This page created 28 Dec 2007
Version note: Applies to TMG 8 & 9
The Export / Import feature for Source Types provides a simple way to copy customized Source Types from one Data Set or Project to another. It also provides a means for users to share custom Source Types with other users. The process is similar to that used to export and import Tag Types, though with a few differences. That feature is described in my article on Exporting and Importing Tag Types.
The first step in exporting Source Types is to open the Source Types screen, and click the Export button to begin the export process.
The Export Source Types screen opens, in which we can specify that all Source Types are to be included, or select the specific ones.
Here we are selecting some custom Source Types to be exported. We could use the Mark and Unmark buttons, or double-click on the items we want to select or unselect. When we have made our selections we click the Export button.
The selected Source Types will be copied into a file, so we have to give that file a name in the Export screen:
We can enter any descriptive name. The file will be saved by default in the Exports folder, under the folder in which Projects are stored. But we can choose a different location with the Save In drop-down at the top of the screen. When we Click the Save button, a dialog box notifies us that the file is successfully saved.
The Source Types can then be imported into another Data Set or Project, or sent to another TMG user if desired.
We start the import process by clicking the Import button on the Source Types screen, visible in the first screenshot above. This opens the Import screen:
We select the file containing our exported Source Types, and click the Open button, which opens a second Import screen:
This screen allows us to add a prefix to the names of each Source Type we import. We might want to do this, for example, if we were importing a group of Source Types from another researcher, to distinguish them from similarly named Source Types already present in our Data Set. To add the prefix, click the checkbox and type in the desired prefix.
After we click the OK button a dialog opens reporting that the Source Types were successfully imported. The new Source Types will now be listed in the Source Types screen, ready for use. They can now be used for new Sources we might add, or we can modify existing Sources so they use the new Source Types.
If any of the Source Types contained in the file we are importing have the same name as existing Source Types present in our Data Set (including the prefix added as above, if any), a third Import screen opens:
In this screen we specify what to do with Source Types in the file that have the same names as existing Source Types. Choices are:
After you have made your selection, click Continue to finish the import.
The imported Source Types may use custom Source Elements. If so, the custom Elements are created in the Data Set. If custom Elements with the same names already exist in the Data Set but in a different Source Element Group, the new Elements will have a number added to their names to distinguish them from the preexisting ones.
See my article Working with Source Elements and Groups for more on custom Source Elements.
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