How to Export and Import Data | Latner Software Documentation

Exporting and importing data lets you pull records out of Latner as a spreadsheet and push bulk changes back in, so you can review information offline or make large updates without editing records one at a time.

Overview

Sometimes it is quicker to work with a whole module at once - a full list of your equipment, customers or rental rates - than to open each record in turn. The Export & Import Data screen lets you do exactly that, and a few list screens add their own one-click download for the grid you are looking at.

Export generates a CSV file of every record in a chosen table, ready to open in Excel or Google Sheets.
Import reads a CSV file back into Latner to create new records or update existing ones in bulk.
Both run in the background, and each attempt is kept in a history list with its status and a link to the file that was produced or uploaded.
Latner works with CSV UTF-8 files only. There is no separate blank template - you export a table first to get the exact column headings, then edit and re-import.
Many list screens also carry a dedicated Download button that saves the current grid as CSV, and some records offer Generate PDF options.

Before You Begin

Exporting and importing are controlled by permissions. You will need the following on your permission group.

Requirement	Where to Find It
Export & Import screen permission	Grants access to the screen itself. Set in Security › Configuration under your permission group.
Export Data permission	Allows you to run exports. Set in Security › Configuration.
Import Data permission	Allows you to upload and run imports. Set in Security › Configuration.

Open the screen from Security › Export & Import Data. It has two tabs - Export and Import - each listing the history of what has been run.

The Export & Import Data screen, with separate Export and Import history tabs

Always export before you import. The export gives you a file whose column headings exactly match what Latner expects, so you can edit it and send it straight back. A file with the wrong or missing headings will be rejected.

Exporting Data

Step 1 - Open the Export dialog

On the Export & Import Data screen, open the Options menu (top right) and choose Export Data.

The Options menu offers Export Data and Import Data

Step 2 - Choose a table and start the export

Pick the module you want from the Table dropdown - for example Equipment, Customers, Rental Rates or Suppliers. Some tables show extra options (such as a date range or a specific customer) so you can narrow what is exported. Click Save to start. You will see a Data Export Started confirmation.

Table - the module to export. This is the only required field.

The Export dialog - the Table dropdown lists every module you can export

Step 3 - Download the file

The export runs in the background and appears at the top of the Export tab. When its Status reads Complete, click Download on that row to save the CSV. Use the refresh button if the status still shows Pending.

A completed export - the new row shows a row count, a Complete status and a Download link

Importing Data

An import can change a large number of records at once and there is no single undo. Check your file carefully first, and for large or unfamiliar imports raise a ticket with Latner Support before you run it, so someone can confirm the file is safe.

Step 1 - Prepare your file

Start from an export of the same table (see above) so your headings are correct. Edit the rows in your spreadsheet, then save as CSV UTF-8. How the ID column is filled in decides what happens:

Creating new records - leave the ID column blank. Latner generates the ID for you.
Updating existing records - keep the ID from the export in place, so Latner knows which record each row belongs to.

Step 2 - Open the Import dialog and upload

Open the Options menu and choose Import Data. In the Import CSV UTF-8 File dialog, pick the matching Table, then click Add CSV UTF-8 File to attach your file. Click Save to start - you will see a Data Import Started confirmation.

Table - must match the table your file was exported from.
File Upload - a single CSV UTF-8 file. Other file types are not accepted.

The Import dialog - choose a Table and attach a CSV UTF-8 file

Step 3 - Check the result

Switch to the Import tab. Your import appears at the top with a Status of Complete or Failed, the number of rows processed, and a Download link to the file you uploaded.

The Import history tab, showing each upload's row count and status

If an import shows Failed, click the status to open the Import Error dialog. It names the row number and the problem - for example a date that is not in YYYY-MM-DD format. Fix the file and import it again.

The Import Error dialog pinpoints the row and field that caused the failure

Downloading From a List Screen

You do not always need the Export & Import Data screen. Many list screens - such as Equipment, Customers and Stock - have their own Download button in the table toolbar that saves the grid you are viewing (with your current filters and columns) as a CSV. Separately, records like rental quotes, rental contracts and transport dockets offer Generate PDF options that produce a printable document you can download from the record.

The Equipment list - the Download button in the toolbar exports the current grid as CSV

After Export or Import

Exports and imports are listed permanently in their tabs, each with the date, who ran it, the table, the row count and a link to the file.
A completed import writes straight to your live data - new records appear in their module immediately, and updated records show the new values.

FAQs

Can I upload an Excel (.xlsx) file?

No. Latner reads CSV UTF-8 files only, for both export and import. In Excel or Google Sheets use Save As (or Download) and choose CSV UTF-8 before importing.

Is there a blank template I can fill in?

There is no separate template. Export the table you want first - the exported file has the exact column headings Latner needs. Edit that file and import it back.

How do I update existing records instead of creating new ones?

Keep the ID column from the export populated. Latner uses the ID to find and update the matching record. Rows with a blank ID are treated as new records.

My import shows Failed - how do I find out why?

On the Import tab, click the Failed status. The Import Error dialog names the row number and the exact problem (for example a wrongly formatted date). Correct that row in your file and import again.

The Export & Import Data option is missing from my Security menu. Why?

The screen needs the Export & Import screen permission, and exporting or importing needs the Export Data / Import Data permissions. Ask an administrator to add them to your permission group in Security › Configuration.

Can I export only part of a module?

For some tables the Export dialog offers extra options - such as a date range or a particular customer - so you can narrow the export. Where no such option appears, the export includes all records for that table.

I only want to download the grid I am looking at. Do I have to use this screen?

No. Many list screens have a Download button in the toolbar that saves the current grid as CSV, honouring your filters and visible columns. Use the Export & Import Data screen when you want a full table or intend to edit and re-import it.