# Importing single data files for development

In some cases, for example during development, it may be useful to import a single data file into an existing study. To import one data file at a time, you can use the following command. Note that this process will not validate the data.

# Workflow

First, if your cancer type does not yet exist, you need to create it:

docker compose exec cbioportal cbioportalImporter.py -c import-cancer-type -data <path to study directory>/<name of data file>

Next, create the study using

docker compose exec cbioportal cbioportalImporter.py -c import-study -meta <path to study directory>/<name of meta file>

The meta file has to contain the study information.

Now you can import your data file(s):

docker compose exec cbioportal cbioportalImporter.py -c import-study-data -meta <path to study directory>/<name of meta file> -data <path to study directory>/<name of data file> 

⚠️ Your first data file should always be the clinical data!

Finally, after you've imported all data, import your case lists:

docker compose exec cbioportal cbioportalImporter.py -c import-case-list -meta <path to study directory>/<path to case lists>

⚠️ After every import, you must rebuild the derived tables to update the ClickHouse structures that power the study view. Without this step, newly imported data will not appear correctly in the UI:
docker compose exec cbioportal metaImport.py derive-tables

# Example:

docker compose exec cbioportal cbioportalImporter.py -c import-cancer-type -data /study/brca_small/data_cancer_type.txt
docker compose exec cbioportal cbioportalImporter.py -c import-study -meta /study/brca_small/meta_study.txt
docker compose exec cbioportal cbioportalImporter.py -c import-study-data -meta /study/brca_small/meta_clinical.txt -data /study/brca_small/data_clinical.txt
docker compose exec cbioportal cbioportalImporter.py -c import-study-data -meta /study/brca_small/meta_expression.txt -data /study/brca_small/data_expression.txt
docker compose exec cbioportal cbioportalImporter.py -c import-case-list -meta /study/brca_small/case_lists
docker compose exec cbioportal metaImport.py derive-tables