Import and Export (CSV)

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Métra can export all your daily logs to a plain CSV file, and import them back. This is useful for:

  • Keeping a local backup you can open in any spreadsheet app.
  • Migrating data from another app (if you can produce the right format).
  • Bulk-editing past entries outside the app.
  • Long-term archiving in an open, non-proprietary format.

Exporting your data

  1. Go to Settings (gear icon).
  2. Tap Esporta CSV (Export CSV).
  3. Your device’s standard share sheet opens. You can save the file locally, send it to a computer, or open it in a spreadsheet app directly.

The export includes every day you have ever logged, in reverse chronological order (most recent first). Days you have never opened the app for are not included.

Importing data

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap Importa CSV (Import CSV).
  3. Pick the .csv file from your device storage.
  4. Métra parses the file. If any rows contain errors, a summary is shown before committing — you can cancel at this point.
  5. Confirm to apply. Imported rows overwrite any existing entry for the same date.

Import is additive and date-keyed. If you import a file that contains a row for 2025-03-15 and a row for that date already exists, the imported row replaces it. Dates not present in the file are left untouched.

CSV format reference

The file uses UTF-8 encoding, comma delimiters, and \n line endings. The first row is always the header. Values that contain commas or double-quotes are enclosed in double-quotes following standard RFC 4180.

Column reference

Column Type Required Description
date String Yes Date in YYYY-MM-DD format (e.g. 2025-04-15). Must be a valid calendar date.
flow_type Integer Yes Categorical flow type. See Flow type values.
flow Integer No Menstrual flow intensity. See Flow intensity values. Only meaningful when flow_type is 1. If flow_type is 1 and this column is empty, the intensity defaults to 1 (Moderate).
pain_intensity Integer No Pain level: 1 = Mild, 2 = Moderate, 3 = Severe. Empty = no pain recorded.
symptoms String No Semicolon-separated list of symptom tokens. Empty or omitted if none. See Symptom tokens.
notes String No Free-text note. Empty or omitted if none. Double-quoted if it contains commas or newlines.
cycle_start Integer No 1 if this day is the start of a new cycle, 0 otherwise. Export-only — this column is ignored on import. Métra recomputes cycle boundaries automatically.

Flow type values

The flow_type column encodes one of three mutually exclusive states:

Value Meaning
0 Assente — the user explicitly confirmed no bleeding.
1 Mestruazioni — active menstrual flow. flow intensity is meaningful.
2 Spotting — light, irregular spotting. flow intensity is ignored.

flow_type is required on every row. Use 0 (Assente) to explicitly record a day with no bleeding.

Flow intensity values

The flow column is only meaningful when flow_type is 1 (Mestruazioni). If it is omitted or left empty while flow_type is 1, the intensity is recorded as Moderate (1).

Value Meaning
0 Light (Leggero)
1 Moderate (Moderato) — default when flow_type=1 and flow is empty
2 Heavy (Abbondante)

Legacy note: older exports may contain a spotting column (0/1) instead of flow_type, and flow values 0–4 where 0 means no flow. Métra imports both formats automatically — you do not need to convert old files.

Symptom tokens

The symptoms column is a semicolon-separated list of tokens. Tokens are case-sensitive.

Built-in tokens:

Token Meaning
backPain Mal di schiena (Back pain)
headache Mal di testa (Headache)
migraine Emicrania (Migraine)
bloating Gonfiore (Bloating)
fatigue Stanchezza (Fatigue)
nausea Nausea
breastTenderness Tensione al seno (Breast tenderness)

Custom symptoms use the prefix custom: followed by the label text, e.g. custom:Dolore pelvico. The label is reproduced exactly as typed.

Backward compatibility. Pre-v0.2 exports of Métra used a cramps built-in token. On import, that token is automatically converted to a custom-label entry (custom:Crampi); the data is preserved.

Example — a row with two symptoms, one built-in and one custom:

symptoms
headache;custom:Dolore alla schiena

Multiple symptoms in one cell:

headache;backPain;bloating

Example file

date,flow_type,flow,pain_intensity,symptoms,notes,cycle_start
2025-05-01,1,0,2,headache;bloating,First day,1
2025-05-02,1,1,1,headache,,0
2025-05-03,1,1,,,, 0
2025-05-04,1,0,,,Feeling better,0
2025-05-05,0,,,,, 0
2025-05-06,0,,,,,0

Troubleshooting import errors

If Métra rejects some rows, a list of errors is shown before you confirm the import. Each error specifies:

  • Row number in the file (header is row 1, so data starts at row 2).
  • Column where the problem was found.
  • Raw value that was rejected.
  • Reason — a plain-English explanation.

Common causes:

Problem Fix
date not in YYYY-MM-DD format Change 15/04/2025 → 2025-04-15.
date missing Every row must have a date. Rows without one are skipped.
flow_type missing or out of range flow_type is required. Use 0, 1, or 2.
flow out of range Use 0, 1, 2, or leave empty (defaults to 1 when flow_type=1).
pain_intensity out of range Use 1, 2, 3, or leave empty.

Rows with errors are skipped; valid rows are still imported.

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