Fossnovena Perpetual Register Manager

A comprehensive WordPress plugin for managing and displaying the Perpetual Register with CSV import functionality.

Features

• CSV Import: Upload CSV files with drag-and-drop support
• Three Operation Modes:
  • Replace All: Delete existing records and import new data
  • Append New: Add only new records (skip existing IDs)
  • Update & Append: Update existing records and add new ones
• Data Validation: Automatic CSV validation and error checking
• Preview & Analysis: Review data before importing
• Backup System: Automatic backups before each import
• Restore Functionality: Restore from previous backups
• Frontend Display: Clean, responsive display with shortcode
• Search Functionality: Search by name or date
• Alphabetical Sections: Optional A-Z section headers
• Upload History: Track all import operations
• Responsive Design: Works on all devices

Installation

1. Upload the fossnovena-register-plugin folder to /wp-content/plugins/
2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
3. Navigate to 'Perpetual Register' in the admin menu

CSV Format

Your CSV file should have the following structure:

id,entry,lifeStats,sort
34500,MOREIRA Wilfredo,(d.9/08/2022),MOREIRA Wilfredo
2938,MORLEY Luke Michael,(8/09/1917 - 8/02/1975),MORLEY Luke Michael
25525,MORRIS Jane,,MORRIS Jane

Column Descriptions:

• id: Unique identifier for each record (required)
• entry: Full name as it should appear (required)
• lifeStats: Birth/death dates or other life information (optional)
• sort: Name used for alphabetical sorting (required, defaults to entry if empty)

Usage

Admin Interface

1. Upload CSV:

   • Navigate to 'Perpetual Register' → 'Upload CSV'
   • Click or drag-and-drop your CSV file
   • Select operation type
   • Click 'Analyze & Preview'
   • Review the analysis and preview
   • Click 'Confirm & Import'

2. View History:

   • Navigate to 'Upload History'
   • View all past imports
   • Restore from any previous backup

3. Settings:

   • Configure display options
   • Set items per page
   • Enable/disable alphabetical sections

Frontend Display

Add the following shortcode to any page or post:

[perpetual_register]

Shortcode Parameters:

• search="true" - Enable search functionality
• sections="false" - Hide alphabetical section headers
• per_page="100" - Custom number of items per page

Examples:

[perpetual_register search="true"]
[perpetual_register sections="false" per_page="50"]
[perpetual_register search="true" sections="true"]

Operation Types Explained

Replace All

• Deletes ALL existing records in the database
• Imports ALL records from the CSV
• Use when: You have a complete, updated dataset

Append New

• Keeps all existing records
• Adds only records with NEW IDs (not in database)
• Skips records with IDs that already exist
• Use when: Adding new entries to existing register

Update & Append

• Updates records with existing IDs
• Adds records with new IDs
• Best of both worlds
• Use when: You have both updates and new entries

Technical Details

Database Tables

fossnovena_register:

• Stores all register entries
• Indexed on sort_name for fast alphabetical sorting
• Unique constraint on external_id

fossnovena_register_history:

• Stores upload history and backups
• Contains full JSON backup of data before each operation

Security Features

• Nonce verification on all AJAX requests
• Capability checks (only administrators can upload)
• File type validation (CSV only)
• Data sanitization on all inputs
• SQL injection prevention with prepared statements

Performance

• Database indexes for fast queries
• Optional pagination for large datasets
• Efficient alphabetical grouping
• Minimal AJAX requests

Requirements

• WordPress 5.8 or higher
• PHP 7.4 or higher
• MySQL 5.7 or higher
• Minimum 64MB PHP memory limit

Changelog

Version 1.0.0

• Initial release
• CSV import with three operation modes
• Frontend display with shortcode
• Search functionality
• Backup and restore system
• Upload history tracking
• Responsive design