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Importing from External Files

Brass Jacks Bookkeeper can import data from the following external file types:

  • Comma Separated Values file (*.csv)
  • Tab Delimited text file (*.txt)

If the file you want to import isn’t supported, try saving the file in another format. Most database programs can save their data in other formats — usually with a Save As or Export command.

When assigning data from the file to Brass Jacks Bookkeeper fields, you can assign the import data to more than one field in the database. For example, you could use address information from the import file to fill both the Address Line 1 and the Ship To Address Line 1 for a customer.

To import a data file:
  1. Exit the program that created the file that you want to import.
  2. Open Brass Jacks Bookkeeper and, in the Brass Jacks Bookkeeper Company Selection dialog box, double-click the company's name for the company that you want to import the database into.
  3. Choose File > Import > Import Data From External Files.
  4. In the Brass Jacks Bookkeeper Import wizard, select the type of data to import: Vendors, Customers, Inventory Items, Journals (required prior to importing Journal Entries), Journal Entries or Bank Account Entries.
  5. Next to the File to import box, click the Browse button. Locate and select the file that you want to import. Click Open.
    You may need to select the File of type as either Tab Delimited File (*.txt) or Comma Delimited File (*.csv) to select the file to import.
  6. Click Next.
  7. Review the information in the Contents of First Record in File box.
  8. If the information in the box is for headings, select This information record contains column headers. If the information in the box is data, select This first record contains actual data.
    If the first line of data doesn’t contain column headers (field names), the fields are identified by column number when you map the fields.
  9. Click Next.
  10. Select a field in the Select field in import file to assign list on the left.  
  11. Select the matching field in the Select corresponding field in database list on the right.
  12. Then click Assign.
    Be sure to assign fields of the same data type. For example, numeric fields can only accept numeric data.
  13. Repeat steps 10–12 until you’ve mapped all the fields you want to import into Brass Jacks Bookkeeper.
    As you assign the fields, they appear in the list at the bottom. You don't have to match all fields for importing the data.
  14. To reassign a pair of fields, click the pair in the lower list and then click Unassign. Then repeat steps 10–12.
  15. To reassign all the fields, click Select All and then click Unassign. The field names move to the boxes at the top of the dialog box, so that you can match them again.
  16. After you finish matching the fields, click Preview to view the data and make any needed changes before importing.
  17. Click Close Preview to return to the last step of the wizard.
  18. Click Import to import the data.
    No data in unassigned fields are imported into Brass Jacks Bookkeeper.