Import CSV file: field “summary” error

  • Resolved kentnerd

    (@kentnerd)


    5 years, 9 months ago

    Hello,

    I’m trying to import a csv file into the events manager plugin.

    After installing the Events Manager plugin, I can hover over the “Events” menu on the left-side panel of the wordpress backend and I can see an option to “import”.

    This is what it looks like for me.

    My csv file has a field called “Summary”. I made sure to select the “CSV in Events Manager Import/Export format” option and my file is a csv, but I still get the error.

    Why am I receiving that error, and what am I doing wrong?
    Could someone help me with this?

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

  • Your screen shot seems to be a third-party plugin. It is not native to EM.

    EM does not support importing through CSV files (yet). EM uses several tables that all need to be linked together in the correct way. It’s much more complicated than simply importing a custom post type. So even if you manage to upload your file with this other plugin, chances are that the imported events will not operate correctly.

    Thread Starter kentnerd

    (@kentnerd)

    Hi Patrick,

    (new wordpress dev here; currently an intern learning the ropes)

    I figured it was a 3rd party thing. Initially, I thought the “Events” > “Import” screenshot I showed you was the menu that was automatically created when the Event Manager plugin was installed, but as you pointed out, the “Events” option is a result of installing a 3rd party plugin. I looked further, and it’s this. This plugin was installed by another person on the team I’m working with, so I’m trying to pick up the pieces.

    And you’re correct. After changing a few column names in my csv file, I managed to import the info into my calendar, but indeed the imported events did not contain all the info that was in the csv.

    Thank you for the response. It was helpful.

    My pleasure! ??
    To give you a little more insight why Events Import is not (yet) supported…

    An EM Event Object is more than a single custom post type. Each event saves its data in several tables. Of course, wp_posts and wp_postmeta, because WP needs that. But also in wp_em_events, wp_em_locations, wp_em_bookings, wp_em_tickets, wp_em_meta, etc.

    All those entries have to be linked together by the corresponding ID in the other table. So, ID in wp_posts should be the same as post_id in wp_postmeta, should be the same as post_id in wp_em_events. And that goes for several entries.

    When importing into WordPress, WP automatically creates new ID’s by auto-increment, but only for that specific table. So even if you created a csv file covering multiple tables, you have no way of knowing (or to tell WP) what old ID is now this or that new ID. ??

    I know the official EM Dev Team has been working for a long time on a proper working Import function. But seeing the time it is taking them, just goes to show how complicated the whole process is…

    Thread Starter kentnerd

    (@kentnerd)

    Thank you so much for the explanation Patrick.

    So…it looks like there is no other way of importing events to my calendar?

    I have a csv file with over 200 events. This is going to be an absolute pain manually entering each event into the calendar.

    Not through a csv file, no.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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