2. Connecting to ACT! By Sage
Reading • ACT! File Export
• ACT! Export to Excel
or • OLEDB
Exporting • ODBC - ActReader
ACT! Data • 3rd Party Export
Importing • ACT! File Import Options
or Writing • 3rd Party Import
• ACT! SDK
ACT! Data
3. ACT!’s File Export – to ACT! db
Can export a lookup of one record type or All Contacts
if multiple record types selected -
Contacts, Groups, Companies
Can export all Extended Data - Notes, Histories, Sales
Ops, Activities, Secondary Contacts, Attachments
Can check for duplicates and merge records in target
database. But only entire records, not on a field basis
Fields must be matching data types
4. ACT!’s File Export – to Text
Can only export one record type in an export
(Contacts, Groups or Company)
No keys to link Contacts to the other records
Cannot export any extended data
Supports Comma or Tab delimiter
Can export field names (recommended)
5. ACT!’s Export to Excel
Available from various list views: Contacts,
Companies, Groups, Tasks, Opportunities
Opportunities also creates Pivot Chart and Table tabs
Icon on bar or via menu - Tools | Export to Excel
Filtered by what is shown on the List View
Fields selected by Options | Customise Columns
Only information shown in the list view is exported –
only one contact per item and no details with
Activities
No keys to link exported data
6. OLEDB
Object Linking and Embedding, Database
Used for reporting via Excel, Crystal Reports, etc
Views of most ACT! tables
Started as per this ACT! Knowledge Base article:
http://kb.sagesoftwareonline.com/cgi-bin/sagesoftwareonline.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=14023
Can be disabled for security or performance as per:
http://kb.sagesoftwareonline.com/cgi-bin/sagesoftwareonline.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=17575
7. ODBC – ActReader
Open Database Connectivity
Direct read-only access to all SQL tables
Works with Premium versions of ACT! 2005 or later
ActReader is included on ACT! Premium 2009 11.1 CD
or can be downloaded from this ACT! KB: 22989
ACTDataDictionaryDocument.rtf in ACT! 11.1 folder
more documentation can be found at this KB: 22924
A visual view of the links between the tables can be
created in Visio (free 60-day trial) as per this article:
http://blog.glcomputing.com.au/2009/04/getting-table-structure-and-links-from.html
8. 3rd Party Export
itExport
Easy to use tool to export data from ACT!
Exports all ACT! records and extended data
Including Custom Tables and Linked Documents
Includes Unique ID to re-link exported data externally
Can filter export data based on a date range and types
Can export in formatted (RTF) or unformatted
Can run as a service with (optional) itService to enable
automated exports of data to integrate with another
system.
9. Importing in ACT! – ACT! Database
File | Import | ACT! Database
Must be same version of ACT!
Entire set of selected records:
Contacts, Groups Companies
Field mapping (data types must match)
Record level duplicates and merging
Extended data is included (attachments optional)
Activities only if user names match in both databases
10. Importing in ACT! - Outlook
File | Import | Outlook
Contacts – with Activities and Notes
Outlook or Exchange Contacts
Appointments/Tasks can import to My Record or
selected Contact as Outlook doesn’t assign then to
specific contacts
Field mapping and contact Record level duplicate
checking and merging
11. Importing in ACT! – dBase
File | Import | dBase
dBase III-IV dbf
Import to ACT! Contacts only
dBase memo field to ACT! Memo or notes
Field mapping and contact Record level duplicate
checking and merging
12. Importing in ACT! – Palm Desktop
File | Import | Palm Desktop
Palm Desktop 4.0 and earlier only.
V4.1 and later only via txt
Must have Palm Desktop installed
ACT! Contacts – some Notes and Activities
13. Importing in ACT! – Text Delimited
File | Import | Text Delimited
Comma (CSV) or Tab delimiters
Contact Group or Company records
No extended data – Notes, Histories, Activities, Ops
Field mapping and Record level duplicate checking and
merging.
No linking Contacts to Companies/Groups
14. 3rd Party Import
itImport
Editions include: Basic, Standard, Advanced, Pro
*Basic and Standard only ACT! 2007 (9.0) and later
Sources from TXT, CSV, XLS, XLSX, MDB, SQL, ODBC
Editions define Source and ACT! table options (see web for list)
All ACT! Records – Contacts, Companies, Groups
All Extended Data – Notes, Histories, Activities, Opportunities,
Secondary Contacts, Custom Tables (10.02 or later), Picture Fields
and Attachments.
Record AND Field level merges to update new data
Auto link Contacts to Groups/Companies (create if needed)
Can run as a service with (optional) itService to enable automated
imports of data to integrate with another system
Mail to ACT! allows automated import of email forms
15. 3rd Party Import
MigrateAdmin – Goldmine
Supports Goldmine versions 5.7-6.7
SQL versions of Goldmine are not supported
Supports ACT! 2007 (9.0) and later
Imports – Contacts, Companies, Groups, Custom Fields,
E-mails, Activities, Histories, Notes, Opportunities,
attachments and more
16. ACT! SDK - read, write, events
Can read and write the ACT! Data
Can access Events for live transactions
Used in Customised solutions by Plugins
Can be used to Sync ACT! data to other systems
Requires programming in .Net