Create Categories with CSV

Hello All,

Is it possible to CREATE categories with an import file (CSV), or must categories be created from within Hikashop? The import documentation page near the top says that since v1.4.1 categories can be imported, but further down it states that they must already exist in Hikashop.

If they can be created that way, what would the column headers look like to make sure parent/child relationships were established?

Thanks,
Ed

Thanks Nicolas,

So if I understand correctly, the parent_category can be anywhere in the category tree structure and the category column reflects sub-categories of that particular parent_category only. Is that correct?

Rather than put all sub-categories in a single column on one row in the spreadsheet, for the sake of readability could each sub-category be on its own row and reference the same parent_category? In this case I guess "Create Automatically Missing Categories" would need to be enabled.

And finally, after an import is done to create the parent and sub-categories, any product imports would include the single column "categories" which would contain all pertinent category id numbers without reference to parent/sub-category level. Correct, or am I still confused?

Regards,
Ed

Nicolas,

A quick question: If a category is deleted in Hikashop, do all sub-categories associated with that category also get deleted or do they get left as orphan records in the database?

Thanks,
Ed

I created a BUNCH of categories via import, but realize I need to structure them differently. What I would like to do is delete ALL product categories that currently exist and start over. I was going to just delete all records in jos_hikashop_category, but see there are some records in there that are not related to products. Can you give me an SQL query that would safely delete all the product categories without screwing anything else up in that table?

Thanks,
Ed

OK - So if I delete them through Hikashop then there won't be a problem?

Ed

I began creating a shop within Virtuemart 2.0. I have thousands of new and previously-used products and approximately a thousand categories I will eventually integrate from another shop. Though, I am restructuring the category structure as well as adding new products and updating old.

Having created the ideal category structure for the shop within Virtuemart with no products yet imported, I am having difficulty getting the CSV file correct to import category, category description, category meta title and other parameters.

Do you have a sample CSV file for category and category data import as well as available fields? Any other advice would be helpful.

Thank you.