I've got a Excel spreadsheet containing two columns of data - the first is a list of names and the second is plain text data associated with each name - that I would like to import into my MediaWiki database, creating articles for each name with the data in the second column as the content for each article. Is there a way to do an import like that? All I've been able to find is Special:Import which only works with the XML files created using Special:Export. I thought about reformatting my data in the XML format used by the Special:Export function but I don't know how I would handle some of the fields like ID and Revision ID which I assume are unique and automatically assigned.
-McD-
McD
I have spent probably 30% of the past 2 weeks playing with Special:Import and large scale importing. I have managed to create @30k relatively complex interlinked pages all from Access. They include templates, categories, Gmap integration and more.
If you create a single sample page in MW and export it you will see the format expected at the point of Import. From that point forward it is simply a case of working out what is static (same for EVERY page) and what is dynamic (specific to each page). You can then arrange/export the data from Excel, interspersed with cells that contain the static data. Personally I find Access easier for this work but if you need more pointers or samples of the queries I have been using just shout.
When you commence the import process be sure to strip any problem characters FIRST. i.e. Replace any ampersands (&) with & etc. A failed import is a pain as it means you need to do some house work to see what went in Ok and what didn't. Cleanest thing to do is delete the import and do it again once you have removed the offending characters.
If you go for a large import (say >1.5MB) you will need to check the search_index table to ensure everything imported correctly. I have had several instances where I got too near to the 2MB mark when the Page table populated bu the search_index didn't. This means the pages are they but you cant find them!
Oh, by the way, the Revision_ID can be set to a fixed digit for all imports. I set all mine to 1 to show 1 revision (the import).
Good luck,
Paul
On 3/3/07 2:34 PM, "Michael Dreimiller" mcd@dreimiller.com wrote:
I've got a Excel spreadsheet containing two columns of data - the first is a list of names and the second is plain text data associated with each name - that I would like to import into my MediaWiki database, creating articles for each name with the data in the second column as the content for each article. Is there a way to do an import like that? All I've been able to find is Special:Import which only works with the XML files created using Special:Export. I thought about reformatting my data in the XML format used by the Special:Export function but I don't know how I would handle some of the fields like ID and Revision ID which I assume are unique and automatically assigned.
-McD-
MediaWiki-l mailing list MediaWiki-l@lists.wikimedia.org http://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-l
Look in the maintenance directory. If you have command line access, ImportText.php and ImportDump.php are nicer than doing import through the web interface, IMHO. YMMV ===================================== Jim Hu Associate Professor Dept. of Biochemistry and Biophysics 2128 TAMU Texas A&M Univ. College Station, TX 77843-2128 979-862-4054
On Mar 3, 2007, at 2:51 PM, Paul Coghlan wrote:
McD
I have spent probably 30% of the past 2 weeks playing with Special:Import and large scale importing. I have managed to create @30k relatively complex interlinked pages all from Access. They include templates, categories, Gmap integration and more.
If you create a single sample page in MW and export it you will see the format expected at the point of Import. From that point forward it is simply a case of working out what is static (same for EVERY page) and what is dynamic (specific to each page). You can then arrange/export the data from Excel, interspersed with cells that contain the static data. Personally I find Access easier for this work but if you need more pointers or samples of the queries I have been using just shout.
When you commence the import process be sure to strip any problem characters FIRST. i.e. Replace any ampersands (&) with & etc. A failed import is a pain as it means you need to do some house work to see what went in Ok and what didn't. Cleanest thing to do is delete the import and do it again once you have removed the offending characters.
If you go for a large import (say >1.5MB) you will need to check the search_index table to ensure everything imported correctly. I have had several instances where I got too near to the 2MB mark when the Page table populated bu the search_index didn't. This means the pages are they but you cant find them!
Oh, by the way, the Revision_ID can be set to a fixed digit for all imports. I set all mine to 1 to show 1 revision (the import).
Good luck,
Paul
On 3/3/07 2:34 PM, "Michael Dreimiller" mcd@dreimiller.com wrote:
I've got a Excel spreadsheet containing two columns of data - the first is a list of names and the second is plain text data associated with each name - that I would like to import into my MediaWiki database, creating articles for each name with the data in the second column as the content for each article. Is there a way to do an import like that? All I've been able to find is Special:Import which only works with the XML files created using Special:Export. I thought about reformatting my data in the XML format used by the Special:Export function but I don't know how I would handle some of the fields like ID and Revision ID which I assume are unique and automatically assigned.
-McD-
MediaWiki-l mailing list MediaWiki-l@lists.wikimedia.org http://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-l
MediaWiki-l mailing list MediaWiki-l@lists.wikimedia.org http://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-l
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