Data export from custom fields

[erika]

Hi, 

I am not able to export the actual data from my custom fields via the open in excel button. I need to use the CSV, which is not helpful because for every new field and every project there is a different column, hence if you trying to export data across multiple projects you need to merge the data from multiple columns into one and that is every time consuming if you do that for all for the whole year 2021 as an example. Please do something about this. 

Thanks

Erika

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I am not sure that I understand the problem.  I can't see anything wrong with the CSV export (which gives me data I can open in excel in the same shape that the "open in excel" button gives me)

It sounds to me like your people are using different fields to store the same data in different projects.  When you do an export/download that goes across projects, then of course it will export each field separately.   Is that the problem?  

[erika]

Hi Nic,

It's the system that exports the data from the same field across different projects to different columns. It poses a problem when you trying to export multiple thousands of data and then have to put them under one column so that I can play with the data. 

Erika

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I am sorry, I still do not understand.

Are you saying that you are using different fields in different projects and then expecting the export to know how to merge them all?

[erika]

Hi Nic,

I am not able to add any screenshot to this comment for some reason to illustrate the problem to you. As an example, we have a custom field "work time". When exporting reports across various projects to CSV work time for client 1 is in column A, work time for client 2 is in column B. If I want to run any type of reporting I need to merge these data from various columns into one. Hope that this clarifies it. 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I don't think I needed a screenshot, just the new description has triggered a thought.

For fields to come out in different columns, they need to be different fields.  I am pretty sure you have set up your projects to use different fields.  All called "work time", sure, but different fields.

You can easily do this by duplicating custom fields, but that has to be done deliberately, your admin has to think about it.  

The other way to do it is by using "team managed projects" - if you add a field to one of these, then it is a field that belongs to that project.  If you fire up a second TMP and add a field called "work time" to it, it is not the same field as the one in the first project.

I suspect your report is looking at issues from several team-managed projects that each have their own "work time" field.

I'm afraid there is nothing you can do about this.  (It is one of the reasons I tell any organisation larger than 3 teams not to use them, ideally turning them off - they can't be reported on usefully)