Skip to main content

Troubleshooting your Spreadsheet for Upload

  • Updated

For your initial hierarchy upload, you should send your spreadsheet to support@fairentry.com so that the Support Team can check over your spreadsheet and look for issues. Typically, we will do a test upload to make sure that the spreadsheet will upload successfully. The list below can help you troubleshoot prior to sending your spreadsheet.

Checking Technical Issues

  1. Sort your spreadsheet by department-division-class, and left-justify all of the columns. Look for places where the alphabetizing is “off”. That will help you find invisible spaces that have been entered before or after text. The program is very literal, and a space is a character. If you departments named “ Beef” and “Beef” in the department column, two separate departments (that look the same) will be created. Also check for:
    • Two spaces between the class number colon and the name.
    • Using the same number (within one division) for two classes.
    • Using the same name (within one division) for two classes.
    • Class numbers that appear “out of order” (like 1,10,11,12,2) – use leading zeros so that all of your class numbers (within the division) have the same number of digits (01,02,03…10,11, etc.)
  2. Division Types
    • One Division Type per Division.
    • Can ONLY use the 5 choices: Breeding Animal, Market Animal, Other Animal, Event, Static.
    • Division types must be spelled correctly: no “Breeding AnimalS” for example.
    • Capitalization also has to be exact.
  3. Colons
    • Colons can only be used in exactly one place on the spreadsheet: between the division ( or class) number and the division (or class) name.
    • There has to be exactly one space between the number and the name.
    • You cannot use a department number and colon. If you want to label a department with a number/letter, it has to be a part of the name without a colon: “Department A – Beef” for example.
  4. Columns/Rows
    • Row 1 must contain exactly the text on the template—not changing Class to Lot, for example.
    • All cells must contain data.
    • Column E must contain NO all the way down.
  5. Worksheet
    • IMPORTANT: If this is a multi-sheet workbook, the FIRST sheet will be the one that imports. If you create your departments on different sheets in the workbook, be sure that your entire hierarchy is listed on the first sheet; or better yet, create a separate Excel file with only one sheet, containing the entire hierarchy.

Error Messages with Upload - Remember, a hierarchy can only be uploaded (successfully) once. So if you try that upload, and it works, that is now your hierarchy--you cannot upload additional departments/divisions/classes.

  1. Invalid File Type XLS and XLSX are allowed
    • The wrong file was selected for upload—only Excel workbooks (XLS and XLSX) can be used.
    • The computer that you are using to upload does not have Excel installed on it. You should switch to a computer that does have Excel installed.
    • The version of the file (XLS or XLSX) must match the version of the program installed on the computer.
    • (Long-odds possibility) If your file IS Excel, it’s possible that your browser is not recognizing it because the extension (XLS and XLSX) is hidden. You can try using another browser, and you can also try saving the document again, being sure that the extension is included.
  2. Invalid Column Count
    • The sheet must include exactly 5 columns, and every cell in those columns must contain data. Look for empty cells, as well as data in column F.
    • Is your upload sheet the first sheet in the workbook? The first sheet is the one that will be uploaded.
    • If you have checked the first 2, you can copy columns A-E to a new worksheet (use the Copy/Paste Special-Values option), making sure it is now the first one in the workbook, and try again. If the new sheet doesn’t work, the problem is part of the first option.
  3. Missing Department/Division/Class
    • Look at column A/B/D—is there an empty cell?
    • Is there a slight misspelling in one of the entries (not all of them) in that column—different than the other rows in that same department? Sorting your spreadsheet by Department/Division/Class can help identify that.
  4. Division Type Mismatch
    • You have used two different “Division Types” for the same Division. Sorting the spreadsheet by Division may help you find that issue.
  5. Invalid Division Type
    • You have either misspelled one of the 5 division types, entered text that is not one of those 5 types (Breeding Animal, Market Animal, Other Animal, Static, Event), or you have capitalized it incorrectly. Sorting the spreadsheet by Division Type may help you find that issue.
  6. Invalid Division/Class Identifier
    • There is a colon used as part of a class or division name. The only place that a colon can be used in the spreadsheet is between the class/division number and name. Doing a “Find” for a colon will walk you through the spreadsheet, and you can check each one.
      • “203: Showmanship – Juniors” will work
      • “203: Showmanship: Juniors” will NOT work
  7. Invalid Class Synchronization Setting
    • If you are NOT a state fair that accepts entries promoted from a linked county fair (that also uses FairEntry), every cell in Column E must say “no”.
    • If you ARE a state fair accepting entries promoted through FairEntry, then you can use either “yes” or “no” in that column.
  8. Error Writing to Database
    • This nearly always refers to a class name that is too long. There is a "hard limit" of 200 characters, but since the entire hierarchy is going to print on cards/tags/reports, you are likely going to be very unhappy with the appearance of long class names. Keep the class names well under 50 characters, and use your fairbook or on-screen Content Blocks for the "rules" of the class.

Read more about hierarchy setup.

  1.  

Related articles

Powered by Zendesk