Follett Textbook File Specifications

To be imported successfully into Textbook Manager, a textbook import file must be in the correct format. This topic provides detailed information about the file, the acceptable format, and the record and field contents.

File sources

Destiny Textbook Manager accepts an exported textbook file from Destiny Textbook Manager v5.x or later and TextLink v4.x.

If you prefer to create your own file or edit a text file using a text editor, this topic explains the formatting details for a textbook import file. You can create the file with any text editor, such as Notepad or Simple Text. Do not use Microsoft® Word or Apple TextEdit. Hidden characters created by these programs can cause the upload to fail.

Note: This information is provided to help you, your technical personnel, or your textbook vendor prepare a textbook file for import into Destiny. If you do not have experience creating or editing comma-delimited text files, you might want to seek additional assistance.

File requirements

Textbook Manager does not accept a textbook import file in the MARC21 format.

The textbook import file format is flat ASCII text, and is comma-delimited.

The file consists of a header record, records for each main title (ME), teacher's edition (TE), and/or resource kit (KIT), and records for each copy. Copy records must immediately follow their title record in the file. Teacher's editions or kits must immediately follow their main title or the main title's copies.

The file must meet the following requirements:

  • The file must have one header record.
  • Each title or copy record takes up one line of the file.
  • Each record must end with a hard return (CR/LF).
  • With the exception of the Header Identifier and Record Identifier, string (text) fields in the record must be surrounded by quotation marks (for example, "Algebra").
  • Quotation marks must be straight quotes, not curly or "smart quotes".
  • Numbers, including dates, are the actual numeric value. Do not surround numbers with quotation marks.
  • Each field is separated from the one after it by a comma.

Before you begin

Import Textbooks performs several checks when importing your file. To ensure a successful import, be aware of the following actions that Import Textbooks takes:

  • It checks the maximum length of each field.
    Any field larger than the maximum length is truncated when imported.
  • It deletes any trailing spaces in string fields. It does not delete leading spaces.
  • It applies date-field checking. Years must be between 1900 and 2037.
  • It generates a line in the job summary for any record that is invalid, listing the textbook title
    (if possible) and a brief error message.

Header record

The first line in the import file must be a header line. It is a file identifier.

Every field, listed the following table, must exist in the header. If the header contains any more or less than seven fields, or if any field in the header exceeds the maximum length, the header is invalid.

The following table contains the specific information for each field:

Field Format Maximum length Example

Header identifier 1

String

 

 HEADER

Site name

String

30

 "Anytown Elementary"

Application name

String

25

 "Destiny Textbooks"

Application version number2

String

10

 "5.00"

File creation date

Number, yyyymmdd

8 (exactly)

 20070915

Disk number 3

Number

1

 1

Final disk? 4

String

1

 "Y"

1 The only acceptable value is HEADER (no quotes).

2 Application version number must contain a value. The only acceptable value is one of the following:

    9.70 For files that include fields 25-27 in the title records and only for Textbook Manager version 9.8 or later

    5.00 For all earlier versions

3 If entered, the only acceptable value is 1

4 If entered, the only acceptable value is Y
  Destiny does not accept a single file that spans multiple floppy disks.
  If you are using floppy disks, make sure you create a textbook file that fits on a single disk.

 

Header examples

The following example of a file header indicates that the file contains textbooks for Dunlop Elementary School for import into Destiny 9.8 and was made on Sept. 14, 2010 (20100914).

HEADER,"Dunlop Elementary School","Destiny Textbooks","9.70",20100914,1,"Y",¶

The smallest valid header would be:

HEADER,"","","9.70",,,"",¶

Title records

For a successful import, make sure to conform to the following requirements:

  • Each main edition, teacher's edition, or kit must have a title record, followed by its copy records (if any).
  • Records for teacher's editions or kits must immediately follow their main title or its copies.
  • Except for the first field (the Record Identifier) in the record, string fields must be surrounded by quotation marks.
  • Records must contain the first 21 fields.
  • Records cannot contain more than 27 fields.
  • Fields in bold must contain values.

The following table contains the specific information for each title field:

  Field Name Format Maximum Length Example

1

Record identifier 1

String

 

 ME

2

Title

String

150

 "Geometry"

3

Edition

String

150

 "2nd ed."

4

Author

String

150

 "Lang, Serge"

5

ISBN

String

13

 "0387966544"

6

Copyright year 2

Number yyyy

4

 2004

7

Material type 3

String

50

 "Book"

8

Publisher name

String

150

 "Springer-Verlag"

9

Vendor name

String

150

 "FES"

10

Budget category

String

50

 "Math"

11

State/Textbook ID

String

20

 "1048723"

12

Year of state adoption 2

Number yyyy

4

 2005

13

Year of district adoption 2

Number yyyy

4

 2005

14

Vendor ID or catalog number

String

20

 "1234567"

15

Replacement Price

Number

5 + 2
decimal places

 44.95

16

Basic/Supplement indicator

String

1

 "B" — Basic text
"S" — Supplement text

17

Note 4

String

1,000

 "Corrected 6th printing"

18

Grade Level (from)

String

20

 "7""seven"

19

Year adoption ends 2

Number yyyy

4

 2010

20

Publisher ID or catalog number

String

20

 "0387966544"

21

User-Defined Field (or Course ID)

String

15

 "2042083"

22

Resource URL 5

String

 

 "http://myebook.com"

23

Grade Level (to) 5

String

20

 "7""seven"

24

Additional Information 5

String

255

 "Rental Fee - $25.00"

25

Instructional Classification 5 6

String

50

 "Core"

26

(Field reserved) 5 6

Program 5 6

String

50

 """Mathematics"

27

Textbook Subject 5 6

String

50

 "Mathematics"

 

1 The only acceptable value for Record Identifier is one of the following (no quotes):

ME — main edition

TE — teacher’s edition

KIT — resource kit

BUN — bundle

2 The four date fields–Copyright year, Year of state adoption, Year of district adoption, and Year adoption ends–can contain 0000 or nothing if year is unknown.

3 If no material type is specified, or if it is something other than those listed, Import Textbooks assigns Book by default.

4 Any note text that contains quotation marks must have those quotation marks preceded by a backslash, as in the following example:

"This is a note with a \"quotation\" in it."

5 These fields are not available in TextLink.

6 If you include fields 25-27, you must enter "9.70" as the version number in the header.
  You can only import files containing these two fields into Destiny Textbook Manager version 9.8 or later.

Title record examples

ME,"Geometry","2nd ed.","Lang, Serge","0387966544",2004,"Book",
"Springer-Verlag","FES","Math","10423",2005,2005,"123456",44.95,"B",
"Corrected sixth printing","seven",2010,"0387966544","20423",
"http://myebook.com","eight","Rental Fee - $25.00",¶

The minimum valid title record would be:

ME,"Geometry","","","",,"","","","","",,,"",,"","","",,"",¶

note: The paragraph symbol () in the examples shows the hard return (CR/LF) at the end of the record. Normally, it would not be visible.

Copy records

Copy records are optional. If included, they must immediately follow the title record to which they belong. For a successful import, make sure to conform to the following requirements:

  • Records must contain the first eight fields.
  • Fields in bold must contain values.
  • Except for the first field (Record identifier) in the record, string fields must be surrounded by quotation marks.
  • Copy barcode numbers, of any symbology, cannot be longer than 14 characters.
  • A single import file cannot contain copy records for multiple schools. Separate files must be created for each school.

The following table contains the specific information for each copy field:

  Field Name Format Maximum Length Example

1

Record identifier 1

String

Fixed

 COPY

2

Barcode

String

14

 "00000000000109"

3

Date Acquired

Number yyyymmdd

8

 20000228

4

Purchase Price

Number

5 + 2
decimal places

 44.95

5

Condition 2

String

50

 "New"

6

(Field reserved)

String

15

 ""

7

Location

String

50

 "Storeroom 423"

8

Note 3

String

1000

 "Library binding"

9

(Field reserved)

String

10

 ""

10

Copy Budget Category

String

50

 "Science"

1 The only acceptable value for Record Identifier is COPY (no quotes).

2 The only acceptable value for Condition is one of the following types. If no condition is specified, Import Textbooks assigns "New" by default.

New

Good

Fair

Poor

Unusable

3 Any note text that contains quotation marks must have those quotation marks preceded by a backslash, as in the following example:

"This is a note with a \"quotation\" in it."

Copy record examples

COPY,"00000000000109",20000228,44.95,"New","","Storeroom 423","Library binding","","",¶

The minimum valid copy record would be:

COPY,"00000000004111",,,"","","","",¶

File example

Header record

HEADER,"Dunlop ES","Destiny Textbooks","5.00",20071020,1,"Y",¶

Main edition
title record

ME,"Geometry","2nd ed.","Lang, Serge","0387966544",2004,"Book","Springer-Verlag","FES","Math","10423",2005,2005,"123456",44.95,"B","Corrected sixth printing","10",2010,"0387966544","20423",http://www.myebook.com,"12","AP text",
Copy records
of the main
edition
(above)

COPY,"00000000033316",20000228,44.95,"New","","Storeroom 423","Library binding","","",¶

COPY,"00000000033324",20000228,44.95,"New","","Storeroom 423","Library binding","","",¶

COPY,"00000000033332",20000228,44.95,"New","","Storeroom 423","Library binding","","",¶

COPY,"00000000033340",20000228,44.95,"New","","Storeroom 423","Library binding","","",¶

COPY,"00000000033357",20000228,44.95,"New","","Storeroom 423","Library binding","","",¶

COPY,"00000000033365",20000228,44.95,"New","","Storeroom 423","Library binding","","",¶

COPY,"00000000033373",20000228,44.95,"New","","Storeroom 423","Library binding","","",¶
Teacher’s edition record

TE,"Geometry","2nd ed.","Lang, Serge","0387966544",2004,"Book","Springer-Verlag","FES","Math","10420",2005,2005,"123450",49.95,"S","Corrected sixth printing","Tenth",2010,"0387966500","20423",¶

Copy records
of the
teacher’s
edition
(above)

COPY,"00000000033381",20000228,44.95,"New","","","","","",¶

COPY,"00000000033399",20000228,44.95,"New","","","","","",¶

COPY,"00000000033407",20000228,44.95,"New","","","","","",¶
Resource kit
record

KIT,"Geometry","","","",0000,"Teaching Kit","","FES","Math","10429",0000,0000,"987654",23.95,"S","30 pages of looseleaf cards, suggested teaching activities, 13-minute video, bibliography, display Sheets.","Tenth",0000,"654123",¶

Copy record
of the kit
(above)

COPY,"00000000033209",20000228,23.95,"Good","","","","","",¶

The minimum valid file for one title with one copy would be:

 

HEADER,"","","9.70","","","",¶

ME,"Geometry","","","",,"","","","","",,,"",,"","","",,"",¶

COPY,"00000000033191",,,"","","","","","",¶

note: The paragraph symbol () in the examples shows the hard return (CR/LF) at the end of the record. Normally, it would not be visible.