Error when Importing a CSV file

[HeatherPrice]

I keep getting an error message about my header row being invalid when importing a CSV file. I tried changing it to the sample from this article and it's still not working. Any ideas? 

[Ron_Bowman]

@HeatherPrice -

Is this a csv file that your completely created from scratch?  Or did you modify a downloaded csv file from the course?  If the file is from scratch, I suggest downloading the gradebook from canvas and then keeping all the columns at the beginning and then get rid of all the assignment score columns and extra columns except for what you are trying to upload and use that file.

One last thought ( I just recently did this, and it will be rare if it applies to you) - if you are using a script from UC-Boulder that has an import button for certain items to the gradebook(If you have no idea what I mentioned here, then it is not the problem), then don't use that import option - just make sure that you use the import option from the menu options in the gradebook.

More information on exactly what you are trying to import would help as well.

[HeatherPrice]

I am trying to import a CSV file from an application called Performance Matters. I exported the data from P.M. and then converted the file to CSV and edited the header row to match what Canvas shows in their example. 

[Ron_Bowman]

@HeatherPrice -

I don't think just making the header information match is going to do what you want.  The content of some of the first 5 or so columns must contain the correct information as well.  I do not know anything about Performance Matters (or power school), but if power school can be connected into the Canvas course, I would think the transfer of information would be done automatically.  

if it is grades you are trying to import, then my suggestion is to create those assignment positions in the Canvas course, export the canvas gradebook and then copy the grades from performance matters into that csv file and then import it.

I know there are people that use power school, so there should be a way to just integrate it into Canvas so you don't have to do anything.  Hopefully they will see this and respond.

[HeatherPrice]

Yes we have Canvas synced to PS. The problem is Performance Matters, which is tied into PS only syncs to PS. So teachers at the moment are having to manually put in Canvas the grades form P.M, which we are trying o avoid. The information within the spreadsheet are grades and the information is pretty spot on so I am not sure how to make this work. 

[Ron_Bowman]

@HeatherPrice -

Ok.  without seeing the actual data (which I know you can't share) it would be tough to figure out what the issue is.  The only thing I can suggest now would be to look at the csv file in a text editor and see if there are extra spaces that may (I really don't know) be in fields that are causing issues.

i.e. if a line is: stude_name,45676  , 60  , where there are spaces after 45676 and before and after 60, that could be an issue - I would think not, but who knows.

Another possible issue would be certain line terminations characters that are present.  If you have access to vi or emacs, text line editors on Linux systems you can see strange characters that would have to be removed.  You might also want to open the csv file in notepad++ (much better than notepad) and save it under a different name-I believe there are options to change how the file is saved to avoid some of the strange line ending characters.

Lastly, I would just work with a file that has been whittled down to just the main information and one assignment grade.

[Ron_Bowman]

@HeatherPrice -

Just out of curiosity, how are you editing the file you download from Performance matters?  

There might be an issue if it is edited in a text editor instead of excel.  I did some playing around and got the header row invalid error that went away after putting the csv file into excel and saving it as something else and then uploading that file - this is a file that I had edited in notepad++.

[HeatherPrice]

I am using excel

[NicoletteStaley · Accepted solution]

@HeatherPrice I recommend that you make sure the file is getting saved as a csv with UTF-8 encoding before you attempt to import it into Canvas; many times Excel changes the encoding to something else.  Then I second @Ron_Bowman's suggestion that you export the gradebook from the Canvas course, add the grades from Performance Matters to the gradebook export, and then import that edited csv to the course.

[CharlesRoot]

When I am in Excel I only see CSV (MS D0s),csv format or CSV (common delimited) *.csv as export and neither work when importing into CANVAS. I do not see UTF-8 encoding. Both have an error pop up of CSV Header row invalid. 

[kevin_redding]

This problem has been happening more and more frequently in Canvas for me.  What I have done for years is exactly what you have described -- I first download the Gradebook as a CSV file and then I input the grades as plain numbers (i.e., no equations or formatting) below the header row (which I do NOT change) of the CSV file.  I then upload the modified CSV file into the Canvas gradebook.  This used to work smoothly.  Now I get this error (The CSV header row is invalid.) very often.  

I did not know about the UTF-8 encoding issue, so I just tried re-saving a CSV file that gave that error as a CSV UTF-8 file from Excel.  However, upon trying to upload the new CSV UTF-8 file, I still got the error: The CSV header row is invalid.

This is getting VERY FRUSTRATING.