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Dynamic import

This topic introduces the Dynamic Import tool, which you use to import documents into the Contenta hierarchy and database.

Overview

To successfully import files into Contenta using the Dynamic Import tool, you must know the names of, and uses for, your map files.

  • Files with a .map filename extension contain rules that map structured document elements to Contenta objects.

    Structured documents are imported as several objects based on the element-to-Contenta object relationship defined in the map file.

    Map files are used to split the document (based on the mappings) and create the components that are to be imported.

  • Files with a .dim (Dynamic Import map) filename extension contain mappings for single file imports such as non-structured text documents, graphics, PDF files and other data files, each file being imported into its own object. The mappings in the .dim file associate filename extensions to Contenta object types. Files in sub-directories may or may not be imported depending on the rules in the .dim file.

    You can also use the .dim file to import a hierarchy of directories on your system as container objects, and the files as single data objects. The directory structure should be maintained in a hierarchy in Contenta. Whether the folder hierarchy is maintained during import depends on a setting in the .dim file which is controlled by Dynamic Import run from Contenta Explorer. In the Dynamic Import GUI, click on the File Import tab. In middle of the screen you will see Handle subdirectories: Under this description you see radio button control for ignore, flatten and create. If you select create you should specify what type of object to create to represent the directories in the Contenta hierarchy. The field to the right of the create option is where you specify object type. The ignore option means do not import subdirectories. The flatten option indicates that you want all of the files in the directory hierarchy to go in one Contenta container object as its children.

The SysAdmin will set up and configure Dynamic Import on the web server to import the various document types and file types that their site will need to import. SysAdmin will provide information regarding the .map and .dim files to the Contenta Web users. The Contenta Web User will need to know which maps to use with which doctypes when importing structured documents using Tag Mapped approach. The Contenta Web user will need to know which .dim file to use when importing files like graphics and PDFs. They will also need to know where in their Contenta hierarchy they should run Contenta Web Dynamic Import.

Import options

Choose from the following Dynamic Import options:
OptionUse
File mappedUse this option to import files, each into its own Contenta object, created during the import process specifically to store the given file. If you select File Mapped, you must indicate the location of the files to be imported. Each file is imported into an object type that has been associated with the file's extension. The System Administrator (SysAdmin) or Project Manager (ProjMan) can configure the file extension-object type association in the simple.dim map file or he may create a new dim (Dynamic Import map) file that can be selected by the user.
Tag-mappedUse the Applet's browse dialog box to navigate to the directory containing the document file, select the document file, and then click OK. Use this option to import a structured document into a hierarchy of Contenta CompoundAscii-based objects, as defined by the map file you select. If you select Tag-Mapped, you must indicate the XML or SGML file name and location. The file is imported into the objects that have been mapped to the element tags in the document. The import requires that you select a map file. This is the file that maps the document's element tags to Contenta object types.
Tag-mapped with file entitiesUse this option to import a master SGML/XML file and a set of SGML/XML file entities that comprise a single document. The element name determines object type. Data is split and imported into new objects based on elements (tags) specified in the map file.

Map files

The map file is read by Dynamic Import when you import a structured document into a Contenta hierarchy. It contains associations (or maps) between a subset of the structured document's element tags and Contenta object types. During import, the Contenta object of the type specified in the map file is created and the element mapped to the given type is imported into the object.

Map files may also contain information that enables Dynamic Import to automatically populate the object's property sheet fields and create and populate the object's attribute list.