Hey all,

I'm attempting to find the best way for a custom import wizard for a custom object.

Here's my circumstance:

Our Sales department gets lists of locations that we deploy assets to (called a deployment). These lists are usually no more than 500 at any given time, but can be as little as 10, or sometimes one offs.

I represent locations in our environment through Location__c.

What I would like, is build a wizard like interface that helps the Sales dept upload their locations in a project form. So a little wizard that allows them to upload the new locations, review them, and authorize/commit them to the DB.That way I can run workflow and triggers on new locations BEFORE we commit them fully as authorized locations.

I'm planning on creating a bunch of logic to check for duplicate locations (using Lat / long, address checking etc...) so using the standard "custom object importer wizard" is sort of out of the question. It's a little complicated for the common Sales guy. (no offence to sales guys...)

The issue is then: If I don't use the standard import wizard, what options do I have?

I'm looking for all advice I can get.

Is anyone aware of an app that utilizes custom csv file imports?

Also, I've seen sites that simply ask you to paste in excel data into a text box, and it manages to delimit it for you. Is that a viable option?

I am trying to understand standard controllers vs. custom--and how they can be used with Custom Objects?

Most of the code samples I have found all use the standard Account or Contact as the example like...

<apex:page standardController="Account" showHeader="true"  tabStyle="Account" > 

I have several Custom Objects that I have created---and have trying to create a simple Tabbed view of the object detail and related lists instead of the typical list view--using VF.

I am just starting on VF...

>Do standard controllers get 'auto-created' for each custom object?--assume so and thats how the display using standard SF look?

> When I try starting my VF page to be used on my Custom Object with...

<apex:page standardController="ThenameIusedtocreatetheobject_c" showHeader="true"  tabStyle="ThenameIusedtocreatetheobject_c"" > 

I get errors - ThenameIusedtocreatetheobject_c Does not Exist, etc.

What am I missing about standard controllers on custom objects?  Do all custom objects require a custom controller to be coded?

Thanks for the assistance...

KS