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How to export Outbound Route Dial Patterns and Trunk Dialed Number Manipulation Rules to a CSV file in FreePBX
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Andrew Nagy said
Would a module be helpful for this? Seems like I could create a quick one and put it up to help out?
michigantelephone said
Andrew, I sure wouldn’t mind seeing one, but I don’t know if the current FreePBX development team would welcome it or not. But yes, a module would be very helpful, especially if it could export the fields in the format that the CSV import function wants to see them, so you wouldn’t have to load them into a word processor or CSV editor and do anything if you were simply wanting to transfer them to another system, or use them to assist in cloning a route/trunk, or something like that.
Vladimir Mikhelson said
Unfortunately the Database Editor (version 1.0) – for mysql and pgsql does not seem to work with FreePBX 2.9.0rc1.0 as of 03/24/2011. It produces an empty page.
Just in case it is not a known issue.
Also the link at the bottom, For updates, bug reports, or feature requests visit Database Editor Home, leads to the “The requested page could not be found.” page.
Zaik said
Hi
thanks for great tutorila but problem still the same as I don’t have option to upload cvs files under wizard drop down menu
michigantelephone said
Zaik, re-read the first paragraph and be sure to check out this link:
http://www.freepbx.org/trac/ticket/4691
If you apply that patch then you should see the csv upload capability. Alternately, see:
http://www.freepbx.org/forum/freepbx/users/how-to-do-csv-upload-of-route-trunk-dial-rules
Either way the principle is the same, you are patching or replacing a couple of files in FreePBX and that gives you the CSV upload capability. FreePBX 2.9 is also supposed to have that capability built in, but then the previous commenter says the Database Editor module doesn’t work in that version (could the FreePBX developers POSSIBLY have made made this any more of a PITA for users?!).
Zaik said
Thanks for prompt answer I did not see this.
Zaik said
I am really new to patch loading and cannot find clear “how-to”
may be you could tip how it can be done?
Thanks in advance and please go easy on me I am just learning and not very stupid -))
michigantelephone said
Obviously you are not a regular reader of my blog and therefore don’t know how much I hate trying to use the Linux command line for anything. And one of the reasons I hate it so much is because unless you have a photographic memory (and I have whatever the opposite of that is), you can’t remember the damn syntax for any of the commands, because every writer of a Linux utility did things his own way and there’s absolutely no consistency.
Which is to say, I’ll take a guess but it’s probably wrong, and if so you’ll either need to use Google or Wikipedia to figure it out, or use another method (download the complete files from the 2.9 repository and copy them over the existing files, but make sure you save backups of the originals if you do that).
My guess is:
patch < patchfile
Where patchfile is the file you downloaded. If you're not running as root then you may need to put sudo in front of that.
If that's not right then happy Googling!
Zaik said
Thanks
I found nice way round patch file
here http://pbxinaflash.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8970&page=2
Yep, I followed your tip and have upload to cvs option in freepbx 2.8. Thanks!
Here’s my outline for the steps.
You can download the modules here.
http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/…nches/2.9/core
The files to download are
page.routing.php
page.trunks.php
Just click on the file to view, and scroll all the way down to download the default format to your windows pc.
then I ran winscp and navigated to
/var/www/html/admin/modules/core
I renamed my two original files in case of an issue!
copied over the two files with winscp into the directory /var/www/html/admin/modules/core
right clicked on properties and modified it so it had the same rw-rw-r– rights as the old files.
logged on with putty to change ownership to asterisk.
cd /var/www/html/admin/modules/core
chown asterisk:asterisk page.routing.php
chown asterisk:asterisk page.trunks.php
I’m sure there are more elegant ways to do this all with putty, but this worked for me.
I haven’t uploaded anything yet but the browse feature worked.
michigantelephone said
Vladimir Mikhelson and anyone else who is having problems with the Database Editor module: I added a couple of edits showing alternate ways to export the data using Webmin or phpMyAdmin. I’m aware that many FreePBX users have one or both of those programs installed, so if you do, you have an alternate way to export the data to a CSV file.
michigantelephone said
Zaik, glad to hear you got it working. For anyone else running 2.8 that wants the CSV upload option, what Zaik suggests is probably the easiest path.
Zaik said
Yes I did ,and it is working only using CSVed and past clipboard content to colum 2 starting from row 2 real pain in the neck to me any way.
Keep learning -)))
michigantelephone said
(WARNING – If you find profanity offensive don’t read this comment. You’ve been warned!)
Just keep in mind that none of this pain would have been necessary if the FreePBX developers had just left well enough alone and stuck with the entry method used in 2.7. Or, if they’d provided CSV import AND export right from the start. No matter what else they may so, I will always remember how much they disrespected their users with this single act. And were I to say what I really think of them (or at least the ones behind this turd of an idea), I’m sure they would be highly offended, given their apparent low tolerance for profanity. But you know what? I don’t really care, because this was such an offensive act against their user base.
To the FreePBX developers, as far as I am concerned, if you proposed or in any way were involved in the implementation of this new entry method for routes and trunks, you were being an inconsiderate asshole. And if you find that offensive, rest assured that it is very much intentional, because I don’t like you and I probably never will.
If you’re a FreePBX developer but were not involved in this decision, or actually opposed it, or got just as much advance notification as the rest of us before the decision was set in stone (which is to say, virtually none at all), then the above comment does not apply to you.
And to anyone reading this blog that may find that comment offensive, there are thousands of other blogs out there, and chances are you don’t actually USE FreePBX and haven’t had to suffer with this shitty and unnecessary change. I defy anyone to show me one advantage that this new method brings, other than that some people think (with no proof or research whatsoever to back it up) that the new method may help new users make fewer mistakes. I call bullshit on that — if a new user doesn’t know what they are doing they will simply fill in the fields incorrectly. You have to know what you’re doing either way, and I haven’t heard from a single user, be they new or old, that has said they really love this new method, or that it has really helped their understanding. But it has sure caused problems and extra work for experienced users.
My feeling is that any FreePBX developer that was behind this change ought to hang their head in shame and go hide somewhere, and let developers who might actually care about users make the GUI decisions from now on (preferably with advance notice and actually seeking input from the user base), but of course that never happens because it’s always the jerks in any organization that claw their way to the top and then fight to stay there, and that sort of person just doesn’t care how much pain they cause the users.
Of course the FreePBX developers behind that change will probably never see this big F U to them, in this obscure comment in this obscure little blog that nobody reads (or so it’s been characterized by one of them), and I’m sure they won’t back down from their rotten decision two versions later. Now they are talking about releasing a new distro, and I just wonder how much that might suck if users are given as little consideration as they were when the decision to change the route and trunk entry method was made (to be fair, I haven’t seen it, and maybe the developers that made the decision about the routes and trunks aren’t involved with the new package, but since this change I really just can’t get excited about ANYTHING having to do with FreePBX anymore).
Zaik said
they will see -)) it here http://www.freepbx.org/forum/freepbx/beta-program-issues/2-8-dial-pattern-and-rules#comment-36609
last posts
michigantelephone said
Did you notice mickecarlsson’s comment, “There is no need to follow that article, it is incorporated in 2.9.” Really? There’s a CSV export function in 2.9? Funny that I’ve never seen any mention of it anywhere else!
Actually, it wouldn’t completely surprise me if he quickly went and wrote one, rather than admitting he was wrong (especially, that he was wrong in dissing this blog).
michigantelephone said
A “heads up” for those that have commented here — Here’s your chance to vote on whether you like the new method of entering Outbound Route Dial Patterns and Trunk Dial Rules in FreePBX.