Preloading Data
Overview
In certain scenarios it is necessary to preload devices with some data (such as list of households to visit) before the investigators go out to the field. When the data need to be brought back into Epi Info 7, it is also important to ensure referential integrity (matching GlobalRecordID's and foreign keys) so that the correct records are updated on the desktop. The following process was put in place to accommodate these kinds of scenarios.
Note: This functionality is intended for seeding few columns of data only and not designed to facilitate continuous integration of data between desktop and mobile. Furthermore, when data is loaded onto the device, it is considered an
INSERT operation only.
Step 1
Using Epi Info 7's Classic Analysis, export your form's data as a "Flat ASCII File". Ensure that the file name matches the form name on Android and has a ".csv" extension.
Note: If you are selectively exporting only certain variables,
GlobalRecordId must be one of the variables selected.
Step 2
Copy the CSV file to the device's "Download\EpiInfo\Preload" folder.
That's it!
Once you start the app, it will automatically import data from every CSV file to its corresponding form/database of the same name. The GlobalRecordId's are persisted during this import so that the data collected/updated in the field can be brought back into Epi Info 7 safely.
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