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Import Member Information

Member Import Field Information

Key/ID Number

Family Key
This value connects the member to a family record. This value should be the same Family Key value you selected in the Import Family Information process.
Member Key
This value differentiates member records from one another. For example, if your previous program had a field called "Member ID" that assigned a number to each member, select that value here. This value must be unique to each member. If your import file doesn't have this information, you must create a separate field in the file and assign a unique value to each record.
Member ID Number
If your import file has a value that represents a unique member number, select that value here. This number cannot be the same as the Family ID Number.
Member is Active/Inactive
Only Yes/No/True/False values are recognized. You must select either Yes or True means Active or Yes or True means Inactive, depending on how you used your previous field.
Advanced Options
Tip: If you don't have any data in your PDS Office program, you do not need to use Advanced Options.
When selected, the following advanced options display in the window:
  • Add New Records—Imports all data as new records. If you have no existing data in your PDS Office program, select this option.
  • Update Current Data ONLY - Do not add new members—If you have data in your PDS Office program and only want to update that existing data, select this option.
    CAUTION: If your import file contains records that already exist in your program and you don't select this option, duplicate records are created.
  • Update Current Data and ADD New Member record if Member Key not found—If you have data in your PDS Office program and your import file contains updated information as well as new information, select this option. A new record is added if the family/member key isn't found.
If your import file contains information that you want to add to the existing data in your Office program, you must match the values in the file with the record in PDS. Select an option to indicate which value you want matched with existing PDS records:
  • Use the Family Import Key to match members to families—Match members to family records using the value you selected as the Family Key.
  • Use the Family ID Number to match members to families—During the Import Family Information process, if you selected Use the PDS Fam ID Number to match families, select this option when importing member data.
  • Use the PDS Family Unique ID Number (exported from PDS) to match members to families—Match members to family records using the unique, internal number Fam Unique ID assigned to each family by PDS. If you select this option, you must use an export report with the Family Unique ID field as your import file.
Select an option to indicate what value you want matched with existing PDS member records:
  • Use the Member Import Key to update members—Update member records using the value you selected as the Member Key.
  • Use Member ID number to update members—Update member records using the value you select as the Member ID Number.
  • Use the PDS Member Unique ID Number (exported from PDS) to update—Update member records using the unique, internal number Mem Unique ID assigned to each member by PDS. If you select this option, you must use an export report with the Member Unique ID field as your import file.

Name/Details

Birth Date and Deceased Date
Only dates formatted as MM/DD/YYYY are recognized.

User Keywords

If your previous program contained user-defined keyword lists, you can import them. The first three keywords are already defined in PDS Office programs. Select the corresponding values for Religion, Special Needs, and Occupation in the drop-down lists.

Screen Labels and Data
Under Screen Labels, enter the keyword list name that exists in your program. For example, if your previous program had keywords for school district, in one of the keyword fields, enter "School District". Then, in the Data drop-down list, select the corresponding value.

Phone/Email

Default Area Code
Enter a default area code for any imported records that don't contain the area code information.
Phone 1, Phone 2, and Phone 3
Each Phone section represents a type of phone number. For example, Phone 1 can represent a member's home phone number, Phone 2 can represent a cell phone number, and Phone 3 can represent a fax number.
Unlisted
Only Yes/No/True/False values are recognized.
Description
Select a value from either the first Description drop-down list or the second one based on the following:
  • From Import File—If your import file has separate columns for each type of phone number, select the value from the first Description drop-down list. For example, if you want the Phone 1 section to represent the member's home phone, from the first drop-down list, select the value that corresponds to the home phone number.
  • From PDS List—If you have phone description keywords set up in PDS Office, select the value from the second Description drop-down list.
Email 1, Email 2, and Email 3
Each Email section represents a type of email address. For example, Email 1 can represent a member's business email, Email 2 can represent a personal email, and so on.
Type
Type If your import file has separate values for each type of email address, select the value from the first Type drop-down list. Otherwise, if you have email type keywords set up in your PDS Office program, select the value from the second Type drop-down list.

Keywords/Remarks

Member Keywords
If you have a member keyword field with a Yes/No/True/False value, you must enter a corresponding description. For example, if "Yes" describes a school member, then enter "School Member" in the Description field. This way, a keyword of "School Member: Yes" or "School Member: No" imports into your PDS Office program. The Description field is limited to 31 characters.
Member Pictures
Make sure that the picture file is in the appropriate folder in order for it to display in your PDS Office program. We recommend that you store picture files in a shared folder, such as X:\PDSOffice\Pictures.
Advanced Options
Tip: If you don't have any data in your PDS Office program, you do not need to use Advanced Options.
When selected, the following advanced options display in the window:
  • Add to existing remarks—Keeps any existing remarks, and adds any remarks from your import file.
  • Replace current remarks with this content—Removes any existing remarks, and adds the remarks from your import file.
  • Replace current remarks OR delete current remarks—If your import file contains remarks, they replace the existing remarks in the program. If your file doesn't contain remarks, the existing remarks in the program are deleted.
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Last updated: October 29, 2024

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