General

Guidelines when uploading data via CSV

Data can be transferred in and out of IATA MRO SmartHub in comma-separated file format (.csv). In order to ensure that the right values arrive in the right database fields, here is an overview of the conventions that we use.

All incoming data files must be .csv (comma separated values) files. The contained data should be UTF-8 Unicode encoded.

The data structure for each use-case is defined in the respective section below. In addition to that, you can always download a template from IATA MRO SmartHub specifying the data format and the expected column names for the different use-cases.

Here are our basic rules for .csv files:

  • The delimiter is either comma or semicolon. (The character separating fields.)

  • Values which contain commas can be quoted using double quotes.

  • No fields may contain new line characters (not even if they are quoted).

  • Quotes can be escaped within fields by doubling them: “”.

  • The first line must be the header row containing the field names; subsequent lines contain fields in the order defined in the header.

  • Redundant (starting and trailing) white spaces are automatically removed unless they are quoted (e.g. 1, 2, 3 is the same as 1,2,3).

  • Text is not handled case sensitive.

  • In order to maximize foreign language support and to ensure that content is correctly displayed, IATA MRO SmartHub recommends on UTF-8 encoding as a standard.

Remarks on file format when uploading data via CSV

  • Please use the templates provided by the IATA MRO SmartHub. Otherwise, a correct processing cannot be ensured. Make sure to check your uploaded bids in the upload summary before confirming your bids.

  • Do not change column names in the templates.

  • Monetary values must be entered in USD and without a currency sign or name. If necessary, a dot “.” can be used as decimal separator. Do not use thousand separators. Allowed: 500.99; 4892 Not allowed: $500; 4,892 USD; 500,00

Warning

The following actions will result in data loss:

  • changing the name of an existing column

  • changing the order of existing columns

  • adding a new column before or between the existing columns

  • deleting existing columns

Note

You may add columns to your CSV files at the end without a full reload and no data corruption.

Known issue with wrong file encoding of CSV files

In case an upload of a CSV file to the IATA MRO SmartHub does not work and nothing happens after uploading the file, there is most likely an issue with the file-encoding of the uploaded CSV file. In this case, open the CSV file locally and save it with UTF-8 encoding.

If you are using Microsoft Excel (Windows or Mac) follow these steps to correctly save your file:

  1. Open your CSV file in Microsoft Excel

  2. Click File in the top-left corner of your screen

  3. Select Save as…

  4. Click the drop-down menu next to File format

  5. Select CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (.csv) from the drop-down menu

  6. Click Save

If you use another application to edit your CSV files, review the application’s documentation.

Note

This known encoding issue causes no error message on the IATA MRO SmartHub. In case of an error message after uploading your CSV file, please review the list of error messages to identify the reason.

Uploading/transferring data via our upload platform

To ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the data companies contribute to IATA MRO SmartHub, the usage of e-mail or cloud platforms like Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive is not recommended. For IATA MRO SmartHub, an individual upload platform is provided. It is completely integrated in a secure environment and applies the highest standards on data security and privacy. For the large data contributions, we highly recommend to use this upload platform. Later on, the setup of automated API connections via either sFTP or REST is recommended to minimize manual effort.

Details on how to access the upload platform will be provided during the kick-off meeting. Some useful hints about the usage of the upload platform can be found here: Data exchange platform.