Fleet

Hub

Load Factor

Route

Scenery

Stand Group

Stand

Airport Managers

Badges

This import is more advanced than other imports as it uses raw json to record content. Do not experiment unless you are sure you know what you are doing - vAMSYS will not fix the damage caused.

Images cannot be uploaded via CSV, nor can badge order be changed - you will need to perform these actions in Orwell.

Changelog