Exporting Data from ComicSuite

This article covers exporting data from ComicSuite, either to migrate into Oryx or to reconcile between the two systems during a parallel-run period. The import into Oryx is covered in How to Import into Manage Comics.

How to Start

To begin the process, you'll need two key files from ComicSuite: your customer list and your subscription list.

The best way to get your Customer data out of Comic Suite is with a simple SQL dump, but the second best is RMH's customer export.

Step 1 (option a): Export Your Customers

1. Open Store Manager in RMH.

2. Navigate to Customers > Export to Excel.

3. Save the file to your desktop or another easily accessible location.

This will not give you the best results but is a simpler process.

Step 1 (option b): Export Your Customers (RECOMMENDED)

1. Open SQL Explorer

2. Run the following Query (replacing DATABASENAME with the name of your database).

JavaScript/****** Script for EXPORTING ALL CUSTOMERS RM  ******/SELECT[AccountNumber],  [FirstName],  [LastName],  [EmailAddress],  [PhoneNumber],  [Address],  [Address2],  [City],  [State],  [Country],  [Zip],  [AccountBalance],  [CreditLimit],  [totalsales],  [totalvisits],  [CurrentDiscount],  [pricelevel],  [taxexempt],  [notes],  [vouchers],  [limitpurchase],  [layawaycustomer]FROM [DATABASENAME].[dbo].[Customer];

4. Save as a CSV (with headers if possible).

5. Proceed to Export your Subscription List

Step 2: Export Your Subscription List

1. Open Comic Suite.

2. From the top navigation menu, go to:
   Reports > Subscriptions > Master Subscription Summary > By Customer

3. Click File > Save As and choose CSV format.

4. Save this file to your desktop or another easy-to-find location.

Congratulations! You are done the Export steps.

Your next step is to import your data into Manage Comics Oryx.

Cleaning the data before import

ComicSuite exports can include items that cause import errors in Oryx. Before importing:

• Deduplicate by email. ComicSuite allows duplicate customer records with the same email; Oryx does not.

• Normalize phone numbers. Oryx expects a 10-digit format.

• Remove inactive customers you do not want migrated.

• Re-save as UTF-8 if special characters appear garbled.

See How to Safely Open a CSV in Excel for Excel-specific tips.

Parallel-run considerations

If you are running ComicSuite and Oryx in parallel during migration, agree on a single source of truth for each data type:

• Subscriptions: almost always moved to Oryx.

• In-store sales: stay in ComicSuite until you switch the register.

• Inventory: whichever system you are checking in against that week owns the quantity.