How to import multiple excel columns into a single metadata column?

Question

Consider: I work for an organization that has eight service territories. We have a series of procedural documents that can apply to one territory up to all eight territories, and I am attempting to add this data to each document as metadata. Our current database stores eight separate yes/no flags to indicate to which territories the documents are applicable.

For Instance:

is1 is2 is3 is4 is5 is6 is7 is8
 1   0   1   1   0   0   0   0
 0   0   0   1   1   0   0   0
 0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0

I would like to be able to import this data into a SINGLE sharepoint metadata column as checkboxes (allow Multiple values). Is there a way to do this?

We're using Foundations 2010, and do not have accessto development tools (including SPD).

Answer 1

if you can export your current database to a spreadsheet, you can then manipulate the data via formulas.

example: column B has a header of is1. B2 has the value of 1. You can use an if statement to convert that to the name of the region: =if(B2=1,"Region 1"

do this for each region, placing the name of each region in a separate cell. in a final column, you can use another formula to add them together: =b2&";"&b3&";"&b4

In a new worksheet format for the columns you want to appear in the Sharepoint list. Create a column for the regions and copy the values from the above formula into this column.

Finally, I would recommend creating the list using a custom list and using datasheet view to copy/paste the data into SP. The Import Spreadsheet option can be quite dicey regarding column titles and column format.

Hope this helps.