(From Darren Gibbons via email):

I think it would make a lot of sense to include CSV import as a general import option, along with XML and Bugzilla. XML is useful only for moving Jira installations, and the Bugzilla import is clever, but only useful for a subset of customers. The easier you can get people to migrate content into your system, the easier they can adopt it.

Here's how I think the CSV import tool could be improved:

• Define a strict CSV import format. The existing one has a number of fields that are not being used at all and should be dropped. The format of the data should be strictly defined – it's easy enough to massage data from external systems in Excel to match what the CSV import expects. For example, all users, statuses and priorities used in the CSV import must be set up in Jira first. Define the date format (eg MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM::SS) and enforce it.

• The importer should scan the data first to make sure it is valid. If there is any problems at all with the data, the import should fail. Sample checks:
• Check for empty fields in non-nullable columns
• Check for valid statuses priorities, etc.
• Check for valid dates.

• The import functionality should be accessible from the administration interface. The import should work for one project at a time (i.e. a "CSV Import Wizard" that takes the project to be imported in as the first parameter).

Also, for some reason, sometimes the import fails with a "Passed Collection with no Elements Error". I'll reload the jsp script, and get the error again, but if I 'touch' the csv file being imported, it goes away. Odd. Was never able to track down the cause of this one.

Anyways, I think with a bit of effort, the existing CSV import could be a very useful addition to an already great tool.

If you can help me getting my data into the system, you'll be seeing a new
purchase coming very soon

Thanks,

Darren.