Resolved Front-end importing users gives error

Hello Didier,

Source file of template is set to “Load from your computer”

The error you are seeing is because there is no file to import. In backend, you select the file using Choose file option before doing the import and so it works. But with frontend import you need to set the file in the template to be imported. To do that on Source tab select Load from server option and set the path of the file in there. Your frontend import will read the file from the given path.

Thanks, Tharuna, does this mean that one cannot use a local file on one’s computer to import users from the front-end?
Also the help/documentation is very confusing. The help for the Source field say’s:
Select the source where you want to retrieve the import file from. The Load from server and Load from text field are only available from the back-end.
So I assume that all other options, e.g. “load from your computer”, are available in the front-end?
Didier

Thanks, Tharuna, does this mean that one cannot use a local file on one’s computer to import users from the front-end?
Also the help/documentation is very confusing. The help for the Source field say’s:
Select the source where you want to retrieve the import file from. The Load from server and Load from text field are only available from the back-end.
So I assume that all other options, e.g. “load from your computer”, are available in the front-end?
Didier

Hello,

does this mean that one cannot use a local file on one’s computer to import users from the front-end?

You can use local file from your computer by setting the file path. To set the file path select Load from server option on Source tab.

Also the help/documentation is very confusing. The help for the Source field say’s:
Select the source where you want to retrieve the import file from. The Load from server and Load from text field are only available from the back-end.

I understand why it is confusing. The help text should be Load from computer and Load from text field are only available from the backend. We will correct that.

So I assume that all other options, e.g. “load from your computer”, are available in the front-end?

Load from computer needs an option to upload file. That option is not on frontend. To use a file from your computer you need to select Load from server option and set the path of the file in Load from server field. I hope it clarifies your confusion.

Thanks, I could get it to work but only with a file on the server, and I want to use local files.
To be clear: this means that one cannot use a local file on one’s computer to import users from the front-end but has first to upload that file to the server?
Didier.

Hello,

To be clear: this means that one cannot use a local file on one’s computer to import users from the front-end but has first to upload that file to the server?

Are you running your import on your local computer or on server? If you are running it on server then yes you need to upload the file to server and then set the path in import template. If you are running import on your local computer you need to set the path of your local computer import file.

I don’t understand the question 100%
The Joomla website is hosted on a shared hosting platform and I run the import from a local computer connected via internet to my website.
If I chose a local path and filename as source, e.g. C:\import.csv or then it does not work and the “Test path” button generates the message “The given path cannot be found.”
DIdier.

Hello Didier,

The local path is relative to where the website is hosted. So local for your website means, local on the server and not on your home computer. The website has no access to your local computer for obvious reasons of course

So if you use the local path, the file must be uploaded to a folder on the server and then you can specify the server path.

Just to give some background information, the front-end has no upload feature in CSVI because I believe it is quite dangerous as you can do some real damage to the site if you upload the wrong file on the wrong import. Having said that, Joomla does have the option that you can create a backend menu for a specific user group, so you could allow users to login to the backend and only access to RO CSVI. They could upload their local files to the server from there. Some explanation about this Joomla feature can be found New Admin Menus tutorial by JoomlaShack.

OK RolandD, that’s clear now. But for me that means also that the RO CSVO menu option “Import front-end” has limited value. So, the only real option left is to add the possibility to upload a file to the server and then use that file as source.
I agree with you that uploading users that way is a delicate action, but that’s the same if one does this in the back-end and I don’t want to give access to the back-end (I am aware of the different possibilities here).
BTW, concerning a previous ticket: I found a way to add users using RO CSVI without communicating them their username and password and so avoiding the use of mail software (e.g. AcyMailing). I just create them (with the reset password option) and instruct them via one e-mail (BBC) to connect to the website and to say that they forgot their username. They then receive their username and on the logon screen they then have to say that they forgot their password…
Thanks for your support!
Didier.

Hello Didier,

I do agree with you that the front-end import has limited value, as this only works if users have a folder on the server where they can upload their file. This is also as RO CSVI comes from the case where it was used to maintain websites by webmasters and not regular users. Perhaps with more limited capabilities, a GUI for front-end upload is possible but even then. One user could upload some records and the next user could overwrite them etc. That is the main fear

Thank you for the feedback on the other issue. That is definitely a solution as well.