Affiliations - how to export/mass update

[Wilsonk]

Hello,

It's me again. 

I am wondering how to export and update Affiliations?  I am using the "lexi loader" (data-loader for mac) and it does not seem to give the option of selecting Affiliations as a custom object.

FYI - I am trying to update 1,000 contact's afiliations status to "Current"

Thanks!

Wil

[Lindsey111]

Hi Wil -

Affiliations are a custom object so problems you have with using lexi loader to update custom objects may be better addressed by our Apple/Mac/OS X boards.  I'd encourage you to get connected with our Salesforce Mac community by posting this question to this discussion group who can help you get it and other mac/lexi loader issues answered.  

http://community.salesforce.com/sforce/board?board.id=mac

 Hope this helps . .

[sandersen]

Hi Wil-

It appears that you've found a problem with the Lexi loader and the new API. The affiliation object is a new kind of object that it appears the Lexi loader can't see. This isn't surprising because the Lexi loader points to an old version of the api.

I'll see if there is anything I can do to get a more up to date version out there.

Steve

[sandersen]

So the short answer is get access to a PC.

But if you can't, you could use the custom object data import wizard to update existing affiliation records. When you use the custom object data import wizard it asks if there is a field on which you'd wish to match. You can select the Id field for matches and then you should update records, and not create any new one.

The trick with the Affiliations is that the data is duplicated--there are two rows for every affiliation. I don't think you'd have a problem if you update all of those to "Current" in this case, but the duplicated nature of the data can make it harder to work with. The duplication is done so that the related lists look right in the UI.

Hope that helps,

Steve 

[Wilsonk]

Right now I am trying to decide if I want to move all of my contacts primary account afiliations to the affiliations object and convert the contacts to one to ones - for the purposes of simplified donation tracking using "personal accounts" versus contact roles for each donation and no account.

Both don't seem to be great options.  Do you know if there would be a way to put a contact's primary afiliation in the top part of the contact page layout?

Thanks so much!

Wil