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Import Sacrament Information

To use this process, you must first import your family data and member data.

Before you import sacrament information, make sure your file contains a value that connects the sacrament information to the member. This is the value you selected during the Member Import process for the Member Key field.

How this process works: Once you identify the .csv file, you will match the values in that file with your PDS Office program fields. There are a few required fields, but other than that, you only have to enter information for the data you want to import into your program. No data is imported until you click Begin Import on the final tab. Your selections are automatically saved on each tab, so you can come back to this process at another time if needed.

You can use the Import Sacrament Information process to import existing sacrament data from one or more .csv files into your PDS Office program.

  1. On the File menu, click Import Data > Import Sacrament Information.
  2. The backup dialog box displays if you haven't performed a daily backup.
    CAUTION: This process alters data. We recommend backing up your data before proceeding.
  3. The Add Sacramental Date Info dialog box displays. On the File Information tab, click Browse to locate the .csv file. After you select a file and click Open, your data displays.
    Note: We strongly recommend that you include field names/headers so it's easier to select the corresponding value from the drop-down lists on other tabs.
  4. On the Keys/Birth Info tab, select the appropriate values from the drop-down lists. For more information about fields on these tabs, refer to the related topic "Sacrament Import Field Information".
    Note: If you have existing information in PDS and want to update or override that information with the data in your .csv file, select Advanced Options and adjust the settings on the Key/Env/ID Number and Keywords/Remarks tabs.
  5. Each Sac tab represents a different sacrament. On each tab, select a sacrament and its appropriate values.
  6. On the final tab, before you import your data, click Pre-Import Data Check. This creates a file called "PreImportSacImportReport.txt" in the program's data folder.
  7. Scroll through the items you're going to import to see if you need to make any adjustments.
  8. When you're ready to import the data into your PDS Office program, click Begin Import.
  9. Once the import is complete, a summary displays. This creates a file named "SacImportReport.txt" in the program's data folder.
  10. When you're done, click Finish.

You can also import sacrament information for non-members or members who no longer attend using the Import Sacramental Register Information process.