Importing and exporting (in IT)

23rd July 2025

How can data be moved from one system to another?

Over recent months, we’ve heard a lot about imports and exports, largely due to a certain politician’s dramatic tariffs. In this example, this refers to the movement of goods in and out of a territory, the cost of moving products from one place to another.

IT imports and exports refer to the same thing, just with data transference rather than anything physical. For example, if another member of staff shares a document with you, you may import it into your own systems so you can edit it, or you may export a film with someone else so that they can do the same.

As well as data migration, importing and exporting has other uses. You can export data for backups and later, if you need it, you can import the data back to restore your systems. Additionally, settings or configurations can be transferred using imports or exports, allowing environments to be replicated across organisations.

When transferring data, it is important to import and export correctly, to avoid issues like data loss or corruption. The target system needs to be compatible with the data that is being transferred, and the data needs to be validated to prevent errors or malicious inputs. Also, sensitive data should be encrypted before it is exported, to keep details secure.

Common examples include:

·         CSV / Excel: for tabular data

·         JSON / XML: used for structured data, particularly in APIs

·         SQL Dumps: for exporting entire databases

·         YAML / INI: for configuration files

The main advantages to importing and exporting data are that it makes collaboration between staff easier as they can share information, as well as increasing efficiency when compared to manual data entry.

If you have any questions about importing or exporting data, contact Interfuture Systems.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/A4UlXY1TJug