[RussH]

I've a problem I originally posted on the old forums. I support an Agency with a mature ATS based on a custom Access database. I can export the data quite happily - but as it's been in use for over ten years, there are additional fields over and above those in CATS. I can add them into CATS, but only the default fields are available when you come to import data.

Has anyone worked through a similar situation? I've considered two options so far;

- manipulation of the custom data and importing via a manual process using phpmyadmin
- writing SQL to join the various CATS tables and then import into them.

Has anyone done this so far? All ideas welcome!

[Jos]

You could create new fields in cats first and then import your data. Thats what I did a long while ago. That way the custom fields do show up at your import table.That worked for me.

[amitmadhra]

Hi RussH,
Im a new member in this openCats forum....
I read your problem where you have told about Mature ATS built in Access....

Friend...can I have that ATS's copy, an empty one....though replete with alll other gizmos, like relationships amongst tables and queries and forms etc....

Actually I have just started out on my own and m short on funds....but have got MsOffice2007 complete.

So having a DB in access would be great.....Im fond of CATS when I used it on my pals pc but and will install it once I am ready for it....Im not a tech guy at all.

I recruit for HR and sales and if you can be generous enough you can give me the Entire ACCESS ATS...albeit empty to me for my use.

I think I have not offended you or bored you with my mail.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Cheers
Amit
amitmadhra at gmail dot com

[RussH]

Hi RussH,

Friend...can I have that ATS's copy, an empty one....though replete with alll other gizmos, like relationships amongst tables and queries and forms etc....

Hiya - yes - as per my offline PM, I'll do this when I'm back from holiday.

RussH

[RussH]

Just for info I've accomplished my 'mature ATS import', by;

exporting the content of my existing db to csv,
pruning and amending the fields so they are closer to what CATS expects,
added in additional fields to compensate for some of the 'un-importable' fields (for example 'expected salay', or the equal opportunity fields)

Then once it was imported successfully, I exported the tables from PhpMyAdmin so that I could reconcile my old 'unique candidate ID' with the CATS 'unique candidate ID' and then I could import ten years worth of candidate comments into cats. I did this directly from CSV using PhpMyAdmin (and navicat) as it's not possible using the CATS interface.

I repeated that process for comments for company contacts..

...and so far - it looks good!

Finally have CATS running (albeit running alongside the other system!)

[opsuser]

Hi Russh

Can u tell me the tables structures' of access you have talked about in earlier post that you used as ATS.
I mean...c'mon, In our office we are already using MS stuff, excel+outlook so why not get an Access datastore with tables and relationships...and lets just say we try to remake it here in MS Access, here at our office and who knows it just might be the thing we are looking for.

So Russh if you can just tell us the relatinships and tables fields etc that could be a good starting point.

What say ya....

-Opsuser

[RussH]

Hi Russh

Can u tell me the tables structures' of access you have talked about in earlier post that you used as ATS.
I mean...c'mon, In our office we are already using MS stuff, excel+outlook so why not get an Access datastore with tables and relationships...and lets just say we try to remake it here in MS Access, here at our office and who knows it just might be the thing we are looking for.

So Russh if you can just tell us the relatinships and tables fields etc that could be a good starting point.

What say ya....

-Opsuser

certainly can do - but it's an immensely complex access db.. trust me.. more trouble than it's worth.. and with none of the features that you're after either - doesn't integrate into outlook, doesnt import CV's etc etc..

[opsuser]

RussH, thanks for the reply,

I say I would still like to go for the database, If we can get some goodies on Microsoft platform we can easily, by all means, move it to do it whatever we want it to do, I think it'll all take a couple of coders to do the vb script part and I can easily pay for that.

Personally I feel it is better to have it got into access as back-end with excel doing data entry and outlook getting resumes and infopath be the front page or presentation side of this project.

Combined, this will be a sure shot software everybody, whoever is on WinXp w/ office, is gonna like and use it.
I'm not into this for money at all, I want to see whether with an already mature and in use DB!, can we pull it off to become a full fledged ATS on Ms Office.

Rest is all up to you, If you can supply me the desired info, then In a months time I can get it all done and put it as a zip on this forum or wherever you tell to host it on to be dnldd as zip file.

I'm sure we can do it provided we have the info that is tried and mature.

I hope you understand my point.

Thanks
OpsUser

[RussH]

I'm amazed - we've moved off that slow unwieldy database to cats- and believe me the user experience with cats is far superior. However - I'm not in the office for a few days but when I'm in I'll run the report to get the relationships exported and will mail them over!

[opsuser]

Thanks,
Im looking fwd to it.

Can u tell me where exactly I should be tweaking in CATS if I want make it...er..a bit prettier.

Thanks
OpsUser