Add items to the tracker
Step | Details | Help Page |
1. Create the Tracker | Admin names the tracker, and assign overall parameters and permissions | Creating a Tracker |
2. Add fields to the Trackers | Admin defines the columns and type of information collected | Adding fields to a tracker |
3. Add items to the tracker | Users fill out the forms to create items in the tracker | YOU ARE HERE |
4. View or List the results | Use plugins to view a customized tracker output in a page | Viewing Tracker Results |
5. Assign Trackers to Groups | optional - trackers can also be used upon registration | Assigning Trackers to groups |
Once you have created the fields in trackers, you have defined what kind of data you want to collect - with items you are now collecting that data.
Creating the tracker and defining the fields are generally part of the configuration of a site, performed by the site admins - items, on the other hand are what you want the users (ok, who may also be the admins) to do. Therefore you may want to revisit how the assign permissions to groups settings are established, to ensure that the permissions create tracker items is given to the groups you intend to have using the tracker.
Once designed, the tracker can now be inserted into any wiki page (or article or blog?) using the PluginTracker. By default each tracker can be viewed at its own unique url, from the list trackers page. But if you want users to find it, better use the plugin.
Items can be inserted into a tracker either directly from the visualization of the tracker (tiki-view_tracker.php?trackerId=N), being N the identification number of the tracker (trackerId)
or from a Wiki page where PluginTracker has been included with appropriate syntax. For instance:
{TRACKER(trackerId=>1, fields=>7:8, action=>Add to Staff, showtitle=>y, showdesc=>y, showmandatory=>y, embedded=>y)} The item was added successfully. ''(Click to another link to continue, or go to [index.php|Home Page])''{TRACKER}
Would produce:
After inserted an item, this message would be show at the wiki page where the tracker plugin was placed:
Keep in mind that fields with an asterisk on their right hand side are compulsory.
This means that, if they are not filled, or they don't contain the proper data type (depending on how the tracker has been configured), when you want to insert the item in the tracker a message will appear showing which fields are missing to be properly completed, in order to submit your item to the tracker successfully.
Massive addition of items to a tracker
If you want a massive addition of items into a tracker, you can use the "Import CSV data" feature. It can be found at "Admin Tracker ":
Import New tracker with data from file
You can create a new tracker with items from a file (CSV file). All you need to do is click on the Manage Import-Export Format button. A new window will appear, and then you should click on the Create Tracker From File button.
Once the window appears, simply fill in the fields below with the correct information, and your tracker will be created with its data.
Import/Export data in existing Tracker
You can import/export data in your existing tracker by clicking on the Manage Import-Export Format button again as we did previously.
In the window that appears, you can click on the New button.
Here, you can define the structure of your import/export feature. First, you need to enter the name you want for your structure, then select the tracker where the data can come from or go to, and click on the Create button.
In the new window that will appear, you can specify whether you want the data to come or go in CSV format or JSON format, and fill in your other preferences.
And that's it—you’re ready to use the import/export feature!
Take note that the items will be added to the tracker, and if some of them were already present, they will be duplicated. So if you don't want to this to happen, remove the rows that you don't want to be duplicated.