Import: columns with numbers are not converted to string for importMapping lookups

[sleidig]

During imports a value is imported as number if it is all digits in the csv file. However, in our entities the related field may be a string. If such a field is used to map to an entity reference, the lookup in the EntityDatatype does not work anymore, as string and number equivalents of a value are not equal.

• --> see EntityDatatype
• update the method with better typing and jsDoc (copy below into the code)
• write unit tests for its importMapFunction():
  • "should return/map to existing entity in DB if imported value matches the given field" (use mockEntityMapper() for mocking db)
    • ... variant of this where val is not exact match: imported is number but entity field is string (and vice versa)
  • "should return/map to undefined if value does not match with any existing entity in DB" (without errors)
• implement logic for the above

---

details for EntityDatatype.importMapFunction:

  /**
   * Maps a value from an import to an actual entity in the database by comparing the value with the given field of entities.
   * @param val The value from an import that should be mapped to an entity reference
   * @param schemaField The config defining details of the field that will hold the entity reference after mapping (e.g. specifying the entity type that can be linked here)
   * @param additional The field of the referenced entity that should be compared with the val
   */
  async importMapFunction(
    val: any,
    schemaField: EntitySchemaField,
    additional?: string,
  )

[kumarannathan]

Hi @sleidig!
I’m interested in working on this issue as part of my EECS 481 class: https://web.eecs.umich.edu/~weimerw/481/hw6.html.
I’d like to enhance importMapFunction by adding types, jsDocs, and relevant unit tests. Let me know if there’s any guidance you’d recommend. Thanks!

[sleidig]

Hi @kumarannathan , thanks for reaching out and finding us! It's great to see your initiative to help our system - and thereby all our NGOs and social workers using Aam Digital 😃

Have you worked with Angular and TypeScript before and are familiar with unit tests written in jasmine? (sorry, many details!)

We'll be happy to guide you on the specifics of the Aam Digital code base and this concrete issue/task then.

[sleidig]

Test Scenario: importing "Recurring Activity" records, including a Child to be linked in the "participants" field of the Recurring Activity that is created by the import.

The Child entity is identified by matching the "phone number" of a Child in the database with the "phone number" column in the imported sheet:

Steps to prepare & test:

1. Open the app in demo mode with generated data
2. Edit the Child "Udai Marar", setting the phone number field to "123"
3. Go to "Import"
4. Upload the sample file: import-numbers.csv
5. Select "Recurring Activity" as import target type in step 2 of the import flow
6. Map the imported column "name" -> select "Title"
7. Map the imported column "userNumber" -> select "Participants"; Click "Configure value mapping" and select "Phone Number" as the matching field for the linking
8. Continue to the "Review" step of the import flow
9. --> check the results in the "Participants" column of the preview of data to be imported:

• row one correctly links Child "Adikavi Malik" via the phone number
  • case where that number is clearly a string (with a "+" prefix); this already works now)
• row two is not linking any Child
  • case where the number is a "number" only - this fails to look up the correct user entity during import (before this bugfix)