Time Series Import with Macros
Time series can be automatically imported from CSV, TXT, XLSX, XLSM, XLSB, and XLS files into ETA using macros. This article describes how to do this.
The automated import of time series into TOP-Energy using the TOP-Energy component Time_Series_ImportExport, without having to open ETA every time, is explained separately in the article about the TOP-Energy Import-Macro.
Creating and Editing Import Macros
To create a macro for importing time series in ETA, you must first open the time series to be imported in ETA.
Then start the creation of the macro via the entries in the ETA menu bar File → Import → Create/Edit import macro (see following figure).
The following window opens.
You can create a new macro by means of the 
button.
If macros have already been created they appear in the drop-down list for selection.
The following buttons are used to execute, save, and delete macros:
Execute the chosen macro,
Save current macro,
Delete the chosen macro.
To edit, delete or execute created macro steps (actions), the context menu, which can be accessed by right-clicking on the macro step (see following figure), and the following buttons are available:
Edit action,
Delete action,
Run to action.
Load File
The first step to create a new macro or an unsaved macro is to load a time series. To do this, click the Load File button located in the bottom right corner of the Edit Macro window.
In the window that opens, select the file to be loaded that contains the time series to be imported (see following figure). When selecting the time series to be imported, please refer to the notes on the file format.
After confirming with Open, this step is automatically recorded as Load File under Macro Steps. A preview of the raw data is displayed in the lower part of the window (see following figure).
The automatically recognized Delimiter shall be checked and, if necessary, corrected.
Parse Raw Data
The following window appears, in which the macro step Parse raw data using delimiter is recorded.
Edit Import Columns
As with Simple Time Series Import, the assignments of the time and date columns must be checked and, if necessary, corrected under Data Processing. Each column to be imported is then selected with a check mark in the table header. A small window opens in which the column can be renamed and the unit assigned (see following slider).
After confirming with OK, the import is recorded as a further Macro Step, e.g., with Create … from column … or with Overwrite … if overwriting a TOP-Energy component was selected.
As with Simple Time Series Import, the time series to be imported can then be previewed and edited if necessary. To do this, select it in the window under Imported time series (see the figure below).
To add more time series, repeat the steps from Load file.
The other Macro Steps are also recorded in the list.
Once all time series have been compiled for import, confirm with OK at the bottom right (see previous figure).
The message Save changes to current macro? is answered with Yes. If an existing macro is to be overwritten, this must be confirmed. If a previously unsaved macro is to be saved its name must be entered (see following figure). The window for editing an import macro then closes.
Run Import Macro
To execute the import macro, select the Import using macro menu item (see the following figure).
This opens the following window for importing time series.
In the drop-down list above select the macro to be used, in the following example Power_Demand (see following figure).
The macro is then loaded and displayed as shown in the following figure. A click on OK in the lower right corner of the window starts running the macro.
Video
How to create and run an import macro in the Engineering Time Series Analyzer (ETA) you can learn in the following video. The import macro allows an automatic import of time series into ETA.
