The document discusses how to use Magento's ImportExport module to import products and customers via custom modules. It provides an overview of the import process and classes involved, including the import controller, import model, entity type model, source adapter, and import data resource model. It then describes how to build a custom source adapter to parse a custom CSV file format, create a cron job observer to trigger imports, and details the required source array format for products, including handling configurable products. The document aims to explain how developers can leverage the ImportExport module to build import functionality for their specific needs.

1. Using the new Import Module
How to use Magentos new ImportExport module in your custom modules
Imagine Conference, Feb. 2011 | Author: Vinai Kopp <vinai@netzarbeiter.com>

2. It's me!
Vinai Kopp
Magento Development since March 08
Magento Developer Training
Magento Consulting

3. Introducing the Players
Overview of the the classes used during the import process

4. The Controller
Mage_ImportExport_Adminhtml_ImportController
Purpose: Entry Point
Instantiates the Import Model and start Process

5. The Import Model
Mage_ImportExport_Model_Import
Purpose: Facade to the underlying import classes

6. The Entity Type Model
Mage_ImportExport_Model_Import_Entity_Product
Mage_ImportExport_Model_Import_Entity_Customer
Purpose: Build and execute SQL for imports, updates and deletes

7. The Source Adapter
Mage_ImportExport_Model_Import_Adapter_Csv
Purpose: Parse and access input data into arrays as expected by the
entity type model

8. Import Data Resource Model
Mage_ImportExport_Model_Mysql4_Import_Data
Purpose: Interface to the import data table

9. Product Type Import Models
Mage_ImportExport_Model_Import_Entity_Product_Type_*
Purpose: Build and execute product type specific SQL

10. The Import Process
Temporary Table
POINT OF ENTRY
Adminhtml IMPORT MODEL: ENTITY TYPE ADAPTER
Interface validateSource()
Magento
CLI
CronJob
DATA ARRAY
SOURCE ADAPTER
Document

11. The Import Process
POINT OF ENTRY
Adminhtml
Interface
Magento
CLI
CronJob
Temporary Table
IMPORT MODEL: ENTITY TYPE ADAPTER
importSource()
CATALOG
SQL TABLE
PRODUCT TYPE
IMPORT MODEL

12. How can I use that?
Import, Update or Delete Products and/or Customers

13. How can I use that?
Example: Cronjob catalog updates via custom CSV files
Custom CSV Fields:
sku, name, description, short_description, store_id, websites, weight, price, qty, color

14. Why a custom CSV file format?
sku media_gallery updated_at use_config_enable_qty_increments
_store meta_description url_key enable_qty_increments
_attribute_set meta_keyword url_path _links_related_sku
_type meta_title visibility _links_related_position
_category minimal_price weight _links_crosssell_sku
_product_websites name qty _links_crosssell_position
color news_from_dat min_qty _links_upsell_sku
cost news_to_date use_config_min_qty _links_upsell_position
created_at options_container is_qty_decimal _associated_sku
custom_design page_layout backorders _associated_default_qty
custom_design_from price use_config_backorders _associated_position
custom_design_to required_options min_sale_qty _tier_price_website
custom_layout_update short_description use_config_min_sale_qty _tier_price_customer_group
description small_image max_sale_qty _tier_price_qty
enable_googlecheckout small_image_label use_config_max_sale_qty _tier_price_price
gallery special_from_date is_in_stock _super_products_sku
gift_message_available special_price notify_stock_qty _super_attribute_code
has_options special_to_date use_config_notify_stock_qty _super_attribute_option
image status manage_stock _super_attribute_price_corr
image_label tax_class_id use_config_manage_stock
is_imported thumbnail use_config_qty_increments
manufacturer thumbnail_label qty_increments

15. Cronjob Catalog Updates
Step One: Build Source Adapter for custom CSV file
Step Two: Create Cron Observer

16. Specify a Custom Source Adapter
The Source Adapter Class is specified by the File Extension
Mage_ImportExport_Model_Import_Adapter_ . $type;
sourcefile.csv.custom to use Source Adapter
Mage/ImportExport/Model/Import/Adapter/Custom.php

17. The Source Adapter Interface
Extend Mage_ImportExport_Model_Import_Adapter_Abstract
Implements SeekableIterator Interface
Create rewind(), next() and seek() methods using _init() to setup data

18. The Source Adapter Interface
protected function _init()
Read source and build the same data structure like the core csv
adapter
The source array format can best be referenced by exporting some
products and looking at the first line in the resulting export file

19. The Source Array Format
sku media_gallery updated_at use_config_enable_qty_increments
_store meta_description url_key enable_qty_increments
_attribute_set meta_keyword url_path _links_related_sku
_type meta_title visibility _links_related_position
_category minimal_price weight _links_crosssell_sku
_product_websites name qty _links_crosssell_position
color news_from_dat min_qty _links_upsell_sku
cost news_to_date use_config_min_qty _links_upsell_position
created_at options_container is_qty_decimal _associated_sku
custom_design page_layout backorders _associated_default_qty
custom_design_from price use_config_backorders _associated_position
custom_design_to required_options min_sale_qty _tier_price_website
custom_layout_update short_description use_config_min_sale_qty _tier_price_customer_group
description small_image max_sale_qty _tier_price_qty
enable_googlecheckout small_image_label use_config_max_sale_qty _tier_price_price
gallery special_from_date is_in_stock _super_products_sku
gift_message_available special_price notify_stock_qty _super_attribute_code
has_options special_to_date use_config_notify_stock_qty _super_attribute_option
image status manage_stock _super_attribute_price_corr
image_label tax_class_id use_config_manage_stock
is_imported thumbnail use_config_qty_increments
manufacturer thumbnail_label qty_increments

20. Product Import Source Array
Configurable Products
_super_products_sku
_super_attribute_code
_super_attribute_option
_super_attribute_price_corr
... 0,1,0.0000,1,1,,1,0,1,1,0.0000,1,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Cyan,manufacturer,Pear,100.0000
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Indigo,color,Cyan,5.0000
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Mauve,,,
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Pink,,,
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Peach-Cyan,,,

21. Product Import Source Array
Configurable Products
One row for every associated simple product in
addition to record for the simple product itself
_super_products_sku
... 0,1,0.0000,1,1,,1,0,1,1,0.0000,1,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Cyan,manufacturer,Pear,100.0000
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Indigo,color,Cyan,5.0000
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Mauve,,,
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Pink,,,
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Peach-Cyan,,,

22. Product Import Source Array
Configurable Products
One row for every associated simple product attribute
_super_attribute_code
... 0,1,0.0000,1,1,,1,0,1,1,0.0000,1,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Cyan,manufacturer,Pear,100.0000
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Indigo,color,Cyan,5.0000
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Mauve,,,
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Pink,,,
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Peach-Cyan,,,

23. Product Import Source Array
Configurable Products
One row for every attribute with a price update
_super_products_price_corr
... 0,1,0.0000,1,1,,1,0,1,1,0.0000,1,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Cyan,manufacturer,Pear,100.0000
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Indigo,color,Cyan,5.0000
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Mauve,,,
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Pink,,,
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Peach-Cyan,,,
_super_attribute_option

24. Product Import Source Array
Configurable Products
_super_products_sku and _super_attribute_option
do not (have to) correspond
... 0,1,0.0000,1,1,,1,0,1,1,0.0000,1,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Cyan,manufacturer,Pear,100.0000
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Indigo,color,Cyan,5.0000
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Mauve,,,
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Pear-Pink,,,
... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,sku-Peach-Cyan,,,

25. Product Import Source Array
Custom Options
_custom_option_store
_custom_option_type
_custom_option_title
_custom_option_is_required
_custom_option_price
_custom_option_sku
_custom_option_max_characters
_custom_option_sort_order
_custom_option_row_title
_custom_option_row_price
_custom_option_row_sku
_custom_option_row_sort

26. Implementation of the Source
Adapter
Implement SeekableIterator Interface
seek(), current(), next(), rewind(), key(), valid()
All except next(), rewind() and seek() are implemented in the abstract
class Mage_ImportExport_Model_Import_Adapter_Abstract
The core CSV Adapter is a good implementation reference

27. Trigger Import
Cron Observer which wrapps the Import Model calls to
validateSource(), importSource() and invalidateIndex()

28. Trigger Import
Cron Observer which wrapps the Import Model calls to
validateSource(), importSource() and invalidateIndex()

29. Other possibilities
Anything that gets product data into Magento in bulk operations, e.g.
XML Files
REST Request with product data in payload
Unix domain sockets

30. Conclusion
Mage_ImportExport fills an important gap!
Usable with technical knowledge because of the complex array
format
Couple of smallish bugs, but it's going places :]

31. Links
Sample Code: http://bit.ly/haCGWI
PDF of the Slides: http://bit.ly/i0eiI7
uRapidFlow: http://www.unirgy.com/products/urapidflow/

32. /me is happy to hear from you
vinai@netzarbeiter.com :: @VinaiKopp
Thank you @riconeitzel for all the time and for making this look good!
Thanks to Magento!