Auto Fill
If the data you want gathered in forms comes from other sources (e.g.,
database, other system, survey, cloud service, ...), the auto-fill
feature can save you a lot of time. If you can get an extract of the
data in CSV format, then it only requires a bit of mapping.
Each form has a more button (3 vertical dots) which has an Auto
fill / Copy data from CSV... menu item. It opens a CSV import
wizard. Menu items are also provided for importing from API connectors,
task pipoelines, SQL databases and SPARQL endpoints.
If the filter to hide unused fields in on (by default it is), the first
page of the wizard suggests turning it off. Leaving it on will filter
the imported data to only use copy column values into fields that are
visible in the form (i.e., required or used in report). Click Next
to locate the CSV.
After selecting the CSV to import from, a table view of rows is
displayed. When one row is selected to import, the Next button
will become available.
The next page is where data mapping occurs. On the left side is a list
of CSV column names. On the right is a list of data fields from the
current form.
To map data values, click on a CSV column name on the left. Then click
on the corresponding data field on the right. This creates a mapping
line between the two which shows how data will be copied. Repeat until
all columns of interest are mapped. Remove lines by clicking on them and
pressing the Delete key.
When the mapping is all done, you have the option to save it to a
mapping file (*.nsmap). You can use mapping files to save steps during
auto fill in the future, or add one to the report so it is always
available in the form. Mapping commands can also be made conditional,
or used to transform copied values on the fly.
More information is provided in the Templates
user guide .
The CSV Import step-by-step
guide provides another view of the auto fill feature.