The bulk loader is a tool that Tripal provides for loading of data contained in tab delimited files. Tripal supports loading of files in standard formats (e.g. FASTA, GFF, OBO), but Chado can support a variety of different biological data types and there are often no community standard file formats for loading these data. For example, there is no file format for importing genotype and phenotype data. Those data can be stored in the feature, stock and natural diversity tables of Chado. The Bulk Loader was introduced in Tripal v1.1 and provides a web interface for building custom data loader. In short, the site developer creates the bulk loader "template". This template can then be used and re-used for any tab delimited file that follows the format described by the template. Additionally, bulk loading templates can be exported allowing Tripal sites to share loaders with one another. Loading templates that have been shared are available on the Tripal website here: .

General Usage

1. Plan how to store your data.
   This is the most important and often the most difficult step. This is because it requires familiarity with the Chado database schema and due to the flexibility of the schema, you may be able to store your data multiple ways. It is considered best practice to consult the GMOD website and the Chado community (via the ) when deciding how to store data.
2. Create a new Bulk Loading Template to map the columns from your data file to chado.
   Creating a new template can be done by clicking on the "Templates" tab above and then the "Add Template" link. Note that the template is designed with a single line from your file in mind. Furthermore, the term "record" refers to a single entry in chado and the term "field" refers to a column in a specific chado table.
3. Create a Bulk Loader Job with file-specific details that uses your template to load a specific file.
   Create a Bulk Loading Job by clicking on the "Jobs" tab above and then "Add Bulk Loading Job". Remember to select the template you just created and to ensure that you provide the absolute path to the file. Note: The file must already be uploaded to the same server as your Drupal installation and must be readable by the command-line user who executes the tripal job.

For the full tutorial, see the .