Mighty Populator Upload Engine

HOW TO USE POPULATOR

Populator allows you to add items to your PopShop offline and then upload them with a few clicks of your mighty mouse. Just download the new handy Microsoft Access database template (approx. 106 KB), enter up to 500 items, and then upload the database to us, using the form below. Please note: Microsoft Access version 7.0 or newer is required to use the Populator.

Some points to note:

You must be a bona fide registered PopShopkeeper. If you haven't joined yet, you can do it here!

You can only upload a valid Populator file (download one to your computer by clicking the link above).

You can't upload more than 500 items per file. If you have files with more than 500 records which you would like us to help you with, please contact the ever-cheerful gnomes who constitute staff@popula.com

It may take a while for your stuff to appear -- please be patient!

Check the list below to make sure all your entries are correct. Once in a while, you'll have errors for one reason or another. Check your e-mail to see the results of your upload -- if there are any errors, it will list them for you (up to 25 per file).

See Private Eye for your current account status.

When you click "Download Populator", above, you'll receive an Access file called "populator.mdb". You can re-name it however you like when you save it to your drive (as long as it has the .mdb extension). It's best to download a fresh file each time you want to list new stuff; or, keep an empty copy of the Populator somewhere safe, and copy it fresh each time you want to upload. Otherwise, you might accidentally duplicate your listings. Once a Populator file has been uploaded to Popula, make sure to delete it or file it away (see Notes on Saving below); and -- I know I already said this, but! -- please make sure to use a fresh copy of the Populator for your next upload.

After you've downloaded and saved the populator.mdb file:

Make a copy and save it somewhere safe, for future use.
Open Access 97.
Find the file on your drive and open it.

Voila! Now you're ready to input your stuff. Just fill out the form for each item you want to upload. It's pretty self-explanatory. You'll be able to move back and forth through the listings and edit freely as you prepare them, using the arrow buttons on the bottom left of the screen. Be careful of typos, especially in your photo URLs, because if there are mistakes they will show up on your listings; and if there is a problem with the photo URL, the system may not upload your listing. If you need some guidance on what to put in each box on the form, take a look at our Listing Help page.

When you're done, just return to this page to upload: You'll see a "Browse" button that will help you locate your newly updated file on your hard drive; and just click on the filename you want to send to Popula.

Shortly thereafter, you'll get an email detailing the results of your upload -- how many listings were successfully uploaded and, if any, how many didn't make it (and why).

NOTES ON SAVING THE POPULATOR FILES

You can save each Populator file separately; a dated file for each upload might be a good system to use. You can also use all the options on Access to save your files to any available spreadsheet or database you choose. Please write to maria@popula.com with any questions regarding the Populator. (You'll love it!)

DATA VALIDATION

FIELD DESCRIPTION REQUIRED VALIDATION RULES DEFAULT UPLOAD FIELD NAME

HEADLINE Brief description of item Yes 1 - 255 characters (no HTML) n/a title

AUTHOR The author of the item No 1 - 300 characters (no HTML) n/a author

SUMMARY A short summary describing the item No 1 - 400 characters n/a blurb

DESCRIPTION Detailed description of item Yes 1 - 4000 characters n/a description

LOCATION Physical location from which item will be shipped Yes 1 - 25 characters n/a location

PICTURE http link to picture of item No 1 - 50 characters, must contain "http://", must be .gif or .jpg n/a picture_url

PRICE The purchase price of the item Yes Number greater than 0 n/a price

CATEGORY Category under which item will be listed Yes See PopShop category codes n/a category_ID

INVENTORY NUMBER Your own inventory number for the item No Up to 25 characters * n/a inventory_number

ACTION Action code No 1=New or Update. 2 - 7 = Close n/a action

NOTE: Blank or invalid values will be replaced by default values where applicable. If required values are left blank or are invalid, and no default value is available, the item will not be uploaded.

* Your inventory number system will only work properly on PopShops if you use unique inventory numbers: use of duplicates, or re-using old inventory numbers for new items, may cause strange results! We do not check your inventory numbers for uniqueness.