Overview
While building an export, you will have simple mappings where you are exporting a text field, First Name is a great example, but you will also have advanced mappings where you are trying to export a dropdown field with a specific code recognized by your Student Information System. When mapping to dropdown, checkbox, radio, and date field types, there are extra steps you can take to format the data on its way out. Also, some fields may need to be scoped to certain objects like applications and milestones since records can have multiple applications and milestones.
Accessing Column Setting Options for Imports
Within the export task you are working on, once you have mapped the fields you want to add to your export, the column’s settings will show up under the 
more button.
Column Setting Options for Imports
Transformations: Telling exports how to format the data, and transform the data as needed.
Validations: Ensuring data meets certain criteria before being exported.
Empty Values: Telling the export what to do with the blank cells.
Scope: Defining what the column is related to, such as an application or milestone.
Transformations
Transformations allow you to perform basic changes to the data in your file and tell the export what format to send a field over, like whether to send the code or label on a dropdown field. Basic transformations include the following:
Uppercase: All alpha characters will be changed to uppercase
Lowercase: All alpha characters will be changed to lowercase
Titlecase: Capitalize the first letter of each word in a string
UCFirst: Capitalize the first letter of an entire string
Trim: Remove any leading or trailing spaces from a field
Append: Add characters to the beginning of a field
Prepend: Add characters to the end of a field
Replace: Replace a string with another string
Substring: Extract a set of characters from within the middle of a field
To set up basic transformation:
Click on the
more button and click Settings.Navigate to the Transformation tab and + Add transformation type
Select the Transformation and click Done
System Mapping
System Mapping will show as an option on the Transformation tab when you are exporting dropdown, checkbox, and radio field types. This transformation will let you export data as different formats like codes, labels, Guids, and more. To set up the System Mapping:
Click on the
more button and click Settings.Click the pencil icon on the Transformation tab.
Set the Represent As field to whatever format you want the field to export as. Not sure what option to pick? Refer to your Field Management to see what data source is being used in that field.
Check the Enabled box to make the transformation active.
Format Date
Format Date will show as an option on the Transformation tab when you are exporting a date field. The default date/time format is 2018-10-09 19:37:58, however, changing this format is relatively straightforward. To set up the Format Date Settings:
Click on the
more button and click Settings.Navigate to the Transformations tab.
Select the Date Format that you would like the date exported as. The date formats are associated to PHP date formats.
Check the Use configured client timezone if you are wanting Element451 to export the datetime in your timezone. The default is UTC.
Validations
Validations are a way to set up requirements on your export on specific fields. Here are the validations available to you within Element451:
Required: Make this field required on an import
Letter Only: Ensure this field contains only alpha values
Email: Ensure the field is in a recognizable email format (@element451.com)
Maximum Length: Sets the maximum number of characters that can be entered into this field
Minimum Length: Sets the minimum number of characters that can be entered into this field
Between Lengths: Sets a minimum and maximum number of characters that can be entered into this field
After Date: Ensure this field is after a certain date
Before Date: Ensure this field is before a certain date
To set up the Validation Settings:
Click on the
more button and click Settings.Navigate to the Validations tab.
Empty Values
Empty Values are a way to tell the system to do something when it comes across an empty cell. Here are the empty value actions you may see within Element451:
Export It: Exports as is
Don’t Export It: Does not put anything in the field
Fill with null: Inserts null in the field
Fill with empty string: Inserts an empty string
Fill with current date and time: Inserts the current date and time into the date field
To set up the Empty Value Settings:
Click on the
more button and click Settings.Navigate to the Empty values tab.
Scoping
When exporting certain data fields that students can have multiples of, applications, milestones, schools, test scores, it may be necessary to clarify what application type to extract from, what test score type to extract the math score from, and so forth. To set up the Scope Settings:
Click on the
more button and click Settings.All fields that need to be set up will show on the Scope tab.