1. HCM Data Loader
  2. Create and Edit Spreadsheet Templates

Create and Edit Spreadsheet Templates

Creating a spreadsheet template is a five-step process. You:

  1. Define general information for the template.

  2. Design the template's contents and layout.

  3. Include template instructions, if required.

  4. Specify who can perform data set operations and who can maintain the template.

  5. Review the design and generate a test spreadsheet from the template.

This topic provides instructions for the five steps of this process and describes how to edit an existing spreadsheet template.

Define the Template

Follow these steps:

  1. In the Data Exchange work area, select Spreadsheet Templates to open the Spreadsheet Templates page.

  2. Click Create.

  3. In the Create Template dialog box:

    1. Enter a name for the template. By default, generated spreadsheets have the name of the template with a date and time stamp.

    2. The Code value is generated automatically based on the Name value. You can overwrite the code.

    3. Select the business object for which you're creating the template.

      Note: If you click Search at the bottom of the business object list, it opens the Search and Select: Business Object window which provides two free-texts fields for Product Area and Business Object to support wild card searching.

    4. Select a legislative data group (LDG), if appropriate. Typically, the LDG is relevant for Global Payroll objects.

    5. Select a value in the Supported Action field. If you select a business object that doesn't support deletion for any of its components, then Create and update appears by default.

    6. Enter a description and select a category, if required.

    7. Click OK.

      The Define page opens. Some fields contain values that you entered in the Create Template dialog box. The template is in draft status by default. Spreadsheet users can generate spreadsheets from active templates only. Leave the template in draft status until it's ready for use.

  4. If the spreadsheet template is for an unsecured object, such as Job, or for an object where data security is supported by HCM Spreadsheet Data loader, then set the Upload Data As value in the Template Security section. This value determines which user name appears in the object's history. You can't set this value for secured objects. This step is optional.

  5. In the Template Parameters section, set parameter values to apply to all spreadsheets generated from this template. This step is optional.

  6. Click the Design tab to open the Design page.

Design the Template

The Available Attributes panel lists all attributes for the top-level component of the object. Use the Available Attributes menu to select a different component. If you selected the Delete only value in the Supported Action field, then only those components that can be deleted appear.

Follow these steps:

  1. Add attributes from the Available Attributes panel to the Selected Attributes panel. When you select any attribute, all attributes that are required to identify the object move automatically to the Selected Attributes panel.

  2. Either edit individual attributes, as required, or manage all attributes at once by selecting Advanced Options for Attribute Definition.

  3. When the template design is complete, click the Add Instructions tab to enter instructions, if required. Otherwise, click the Manage Role Access tab.

  4. Reorder the attributes in the Selected Attributes panel to specify the order you require in generated spreadsheets.

Enter Template Instructions

On the Add Instructions page, you can enter instructions to appear on a separate Instructions worksheet in spreadsheets generated from the template. These instructions could describe how loaded objects are to be validated, for example. To enter instructions:

  1. Click Add.

  2. In the Create Instruction dialog box, enter a heading and the instruction text.

  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to create additional sections of instruction text, as required. You can reorder and delete sections.

  4. Click the Manage Role Access tab. The Manage Role Access page opens.

Manage Role Access

On the Manage Role Access tab, you specify which roles can:

  • Create, save, or upload data sets created in spreadsheets generated from the template.

  • View all data sets created in spreadsheets generated from the template.

  • Maintain the template.

Note: Manage Role Access actions are enabled only if the Assign Roles to Template field is set to Enabled. Assign Roles to Template, which is read only, appears in the Template Security section of the Define page. This field is set automatically based on the object for which the template is defined. It's set to Disabled for secured objects.

Follow these steps:

  1. In the Permitted Data Set Operations section of the Manage Role Access page, click the Add icon.

  2. In the Search and Select Roles dialog box, search for and select one or more custom roles and click Add.

    The roles appear in the Permitted Data Set Operations section. By default, the selected roles can create and save data sets. You can select the Upload and View All options for any of the roles, if required.

    Tip: The actions that you authorize on the Manage Role Access tab are enabled by default. You can deselect the Enabled option for any role to disable the role's access temporarily.

  3. In the Template Maintenance section of the page, click the Add icon.

  4. In the Search and Select Roles dialog box, search for and select one or more custom roles and click Add.

    The roles appear in the Template Maintenance section.

  5. Click Save.

  6. Click the Review tab. The Review page opens.

Review the Template

On the Review page, your template design appears.

  1. To validate the template, click Validate and Save.

  2. To generate a sample spreadsheet, click Preview.

    Tip: You can click Preview on any page to generate a sample spreadsheet. However, the spreadsheet shows only the configuration that you have saved so far.

    The default file name is GenericHdlSpreadsheet.xlsx.

  3. Either save the file locally or open it. When you open it, you're prompted to sign in.

  4. Review the spreadsheet.

  5. Save the template.

When you're ready to make the template available, edit it and set its status to Active.

Only active templates are available on the Run Spreadsheet Data Loader page.

Note: You can only save valid active templates. If your template has validation errors, you must resolve them before saving. Alternatively, set the status to Draft or Inactive and save without validation.

Edit the Template

To edit a spreadsheet template, search for it on the Spreadsheet Templates page and click its name in the search results. You can edit an existing spreadsheet template in any status, but you can't change its code or type. In addition, you can't remove attributes from an active template, but you can disable them.

As an example, here's a tutorial to define a bulk-loading spreadsheet to activate and deactivate user accounts: HCM Spreadsheet Data Loader Template to Activate-Deactivate a User Account

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