Editing tags in the Haystack tagsImportFile and equipImportFile

The following steps describe how to remove, modify, and/or add a tag to the file. The example in this procedure describes how to edit the tagsMerge.csv file using MS Excel (or another CSV-compatible spreadsheet program).

  • You have already created the tagsImportFile and equipImportFile.

    Note: If the import files are saved to a remote station, you need to transfer them to a PC to edit them with Excel. On the remote platform, use the File Transfer Client to copy the files to the local PC file system.

  • MS Excel (or other CSV-compatible spreadsheet program) is installed on your PC.

    Note: Optionally, you can edit the import files using a text editor, but editing is far easier using a spreadsheet program.
  1. Navigate to the previously created tagsMerge.csv file (or equipMerge.csv) and double-click to open it.
  2. In the first row of the tagsMerge.csv (not the equipMerge.csv), edit the version value, for example change the number to “3.0.2 MyCompany.1”.
    Note: You must include the version row of the Tags Import File (tagsMerge.csv). This is true even when all other changes that you make occur in the Equip Import File (equipMerge.csv) .


  3. Locate the data row containing the tag you wish to remove or modify.
  4. For any row that you wish to modify, uncomment the row by removing the “##” prefix from the name column, leaving just the tag name.
    Note: Initially, all data rows are commented-out (rows start with “**” or “##” characters), and as such they will be ignored on import. To edit a row, you must remove the comment characters so that your changes will be recognized and imported.
  5. In the uncommented row, edit any of the tag values as needed. For example, you might make any the following changes:
    • To remove the absorption tag, select the tag type, Marker, and enter “Remove”
    • To change the tag type for ac, active, andair, select the Marker value for each and enter a different value, such as “Double”, “String” or “NameTag”.
    • To add a tag name to the list, simply insert a row (or copy/paste a row) and enter a unique name for this tag, the tag kind (type), and other values as needed.
    Note: When making changes, the tag name is important. You must use the exact same tag name to overwrite an existing tag. You can specify a different value for anything except the original tag name. Of course, the exception is when you intend to add a new tag name to the list.


  6. When finished making changes, click File > Save and File > Close.
Important: To use the import files you must copy them to a folder on a target station. On a remote platform, use the File Transfer Client to copy the files from the PC to the station’s “shared” folder.