Copy/Paste values from Excel into Seatable for Multi-Select (Mehrfachauswahl)

Hey,

I’m trying to insert data from excel to SeaTable using copy & paste. This works great so far, but not for columns of the type “Mehrfachauswahl” (multi-select). When I try to insert data from a text cell in Excel e.g. in the format of “a, b, c” the values do not get inserted as multiple values of the multi select, but as one single value.

How do I need to format the data in Excel so that multiple values get inserted respectively? Is this even possible at all?

Best regards,

Ben.

Welcome to the Seafile Forum!

The copy-pasting of multiple select values from Excel does not work great at this point in time. Let me elaborate. But there is hope as you will find out.

First of, your observation is right: When exporting multiple select values from SeaTable in an Excel file, you get a list of comma-separated values. But the reverse does not work.

Second, there is a way of copy-pasting multiple values from Excel into SeaTable. Use line breaks to separate the values. There a one (big) caveat though: Every time you paste the line-break-delimited values in a cell, new options for get created for all pasted values but the first, no matter if they already exist. Example: Two things happen when you paste “a
b” in a multiple select column. (
as a placeholder for line break.)
a.) SeaTable correctly recognizes “a” and “b” as two individual values. Good.
b.) The option “b” is added to the list of options even when it already exists. Not so good.

Third, I would do the following: Prepare a CSV and space-separate the multiple select values. When you import this file, the values will be interpreted correctly. (The hook here is that your multiple select options must be one word options.)

Fourth, the import options will be improved in SeaTable v2.4 which will be released shortly. Stay tuned!

Hi Benjiman,

SeaTable now supports importing multiple select fields as comma-separated values. Check it out!

In order to paste multiple values into a multiple-select column, you still have to use line-break separated values.

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