Importing Chronologies from Excel/CSV

Importing chronology events from an Excel or CSV file provides a faster and more efficient alternative to creating events manually. The Opus 2 Platform supports structured imports where spreadsheet columns are mapped to Chronology worksheet fields.

For best results, spreadsheet column headings should match the Chronology worksheet field names exactly. Where headings do not match, users can manually map columns during the import process. The import process includes validation to highlight missing or invalid data before records are created.

Preparing the spreadsheet

• Create an Excel or CSV file containing your chronology events.
• Use column headings that match the Chronology worksheet fields wherever possible. 
• Ensure any fields that link to other worksheets (for example, Characters or Organisations) use values that already exist in those worksheets. 

Importing chronology events

1. Navigate to the Chronology worksheet.
2. Select Manage ->Import items
3. Upload the Excel or CSV file. 

Matching column headings

• If column headings match worksheet fields exactly, fields will be mapped automatically. 
• If they do not match:
  1. Use the dropdown menu beneath each column heading.
  2. Select the correct Chronology worksheet field to map that column.

Reviewing validation warnings

During import:

• Any invalid data or missing required fields are flagged for review.
• Fields linking to other worksheets (such as Characters or Organisations) are validated against existing records.
  • If a referenced record does not exist, the field is flagged.
  • Continuing the import will leave that field blank rather than creating a new linked record.

This ensures data integrity and maintains connectivity between worksheets.

Completing the import

1. Review any warnings or mapping issues.
2. Proceed with the import once satisfied with the field matching.
3. The valid data is imported into the Chronology worksheet.

Note:
The Chron‑ID field is automatically generated by the system and is unique to each chronology record. It should not be included or modified in import files.