Importing Data

Import Columns Window

Breeders Assistant provides a flexible and powerful mechanism to import pedigree data from external sources, in Text/CSV format.

Many programs, including Tenset pedigree software products, but also some 3rd party pedigree software products and other software such as widely used spreadsheets and databases can generate Text/CSV files.

In order to successfully import such data into Breeders Assistant it needs to include, as a minimum, columns for the animal name, its parents i.e. sire and dam, and ideally its sex and date of birth. The columns giving the sire/dam links can be given using either record numbers or names; if using record numbers then there also needs to be a column giving the record number for each animal.

For detailed step-by-step examples that show exactly how to import data into Breeders Assistant please refer to the 'Importing Data' tutorial, and the videos: How To Import Data Play Video, and How To Import Data Using Record Numbers Play Video.

Options in the import facility include:

  • Choice of exactly which fields you want to import, and in what order.
  • Select delimiter (normally comma) and field quotation options.
  • Whether or not to ignore any heading line (e.g. with column titles).
  • Whether to automatically add newly discovered titles to the standard titles lists.
  • Whether to auto-detect the breed registry from the registration numbers - especially useful in the cat version of Breeders Assistant for CFA/TICA.
  • Whether you want imported records to be automatically tagged - useful for reviewing the imported data once its been merged into your database.