Importing Student Class Lists

This appendix describes how to import external class and/or student data into the system, delete student registration data, delete all registration data , import teachers data and the format of the files required to do so.

The file used for import may be created by using a regular text editor (like Notepad), output from a database, or a specialized program that is created to extract data from the institutions student database. The file must be entirely in ASCII with the field delimiters used as described.

The import file may consist of several different sections. There can be a section for deleting a list of students or instructors or a section for clearing all users. A second one used for deleting student data or all registration information, one used for creating class information and another for creating registration records for instructors. Either one, or all may be contained in the file at the same time. Each section contains a section header as follows:

[refresh]

This section header identifies the part of the file that contains the commands to be used to remove registration information. There are two possible commands that may follow this header:

REFRESH ALL - To remove all registration information for the system including instructors and classes. The system is set back to its initial state as it would have been when first installed. The MASTER password is also reset to PWORD. When this command is used, the system prompts for confirmation as is shown below.



REFRESH STUDENTS - To remove only the registered students on the system and leave all instructor and class information intact. Students are removed from classes, but the classes are not deleted. All assignments are removed. This command requests confirmation as shown below.


In both cases, the system requires a password to confirm the deletion of students to protect against accidental removal of data. The password is REMOVE DATA NOW and once entered, you must click the OK button with the mouse, simply pressing the Enter will not perform the operation.

Once the deletion process is started, it cannot be stopped.

[classes]

This section header identifies lines in the import file that contain information for the creation of classes. This section is described in detail later in this document.

[students]

This section header identifies lines in the import file that contain information about student creation. This section is described in more detail later in this document.

During the file import no other users can be using the system as the import process locks the user and class database and it would prevent them from working properly. Once started and as the import proceeds, the status of the import is reported on the screen. During this process a report is created in the same directory as the import file and is called IMPORT.REP. This file should be printed and carefully examined after the IMPORT completes to verify that all users/classes had been created correctly.

Class Section Format

This is the file format for the class section of the import file:

[classes]
Code [t] Class Name [t] Instructor ID [t] Term [t] Attributes [carriage return]  

Code

Class code, maximum length 8 characters

Class Name

Class name, maximum length 40 characters

Instructor ID

Instructor User ID code that has been previously registered

Term

Term information, maximum length 8 characters

Attributes

Class attribute bits, maximum length 16 characters

The Tab, Carriage Return, and Line Feed are represented by the characters [t], [carriage return] respectively.

Student Section Format

This is the file format for the student section of the import file.

[students]
 Id [t] Name [t] Pass [t] Attributes [t] Inst ID [t] Class [carriage return]

Id

Identification Code, maximum length 18 characters

Name

Student Name, last name first, comma separated, maximum length 30 characters

Pass

Student password, maximum length 8 characters

Attributes

Student attribute bits, maximum length 16 characters.
The extended import format may now be used to ADD rather than REPLACE attributes to users when adding them to classes (or without adding them to classes). You may add / remove attributes by placing a " + " or a " - " sign before the attributes listed for the student. If the attribute does not already exist for that student it will be added. This is a redundant feature.

Inst Id

Instructor ID that is responsible for this id, maximum length 18 characters

Class

Class student belongs to, maximum length 8 characters

Notes:
If fields between tabs are longer than the maximum length, they will be truncated without notice at the right end.

It is required that instructor IDs be created before this import process and also that classes be imported/created before students so that the system will know what classes exist to place the students into. It is also important that all of the attributes referred to in the import file are previously defined because those that cannot be found will be ignored.

If it is desirable to place the student in more than one class, the student record may be repeated more than once in the file with a different class each time.

If the class code is omitted on the student record, or refers to a non-existent class, the student will still be created but will not be placed in any class.

Extended file format

To invoke the extended format the optional CLASS field must be replaced with a # character.

[students]
 Id [t] Name [t] Pass [t] Attributes [t] Inst ID [t] # [t] MENU [t] Button  [t] Interface [t] Lang [[t] CLASS][carriage return]



The import file can be extended to include the following options:


Start Menu

Traditionally the student or STUD menu this field permits the assigning of other customized menus

Button Style



 The list is as follows:

I - Legacy Icons 
N - Text buttons
L - Large Icons
M - New Icons
O - Large New Icons
B - No buttons

As well, any of the above letters may be followed by a modifier that
      sets the onscreen text format as follows.  The default text is
      "Small, Serif Font" and has no modifier:

P - Medium Serif Font
Q - Large Serif Font
R - Small Sans Serif Font
S - Medium Sans-Serif Font
T - Large Sans Serif Font


      If you wanted large new icons with medium sans-serif text, the field
      contents would be: OS




Display Style

The window style currently allows

 T -  for traditional blue backgrounds
 
 W - for windows grey backgrounds.



 It also inverts the sense of
      white and black text in student text-boxes. 

 


This style character may now be followed by an up to 3 digit number that selects the cell on the planner screen that is used to set the background image for the Menu.  By leaving it blank, the number 0 (no image) is selected.






Language

You may select different languages in the language field:

 EN - English (default)
 FR - French (buttons and menu bars)
SP - Spanish (buttons only)
CH - Chinese Hong Kong (buttons only)
RU - Russian (buttons only)
CS - Simplified Chinese (buttons only)
UK - Ukrainian (buttons only)

 

Example File

The following is an example of a correctly formatted import file with the tab character shown as [t] for clarity:

[refresh]
REFRESH ALL

[classes]

ELI204[t]English Grammar 204[t]XST2[t]1996/4[t]EAB [carriage return]

ELI204[t]English Grammar 204[t]XST2[t]1996/4[t]EAB [carriage return]
ELF112[t]English Listening 112[t]SST2[t]1996/3[t]EAF[carriage return]
FLF343[t]Advanced French 343[t]XST3[t]1996/2[t]JAF[carriage return]
[students]
354453[t]Norweko, Olaf[t]OLAF[t]EAB[t]XST2[t]ELF112[carriage return]
523423[t]Izza, Ron[t]RON[t]EAB[t]SST2[t]ELF112[carriage return]
545345[t]Porreta, Peter[t]PETER[t]EAB[t]XST3[t]FLF343[carriage return]
545345[t]Porreta, Peter[t]PETER[t]EAB[t]XST3[t]ELI204[carriage return]
953423[t]Oggo, Ishkabibblewalla[t]ISHKABIB[t]JAF[t]SST2[t]ELI112[carriage return]
653424[t]Lim, Sue[t]SUE[t]EAB[t]XST3[t]ELI204[carriage return]
219853[t]Holden, John[t]JOHN[t]FJ[t]XST3[t]FLF343[carriage return]
287467[t]Frankenstien, Igor[t]IGOR[t]FJA[t]SST2[t]ELF112[carriage return]

024601[t]Valjean, Jean[t]JEAN[t]IEAB[t]SST2[t]#[t]STUD[t]I[t]W[t]EN[t]ELF112[carriage return]
537115[t]Kanneberg, Angela[t]ANGELA[t]IEAB[t]XST3[t]#[t]STUD[t]I[t]W[t]EN[t]ELI204[carriage return]

Creating Instructors with an Import File

Instructor Import File Format

ID [t] NAME [t] PASS [t] ATT[[t]CLASS]
(where [t] = tab character. )

Extended Instructor Import File Format

Format of the extended import instructor record is:

ID [t] NAME [t] PASS [t] [t]ATT [t] # [t] MENU [t] INTER [t] STYLE [t] LANG [[t]CLASS]

Where the fields are as follows:

[t]

- Tab character

ID

- The user ID to be created/modified (max 18 chars)

NAME

- The name of the user (Max 30 chars)

PASS

- Initial Password of user (Max 8 chars)

ATT

- Attributes for user (Max 16 attributes)

#

- Extended format flag

MENU

- Starting Menu for the instructor