Undesired Behavior: Linked field parsing a string into separate records on .csv import

[Jake1]

Hey everyone,

So I have a table that runs off a daily manual .csv import from Jira. The primary ISSUES table is where I import the daily .csv into. There is a field on that table called “Log Work” where a string of time-tracking information is logged.

The string looks like this:

time-tracking;08/Feb/21 8:46 AM;addon_is.origo.jira.tempo-plugin;9000

I have this field set up as a linked field to the LOG WORK table. The behavior that I would like is as follows:

Import .csv → populate Log Work field → this creates / updates LOG WORK table with entires

The problem is, when the import takes place, instead of creating one record for the string, the Linked Field cuts up the string into several pieces, so it looks more like this (brackets indicate a separate record)

[time-tracking] [08/Feb/21 6:29 AM] [addon_is.origo.jira.tempo-plugin] [3600]

It creates these four records rather than one record. I believe this has to do with the semi-color separator, but I don’t know how to prevent this behavior. Any easy way to stop this? I already turned off “link to multiple records”, btu even with that selection off, it still creates multiple records.

[ScottWorld]

The semicolon doesn’t normally indicate multiple records in a linked record field, but perhaps the CSV import app is processing it this way. I would import into a normal text field, and then convert the text field to a linked record field after the import is complete. See if that solves it.

If so, you could just import into a text field in the future, and then use some sort of automation to move the data from the text field into the linked record field.

[Jake1]

Hey Scott, thanks for the input.

I tried this with the XML importer and got the same result. I think this is a behavior inherent to AirTable’s linked record field.

The important thing is that, since will be a continual daily merge, I need to be able to input the .csv or whatevr format the source data is in and have it hit that linked field directly. Having to link / unlink the text field would be too disruptive to the process.

[ScottWorld]

Yeah, then I would just automate the entire process with Integromat.

p.s. I am a professional Airtable consultant and a Registered Integromat Partner, and the Integromat link contains my personal referral code. If you have a budget for this project and you’d like to hire an expert to help you create this, please feel free to contact me through my website at ScottWorld.com.