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Import Calendar Entries from Comma Separated File

Overview:

It is very tedious work entering a semester worth of dates into the WebCT calendar. One option to ease the monotony is to load important dates into your course's calendar from a file you create in Excel and save as a comma separated file (.csv).

Jump To Directions for:

ADDING THE CALENDAR TOOL

Procedure:

Step 1:
Add calendar tool to WebCT course

Click Add Page or Tool Link.

Click on the Calendar Tool.

Enter a Title for the Calendar

Choose icons or select defaults

Click Add

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Step 2:
Import .txt file to calendar tool

Click Calendar Tool

In the Action Bar there is a Button that says "Import Entries". Click it.

The import from file page loadsUse the browse button to select the file.

 

Select Browse to select the .csv file to Upload.

Click Upload.

Select the radial button in front of the .csv file, and then click "Add Selected"

Click Import on the next page.

The Confirm Import Page Loads.

All of the entries that will be added to the calendar are listed in the first table.

A second table will identify any entry that cannot be added to the calendar.

Only one record the second table should have in it is The record is the first row of the .csv file.

The reason for this record for not being added should be given as Bad Date.

If there are more records that could not be added you can add those by importing a new file with the correct information or individually through the calendar's add entry tool.

Click Continue

The entries are added.

If you need to add more entries later in the semester create a new .csv file that contains only the new information. If you use a file that contains previously imported entries you will duplicate the entries.

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Step 3:
Create .csv file using Excel

Download template file .csv and open file in Microsoft Excel

Add information based on following:

The first column is for the date. It is of the utmost importance to start the date with ":" Make sure there are no spaces after the date. (Notice at the end how the entry for the first day of class is not added.)

Date format is :dd/mm/yyyy

The second column is for a summary of the event. This field functions as the entry's title. Short one or two word descriptors work best. A detailed description can be entered in the Detail field.

The Date and Summary fields are the only fields required for entries in the calendar. If you want to add more detail you can also add the following information to your entries:

URL
Link the entry to any page or resource on the Web
Internal Link
Link the entry to a page or tool within your course. (This is an advanced option that WebCT recommends use only for advanced users.)
Start Time and End Time
all times within WebCT are shown in 24 hour format.

Before uploading the file you will want to make sure that there are no times in the file in the 12 hour format. The two columns for time in the file should be formatted to convert 12 hour times to 24 hour format.

(For example if you type 1:00 pm the format will automatically update to 13:00.)
Details
This field allows you space to further explain an entry to class participants.

Save the file. If you get an error similar to the following, click "Yes".

Close Excel

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Updated: February 27, 2004


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