What You Can and Cannot Export Import

You are here: Administrators Reference > Exporting and Importing Objects > What You Can and Cannot Export/Import

What You Can and Cannot Export/Import

The essential goal of exporting a CommonSpot object is to migrate the definition of the object for reuse by another site. The Export process does not export data contained within objects. For instance, exporting a Custom Element exports only the definition of that Custom Element, its name, fields, etc. Data contained within records associated with that Custom Element is not exported.

It is possible to populate custom element data during the import using the Post Import Script option. This must be a CFM file and may contain anything you write, such as API calls to populate data in the custom element being imported. The Post Import Script is always deleted after it is run.

What You Can Export/Import	What You Cannot Export/Import
Custom Elements	Custom Elements with Display Templates that include a deleted field or mask. To export this type of Custom Element, remove the deleted fields or masks from the Display Template, then retry the export. You cannot export Custom Elements or Metadata Forms with: A field bound to a Simple Form. CommonSpot generates a warning if you attempt to export this type of object. A Taxonomy Browser field. CommonSpot generates a warning if you try to export this type of object. A field bound to another Custom Element or Metadata Form that has not been exported. To export this type of object, export the container object first, then retry the export. A field based on a deleted Custom Field Type. You will need to delete the field based on the deleted Custom Field Type, then retry the export.
Metadata Forms
Render Handlers. If associated with a standard Element, a Render Handler can be exported by itself. If associated with a Custom Element, a Render Handler can be exported only as part of an associated Custom Element.	Standard CommonSpot Elements (such as Text Blocks). These Elements are already available to other sites.
Custom Field Types	Simple Forms. You can propagate Simple Form definitions by dynamically linking them to Element definitions.
Display Templates, but only as part of an associated Custom Element. Taxonomies, which are handled differently from other export/import cases. See Importing Taxonomy .	Locked Objects

You must export/import CommonSpot objects individually; no bulk export options are available. However, for objects containing other exportable objects you do not need to re-export the container to update the object contained.

For example, if you export a Custom Element containing a Custom Field Type and later make changes to the Custom Field Type, you do not need to re-export the Custom Element, you can simply export the Custom Field Type. The CommonSpot-assigned globally unique identifier (GUID) associates the Custom Field Type with the related Custom Element for updates.

Also note that you can export Required Items or Optional Items, such as Render Handlers and Display Templates (for Custom Elements), or Field Masks (for Custom Field Type), as components of the export package only; you cannot export Optional Items or Required Items items individually. See Export- Step 1 of 2 .

Related Links

You can download PDF versions of the Content Contributor's, Administrator's, and Elements Reference documents from the support section of paperthin.com (requires login).

The following guides are available from the support site and are in the /docs/directory of your CommonSpot Server:

You can also download these other guides from the support section of paperthin.com (with login):

For technical support:

http://www.paperthin.com/support/