[new] IMDB ratings import fails

Encounter an error, or something which isn't working correctly? Please, let us know
livelove
Posts: 759
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Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:36 pm

[new] IMDB ratings import fails

Post by livelove »

Hi.
When importing ratings from IMDB .csv file, I am getting the same error that
other users already reported back in 2012 (viewtopic.php?t=3160) and in 2015 (viewtopic.php?t=5166).

"Line 3: Invalid IMDB Rating"

Code: Select all

Line 3: Invalid IMDB Rating -

"3";"tt0390384";"Sat Nov 21 00:00:00 2009";"";"";"Primer";"Feature Film";"Shane Carruth";"10";"7.0";"77";"2004";"drama, sci_fi, thriller";"77170";"2004-01-16";"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390384/"

Array ( [0] => "3";"tt0390384";"Sat Nov 21 00:00:00 2009";"";"";"Primer";"Feature Film";"Shane Carruth";"10";"7.0";"77";"2004";"drama, sci_fi, thriller";"77170";"2004-01-16";"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390384/" )


The error is obviously false, as the IMDB rating (10) is valid.

Here is a sample .csv file (directly exported from IMDB and left untouched) that generates the error above:

Code: Select all

"position";"const";"created";"modified";"description";"Title";"Title type";"Directors";"You rated";"IMDb Rating";"Runtime (mins)";"Year";"Genres";"Num. Votes";"Release Date (month/day/year)";"URL"
"1";"tt0248408";"Thu Nov 25 00:00:00 2010";"";"";"Der Schuh des Manitu";"Feature Film";"Michael Bully Herbig";"10";"6.6";"87";"2001";"comedy, western";"14049";"2001-07-13";"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0248408/"
"2";"tt0062622";"Mon Apr 19 00:00:00 2010";"";"";"2001: Odyssee im Weltraum";"Feature Film";"Stanley Kubrick";"1";"8.3";"149";"1968";"adventure, sci_fi";"450203";"1968-04-02";"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/"
"3";"tt0390384";"Sat Nov 21 00:00:00 2009";"";"";"Primer";"Feature Film";"Shane Carruth";"10";"7.0";"77";"2004";"drama, sci_fi, thriller";"77170";"2004-01-16";"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390384/"

mpowell
Posts: 3851
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Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2005 10:22 am

Re: [new] IMDB ratings import fails

Post by mpowell »

Thanks for alerting us to this, and for providing the info we'll need to troubleshoot. We'll take a look soon!

livelove
Posts: 759
67 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:36 pm

Re: [new] IMDB ratings import fails

Post by livelove »

Thank you for your response.

I think I found the problem.
Criticker accepts

Code: Select all

,
as separator, but not

Code: Select all

;


So when replacing ";" by "," in the .csv file posted above, the import is successful now.

Could you maybe fix the problem for all users by accepting not only "," but also ";" as separator ?
";" is the separator Microsoft Excel uses when saving a .csv file.
(At least in Europe. The US version of Excel uses "," I think.)

I think this problem is responsible for more than 50% of all IMDB import failures.

BTW, I looked everywhere on the criticker site, but was unable to find the ratings import tool.
I could only go there via a web search engine link. Is there still a link to it on your site at all ?

And could you place the import at a more prominent/easier to find location ?
The ratings import function is THE most important requirement for users migrating to criticker from other sites. Nobody will enter 2000 ratings manually. So if you want to grow your user numbers, I think it would be a good idea to place the tool somewhere, where everybody can find it immediately.

PS: I checked and do realize now, that the .csv file originally exported from IMDB did indeed have "," as separator. It must have changed on my computer subsequently without me noticing. So the file above was not left untouched, as previously stated, for which I apologize. Sorry for the confusion.

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