Once you have
created a list, there are a variety of options for populating it, designed to suit different kinds of list and varying complexity of data entry. Note that you can also
simultaneously create a new list and populate it from a spreadsheet. This topic covers populating an existing list.
In each case, you can open the list by selecting
(Admin) > Manage Lists and clicking the list name. If your folder includes a
Lists web part, you can click the list name directly there.
Insert Single Rows
One option for simple lists is to add a single row at a time:
- Select (Insert data) > Insert new row.
- Enter the values for each column in the list.
Import Bulk Data
You can also import multiple rows at once by uploading a file or copy/pasting text. To ensure the format is compatible, particularly for complex lists, you can first download a template, then populate it with your data prior to upload.
Copy/Paste Text
- Select (Insert data) > Import bulk data.
- Click Download Template to obtain a template for your list that you can fill out.
- Copy and paste the spreadsheet contents into the text box, including the header row. Using our "Technicians" list example, you can copy and paste this spreadsheet:
| First Name | Last Name | ID |
|---|
| Jane | Doe | 2 |
| John | Smith | 3 |
- Click Submit.
- The pasted rows will be added to the list.
Upload File
Another way to upload data is to directly upload an .xlsx, .xls, .csv, or .txt file containing data.
- Again select (Insert data) > Import bulk data.
- Using Download Template to create the file you will populate can ensure the format will match.
- Click the Upload file (.xlsx, .xls, .csv., .txt) section heading to open it.
- Use Browse or Choose File to select the File to Import.
- Click Submit.
Import Lookups By Alternate Key
When importing data into a list, either by copy paste or from a file, you can use the checkbox to
Import Lookups by Alternate Key. This allows lookup target rows to be resolved by values other than the target's primary key. It will only be available for lookups that are configured with unique column information. For example, tables in the "samples" schema (representing
Sample Types) use the RowId column as their primary key, but their Name column is guaranteed to be unique as well. Imported data can use either the primary key value (RowId) or the unique column value (Name). This is only supported for single-column unique indices. See
Import Samples.
View the List
Your list is now populated. You can see the contents of the list by clicking on the name of the list in the
Lists web part. An
example:
Hovering over a row will reveal icon buttons in the first column:
- : Edit the list item details
- : View details about the list item.
Related Topics
