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Introduction Exporting and Importing data provides a quick and convenient means of transferring data between MYOB company files or even other files or programs. This support note guides you through the steps required.
How does exporting and importing work? Exporting and importing enables you to transfer data between company files. The purpose of this is to allow the data to be shared with, or analysed by other programs. As exporting and importing is a standard feature of most business applications, a common text file format is used. When exporting a text file containing the exported data is created. The data within this text file can be imported into another program or file. What data can be exported and imported? To access a list of data that can be exported and imported, open your company file, click File and then click Export Data or Import Data. The displayed menus will have additional extended menus for: Tax Code List,Cards, Sales and Purchases. The Import menu has two additional extended menus for Disbursements and Receipts. These extended menus provide for a more specific export selection. The extended Cards menu allows you to select Customer, Supplier, Employee or Personal cards for example.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Data that isn’t listed in these menus can't be exported or imported. How do I export data from my company file? Before exporting from MYOB, determine where on your hard drive the export text file will be saved. - Open your company file, go to File, choose Export Data and then click the data type to be exported.
- The common export file options are:
Export File Format – Click the drop down arrow and select either Tab-delimited (recommended) or Comma-separated. If the Export file is opened in a word processor application, each field will be separated by a tab stop.
First Record – Click the drop down arrow and select either Header Record (recommended) or Data Record. If the export file is opened in a spreadsheet, each record field will have a heading if Header Record is selected.
The window below shows the options for exporting customer cards. Apart from the Export File Format and First Record Is options, other options specific to the data being exported will be displayed.
You can filter or restrict the records to be exported using identifiers and the various options that appear in the bottom half of the Export File window.
After selecting the export file options, click Continue.
- Click the fields in the MYOB Fields column that are to be exported. Alternatively, if all fields are to be exported, click Match All.
The window below shows that four fields have been selected for exporting.
After selecting the fields to be exported, click Export.
- Save the export file using the Save As dialogue box.
MYOB will automatically select a distinct name for the file and save it in the folder containing your company data file.
The window below shows the Save As dialogue box that is displayed when exporting customer cards.
How do I import data into my company file? When importing data from other programs, it is important that the import text file fields are compatible with the required import field specifications. To access a list of these specifications, open your company file, go to Help, choose MYOB (Premier) Help and then click Importing/Exporting. Click Importing and Exporting With MYOB and then Importing and Exporting Fields. - Make a backup or a copy of your MYOB company data file. If import errors are encountered, you will be able to restore the backup or simply revert to the copy file.
- With your company data file open, go to File and choose Import Data. Then select the data type to be imported.
- Select the applicable Import File Format and the First Record Is options.
If displayed, click the Duplicate Records drop down arrow and select the desired option, then click Continue.
IMPORTANT NOTE: A Record ID option is included in the Identify Records by menu. This field is designed for use by third party application developers. You should not choose this option as it relies on certain cross matching information which is only available to developers.
The window below shows the options for importing customer cards.
For more information on overcoming any issues when importing using the Record ID field, please click here.
- Using the Open dialogue box, navigate to the import file. Highlight the file then click Open.
The window below shows CUST.TXT (customer cards) selected for importing.
Once the data has been imported, an import confirmation dialogue box is displayed. This provides a summary of the import, and reports any errors or warnings.
Please note: Where import errors are reported, an error log text file named MYOBLOG.TXT (or MYOBPLOG.TXT in Premier) is created in the folder containing your company data file. This error log lists the cause of an import error and can be opened using a text editor such as Notepad in Microsoft Windows or Simple Text in Macintosh.
The window below shows an import confirmation dialogue box. 
How do I know if the import was successful? The import confirmation dialog box which is displayed after each import will indicate:
- The number of records imported with no errors.
- The number or records skipped.
- The number or records imported with warnings.
- The location of the MYOBPLOG.TXT import error log file.
When importing data, the fields of the import text file are matched to their respective fields in your MYOB company data file. Import errors will only occur if required specifications for a particular field are violated.
For example: The Memo field specification for all transactions is a maximum of 255 alphanumeric characters. Any import records that have more characters than this will be rejected.
How to resolve import errors
- Using a text editor, open the import MYOBPLOG.TXT error log file to determine which import record(s) is being rejected. Each reported error is assigned a code, which is explained at the bottom of the error log file.
- Open the import text file in a spreadsheet program. The spreadsheet program will assign each of the import field records a cell. Compare the rejected record field specifications with the required import specifications.
All MYOB import record specifications are listed in the MYOB Learning Centre. To access this open your Company file and go to Help choose MYOB (Premier) Help and then Importing/Exporting. Click Importing and Exporting with MYOB and choose Field Descriptions for Importing & Exporting. In earlier versions select Importing and Exporting Fields, then click the link of the data type being imported.
- Identify the offending field or record and edit it to comply with the required import field specifications.
- Save the file as a text file and NOT as a spreadsheet file. If necessary, restore the backup of your data file. See Step 1 of How Do I Import Data Into My Company Data File? and then try the import again.
If the error continues, or you are unable to identify the offending record, then: - Open your company data file and export the same data type.
- Open both export text files in your spreadsheet application and compare fields of both files.
- Identify the offending field or record and edit it as necessary.
- Save the file as a text file, restore the backup and try the import again.
If exporting and importing between two MYOB data files, try selecting the Match All option for both the export and the import.
Can Pay Bills and Receive Payments Be Imported Into MYOB?
The import function of currently supported versions has been updated to include Receive Payments and Pay Bills. To import Receive Payments transactions: To import Pay Bills transactions: - Go to File and choose Import Data
- Choose Disbursements and then Pay Bills
Please note: The import process for Receive Payments and Pay Bills transactions is designed to accept data typically generated by third party applications. Special steps are required to successfully match imported transaction journal entries with open invoices or bills. For more information please refer to these related support notes: Receive Payments Import format Pay Bills Import format How else can data be exported from MYOB?
Apart from the Export/Import function, there are two other methods of exporting data from MYOB. - Saving reports as text files which can be modified and imported. To save a report as a text file, customise the report then click Send To and choose Tab-Delimited Text File.
- MYOB ODBC (Windows only) is available for installation from selected MYOB accounting program discs. MYOB ODBC (Open Data Base Connectivity) provides a means of accessing your company data file’s core data using 3rd party applications that can read ODBC data sources. For more information you may consider: MYOB Add-on Solutions
Can ODBC Be Used To Import Data?
Currently, ODBC provides a one-way gate through which data can only be exported.
Can I Use Exporting/Importing To Create A New Data File From An Existing Data File?
Data within an existing company data file can be exported and used to build a new company data file.
Step 1 – Create and prepare the new data file
When creating the new data file - As the Accounts List will be imported into the new data file, select the I would like to build my own accounts list once I begin using MYOB option from the New Company File Assistant.
- The selected Current Financial Year and Conversion Month should be the same as the Current Financial Year of the existing data file. Keep in mind that when importing transactions that are date sensitive, enter the Conversion Date in the From Date field.
After creating the new company data file - Once the data file has been created and saved to your hard drive, open the Accounts List and edit the linked accounts and the GST control accounts so their account numbers and account names correspond with those of your existing data file. You may need to manually create some accounts which are not normally created with a new data file.
To simplify this, print the Accounts List Summary report from your existing data file. Highlight the linked accounts on the printed report then open your new data file and setup your linked accounts as per the report.
- Setup your Custom Lists, Custom Fields and Jobs List. This will prevent errors when importing data that includes these fields.
Step 2 – Export/Import the data.
Exporting data
- Export the required data from your existing data file. When exporting your data, select Match All – see step 3 of How Do I Export Data From My Company Data File?
- Do NOT export or import Transaction Journals as this will include all journal entries for all transaction types. Each transaction type needs to be individually exported and imported.
Importing data
To avoid import errors, the data must be imported using the sequence below. After each import, read the import confirmation dialogue box and if necessary, check the MYOBPLOG.txt (or MYOBLOG.txt) error log. - Accounts – We recommend you don’t import the Balances. Before importing any other data, manually determine and enter the account Opening Balances.
- Tax Code List – Non-consolidated Codes must be imported before Consolidated Codes.
- Cards – If your customer cards include a linked Salesperson, import your employee cards first.
- Jobs – If you use jobs in any of your transactions, you will need to import them before those transactions.
- Import Items, Activities and then Activity Slips. Immediately after importing your items, use Count Inventory to enter your item balances as at the new data file’s Conversion Date.
- Purchases and Sales – Item purchases must be imported before the item sales.
- Disbursements and Receipts – Import both Spend Money and Receive Money transactions.
Unless the Pay Bills or Receive Payments export files were created with another application, they cannot be imported and will need to be manually entered.
- General Journals.
Inventory Adjustments You can also export and import inventory adjustments. You'll find these new options in the Export... and Import... sub-menus under File. 
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