4 Data Transmission

Owned by Digitec Galaxus AG
Last updated: May 08, 2023
4 min read

INTRODUCTION DATA TRANSMISSION

 

There are several ways to exchange data needed to create products. This page gives an overview of the possibilities. Galaxus prefers web service connections and file exchange via an FTP server.

You will also find detailed instructions, tips and tricks on how to use the FTP server.

DATA EXCHANGE BY WEBSERVICES

A web service connection enables electronic data delivery via an HTTPS link. If an encrypted HTTPS link is provided, it must be ensured that the token (user name and password) is either specified in the URL or that the details are available to Digitec Galaxus. "On-the-fly" processing of the files is not permitted. It must be possible to load the file from the cache and it should not have to be recalculated on demand

 

DATA EXCHANGE BY FTP

Through a data transfer tool, a connection is established to an FTP server to transfer data and provide access to content on the server. FileZilla offers free server and client software for file transfer using sFTP: FileZilla.

We recommend using the Client-version.

An sFTP directory is provided by Galaxus.

Helpful links

On the official website of  FileZilla  you will find a full documentation as well as a FAQ.

 

Access to the FTP server

  1. open FileZilla

  2. The FTP connection data will be provided to you by Digitec Galaxus when you create your account:

    1. Server link (sftp://ftp.digitecgalaxus.ch)

    2. user name

    3. password

    4. Port 22 - if the server link begins with "sftp" (→ encrypted FTP directory), otherwise port 21.

    5. IP 137.116.205.202 (if required)

3. Type FTP connection data in the search mask

 

Illustration A: Mainpage Filezilla

 

 

To save the connection, open the Site Manager (File → Site Manager) or press the first button on the left in the tooltip bar.

  1. Select "New Site" and type in the desired name

  2. Type in the FTP connection data in the "General" tab.

  3. Click on "Connect" or "OK" to save the entry. In the case of "Connect", you are directly connected to the newly created account.

 

Illustration B: Servermanager in Filezilla

 

MANUALLY MANAGED FILES

File upload remarks

  • It is possible to drag'n'drop files onto the server or to carry out an automated system upload

  • The old files must be replaced with the new files each time they are uploaded

Direct file adjustments on the server in the case of xlsx files

  1. Right click on the corresponding file

  2. Click on view/edit

  3. Modify the file

  4. Save and confirm that the chosen file is to be overwritten

Add/delete articles

  • Remove/delete: preferably delete the item(s) from all files (at least price/stock data) by removing the entire line(s) of the item.
    One of the files corresponds to the assortment file, which controls the active assortment. Only articles that are listed in the assortment file will be displayed.
    Articles that can no longer be supplied must at least be removed from the corresponding file in the next transmission (ideally from all files).

  • Complement/add: if you want to expand the assortment with additional or new items, the information must be updated in all files.

 

 

Important remarks for editing files on the productive FTP

General requirements for the data structure

  • No change of file name and no blanks or special characters are allowed

  • No column fixations

  • No line breaks in the header

  • No changes to the file structure (such as column sorting, etc.)

  • No additional tabs to be inserted

  • Uniform product identification by ProviderKey (= item number) in the first column consistent throughout the feed 

  • Remove EoL articles (= End of Life) from the price and stock data list (see "Remove/Delete")

Handling of CSV files

If the data feeds are prepared as CSV files ("Comma-Separated Values"), there are some points to consider when updating. Especially if the CSV files are not edited with a conventional text editor, but with Microsoft Excel.

  • Numeric values: Longer numeric sequences such as ProviderKeys or GTINs are sometimes automatically converted by Excel into a "scientific format" (e.g. 1234567890 becomes 1.24E+08). If a number sequence also contains leading zeros, these are also removed (e.g. 00505 becomes 505). Before uploading the revised data feeds to the FTP server, you must therefore check that the numerical values (especially the ProviderKeys and GTINs) are correctly stored in the CSV file.

  • UTF-8 encoding: After editing the CSV file, care should be taken to confirm UTF-8 encoding so that the file is not corrupted when saved and that no special characters are displayed that are not wanted.

  • Formatting: Any formatting done in Excel (e.g. colouring cells) is lost as soon as the CSV file is closed. Also, a CSV file cannot be saved with several worksheets (only the worksheet that is active when saving is retained). In general, the file structure should not be changed when revising the data feeds.