How to import to multi-record set custom fields

Question

I am trying to import records to a custom multi-record set of fields. I read somewhere that it was a new feature for 4.5.8 but now for the life of me I cannot find where I read it - pretty sure it was the release notes, but may have got the version wrong.

Would appreciate a pointer in the right direction. (we are currently on 4.6.4)

Many thanks

Answer 1

Steps:

1. Contacts > Import Contacts
2. Click the help ? at the end of: "The Import Wizard.... them here."
3. Click the link on here at the end of: "If you need to import Multi-value Custom Data for contacts.... from here: /civicrm/import/custom?reset=1 .

You should see the multi-record field to import

Answer 2

You can import multi-value custom fields through the API, including the API CSV Import GUI. You use the CustomValue API; you can also use the command-line CSV import tool or even drush.

Your contact ID field should be imported as entity_id. If the custom field ID is "4", then import to custom_4.

As an example - if your field set is called "schools attended", with custom fields "school" (custom field ID 7) and "degree" (custom field ID 8) for a contact with an ID of 123, your data may look like this:

entity_id | custom_7                 | custom_8
123       | University of Wisconsin  | BA
123       | Rutgers University       | MA

Answer 3

If you have complicated import needs - for instance, you need to import multi-value custom fields as part of a larger import - you may want to consider the "Advanced Import-Form Processor" approach.

I really need to write docs up, but in general:

• Install Form Processor.
• Create a new form processor instance. Each "input" should correspond to a column in your source data.
• When creating your actions, the "Update Individual" action won't import multi-value custom fields - but the "Contact: Update Custom Data" action will.
• Test it out using the "Try Out" functionality to ensure it works as expected. Now the magic bit - how to use this as an import instead of for form submissions?
• Install Advanced Import.
• Install Advanced Import Form Processor.

Advanced Import gives you an import UI; Advanced Import Form Processor lets you use a Form Processor instance to process each line in your file. Advanced Import has some limitations (e.g. it doesn't handle large files well) and Form Processor is relatively slow - but you can create pretty much any import you need without coding by using these three extensions together. And it has an end-user focused UI. Much like Views or Webform, an admin can create something complex, but the end result is usable by end users.

Below is a screenshot of a Form Processor instance I created. I was given a list of students with their schools and related information. I was able to:

• Create students if they didn't exist, or use existing contacts if they did (XCM integrates with Form Processor for very fine-grained duplicate matching).
• Create the school if necessary.
• Create a "Student/School" relationship that filled in relationship custom fields "Major" and "Degree". Note that you can import relationships with standard import, but can NOT import to relationship custom fields.
• Imported alumni information, which is stored in a multi-record custom field group.

Answer 4

I ended up using a drush script to import data into custom multi record fields:

create file import-script.scr run it as: drush scr import-script.scr

script:

<?php

$file = '/var/www/html/sites/default/scripts/civicrm_value_import.csv';

$fh = fopen($file, 'r');

while ($row = fgetcsv($fh)) {

  $contact_id = $row[8];
  if (empty($contact_id)) {
     continue;
  }

  // Build array for new data
  $import = [
    'entity_id' => $contact_id,
    'discharge_reason_329' => $row[14],
    'primary_presenting_problem_335' => $row[15],
    'principal_diagnosis_336' => $row[16],
    'diagnosis_2_337' => $row[17],
    'diagnosis_3_338' => $row[18],
    'opioid_dependency_339' => $row[19]
  ];
  if (!empty($row[11])) {
    $import += ['referral_date_331' => $row[11]];
  }
  if (!empty($row[12])) {
    $import += ['enrolment_date_332' => $row[12]];
  }
  if (!empty($row[13])) {
    $import += ['discharge_date_333' => $row[13]];
  }         
  if (!empty($row[21])) {
    $import += ['initiation_date_341' => $row[21]];
  }
  
  //  print_r([$import]);

  // Insert
  db_insert('civicrm_value_raam_66')
    ->fields($import)
    ->execute();

  // For testing one row
  // break;

}