DataPrep Elements
DataPrep elements in the Process Designer tool are used for executing data preparation operations upon process inputs. These elements consist of Workspace and DataPrep Export.
NOTE: A Hub element can be added between a Workspace element and a DataPrep Export element to process multiple input files individually or by group on a workspace.
The table below specifies functionality of the DataPrep group elements.
Element Name |
Description |
Properties and Comments |
Workspace |
Performs operations upon process inputs. |
NOTE: To view the information of the selected workspace, including its table inputs, exports, filters, sorts, summaries, and other settings, click the information icon below the Workspace Path field. Actions to select the workspace path:
NOTE: The following alert displays when you change the workspace path of an existing workspace element: Load Plan should be reselected and reapplied in DataPrep Export/Verify Workspace settings because another workspace was specified. (It is impractical to assume that the Load Plan is still valid, given the Workspace has changed, thus, requiring this step to confirm/refresh accordingly).
NOTE: Workspace validation is sensitive to data volume and connection speed and is thus disabled by default. For web/cloud-based load plans, you may select the Disable validation optimization checkbox to disable the automatic downloading/parsing of files from the web.
NOTE: Additional options for SQL Server, OLE DB, and Oracle source types are provided below.
NOTE: When the load plan comes with a change list, this change list is labeled as “Default.” All new change lists added to the workspace’s change history are labeled according to their names in the Server Library. When starting a process via manifest, the existing change list in the process can be overwritten with a change list from the Server Library. |
DataPrep Export |
Exports data from data preparation workspace. |
The user can select several load plans for the export by ticking their corresponding checkboxes. To export all load plans, select the All Load Plans check box.
Click this button to open the Import Export Definition dialog box. In the Export Name dropdown menu, select the workspace export you want to import. The corresponding details of the export (e.g., load plan, export type) are displayed. Click OK to proceed. The settings of the selected export are then applied to the DataPrep Export item settings. NOTE: The advanced settings for a predefined Excel export from the selected export definition will also be fetched and applied to the DataPrep Export item settings. A label of Excel Advanced Options: Default indicates that the selected export definition to be imported has no advanced Excel export settings. A label of Excel Advanced Options: Custom indicates that the selected export definition has at least one advanced Excel export setting. However, if the Enable Advanced Excel features for existing exports of the current workspace is disabled, the advanced Excel export settings of the selected export definition are not applied to the DataPrep export item at all. Note that the same does not apply to new exports created in Monarch Server.
The following file systems are available:
NOTES: You may also use the naming macros to name the exported files and destination folder. To do this, click the Insert Macro icon () and select the naming macros from the drop-down list. The Input File Name macro is available to specify one or more input file names. If there are several inputs in a Load Plan (Join/Union), the names of the export files will contain a combination of these input files. When the Input files are processed by group, the Input File Name macro will only hold the first file name.
Filtering:
Select a summary: NOTE: This option is available for the following file types: CSV, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, XML, JSON, Tableau, SAS Transport Format, and Qlik.
Sorting
NOTE: When the selected table has a row limit applied, you can proceed with the export by exporting either all rows or limited rows. Specifically, the following options are available:
The option to export either all rows or limited rows is only available when one load plan is selected. It cannot be modified when multiple load plans are selected for export. |
Advanced options for Workspace element
Additional options for Excel Worksheet Design
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When dealing with multiple inputs, the Parse inputs for sheet names option becomes available. Select the checkbox if you want to parse the inputs for specific sheets, and then click Apply to…
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When selected, changes can be applied to the following:
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All worksheets
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First sheet
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Last sheet
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Selected Sheet by Name
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Selected Sheet by Number
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When not selected, changes can be applied to the following:
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Selected Sheet by Name
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Selected Sheet by Number
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When dealing with only one input, modifications can be applied to the following by clicking Apply to…:
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All worksheets
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First sheet
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Last sheet
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Selected Sheet by Name
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Selected Sheet by Number
Additional options for SQL Server, OLE DB, and Oracle source types
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In the column list in the SQL Server/OLE DB/Oracle dialog box, select the column to use.
Select from the following options:
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Aggregate: Select the check box if the column data should be aggregated (i.e., grouped together) and then select the aggregation method to apply from the drop-down menu. The following aggregation methods are available:
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Sum: Applies to numeric data; returns the total value of all values in the column
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Count: Applies to numeric data and dates; returns the number of entries in the column
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Min: Applies to numeric data and dates; returns the lowest value in the column
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Max: Applies to numeric data and dates; returns the highest value in the column
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Group by: Applies to numeric data, dates, and text; returns grouped values and is often used with functions such as SUM and COUNT.
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Apply Filter: Select the check box if the column data should be filtered and then select the filter method to apply from the drop-down menu. Enter the filter value to use in the corresponding Filter Value box.
The following filter methods are available:
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Equal to: Applies to numeric data, dates, and text; returns all values that contain the specified filter value
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Not Equal To: Applies to numeric data, dates, and text; returns all values except those that contain the specified filter value
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Greater Than: Applies to numeric data and dates; returns all values that are greater than the specified filter value
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Greater Than Equal: Applies to numeric data and dates; returns all values that are greater than or equal to the specified value
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Less Than: Applies to numeric data and dates; returns all values that are less than the specified filter value
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Less Than Equal: Applies to numeric data and dates; returns all values that are less than or equal to the specified filter value
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Contains: Applies to text; returns all values that contain the specified filter value
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Starts With: Applies to text; returns all values that start with the specified filter value
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Ends With: Applies to text; returns all values that end with the specified filter value
Advanced options for DataPrep Export element
Additional options for CSV file types
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In the When output file exists drop-down menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names,
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select Add data to add the new data to the existing one,
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Delimiter sets the separator symbol between columns. The delimiter characters available are comma, semicolon, tab, pipe, and space. Choose Other to specify a different character.
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Qualifier sets the wrapper symbol type.
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Choose the Encoding Type to apply to the CSV file. The following options are available:
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Code Page
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UTF-8
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UTF-16LE
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UTF-16BE
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Set the Code Page to apply to the CSV file. The following options are available:
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Select the Include Column Header checkbox to include headers in your file.
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Select the Append DOS end-of-life character (x1A) checkbox to add a DOS EOF character to the export file.
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Select the Legacy compatibility mode – Ignore format customizations during export checkbox if you want to use the Monarch Classic style formatting instead of the column format customizations during the export of numeric and date columns.
NOTES
When this option is selected, numeric values are exported using the current system’s localized decimal separator. For date values, the following options are available:
- yyyy-mm-dd
- yyyymmdd
- Use current Windows Regional Settings (based on the settings of the server where the host is installed)
For Monarch Server, this would typically be based on the Service Account for the Monarch Server Agent Service localization specifically (or, if running Monarch Server in console mode, the User Account context in which the console is running).
Additional options for Fixed Text file types
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In the When output file exists drop-down menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names,
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select Add data to add the new data to the existing one,
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Click Column sizes to adjust the widths of the columns in your file.
Additional options for Altair Panopticon file types
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In the When output file exists dropdown menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names,
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select Add data to add the new data to the existing one,
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Enter your Table Name.
NOTE: Click the Existing Tables button ( ) to display the names of the tables in the export file when exporting to a file that already exists. Select the desired table name.
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When Add data is selected in the When output file exists dropdown menu, the When table exists dropdown menu becomes available with the following options:
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select Overwrite to substitute the data table,
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select Append to append records to the existing table,
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select Update to update existing rows,
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select Update and append to update existing rows and append new ones,
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Select the Suppress column header row checkbox if you prefer to hide the column headers in the exported file.
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Click the Advanced Excel Export Options button to set the parameters for the Excel export. The following settings are available:
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Security
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Digital Signature: Select this checkbox to apply a digital signature to the exported Excel file. By adding a digital signature, you establish the authenticity, integrity, and non repudiation of the export output. Select or change the certificate to be used by clicking the Certificate button. In the Select Certificate dialog box, specify the certificate source by choosing between Store and File in the dropdown menu.
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Store: A list of the certificates currently available on your Certificate Store is displayed. Select a certificate from the list and click OK.
- File: Navigate to the folder containing your certificate file and then select it. Enter the certificate password in the field provided. Click the Get Certificate Information button to display the details of the certificate.
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Filter
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Add AutoFilter drop down lists to column labels in the Table: Select this checkbox to enable Excel’s AutoFilter feature so that it is ready and active upon opening the exported Excel file.
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Pivot
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Include Pivot Table sheet: Select this checkbox to modify the pivot settings. Click the Pivot Table button to display the Pivot Table Settings dialog box:
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Fields tab: Use this tab to set the desired pivot field filters, columns, rows, and values.
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Options tab: Use this tab to specify the Pivot Table name, corresponding action if the Pivot Table exists, style, and grand total parameters.
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- Click the Page Setup button to specify the header/footer settings and other page settings for the Excel export in the Excel Page Setup window. Select the Use workspace settings checkbox to apply the default page settings of the workspace used. To make your own specifications, the following settings are available:
- Preferences
- Page Orientation: Set the desired page orientation (i.e., portrait or landscape).
- Paper Size: Set the desired paper size (e.g., letter, legal, or executive).
- Page Margins:
- Top: Accepts a value representing the top margin. The default value is 0.5 inches.
- Left: Accepts a value representing the left margin. The default value is 0.5 inches.
- Bottom: Accepts a value representing the bottom margin. The default value is 0.5 inches.
- Right: Accepts a value representing the right margin. The default value is 0.5 inches.
- Options
- Show Column Titles: Select this checkbox to display the column titles at the top of each page.
- Show Grid Lines: Select this checkbox to display the grid lines between rows and columns.
- Header Layout/Footer Layout
- Page Header display box: This shows a page header of up to 3 lines, with each line displaying left-aligned, centered, or right-aligned text. Input text (e.g., workspace name) into the boxes accordingly.
- Use custom font: Select this checkbox to modify the font settings, including the font style, font size, text color, and text style (i.e., bold, italic, underline). A sample of the text with the font settings applied is displayed on the right panel of the Excel Page Setup window.
- Preferences
- Select the Export All checkbox if you want to export all columns; otherwise, click Column Mapping to map the export columns to the destination columns.
Additional options for Microsoft Excel file types
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In the When output file exists drop-down menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names,
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select Add data to add the new data to the existing one,
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Enter your Table Name.
NOTE: Click the Existing Tables button () to display the names of the tables in the export file when exporting to a file that already exists. Select the desired table name.
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When Add data is selected in the When output file exists dropdown menu, the When table exists dropdown menu becomes available with the following options:
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select Overwrite to substitute the data table,
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select Append to append records to the existing table,
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Select the Suppress column header row checkbox if you prefer to hide the column headers in the exported Excel file.
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When Append is selected from the When table exists dropdown menu, select the Do not match column names checkbox if you want the columns from potentially different tables to be left aligned regardless of column names or data types.
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Click the Advanced Excel Export Options button to apply the following settings:
For Table Exports:
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Digital Signature: Select this checkbox to apply a digital signature to the exported Excel file. By adding a digital signature, you establish the authenticity, integrity, and non repudiation of the export output. Select or change the certificate to be used by clicking the Certificate button. In the Select Certificate dialog box, specify the certificate source by choosing between Store and File in the dropdown menu.
- Store: A list of the certificates currently available on your Certificate Store is displayed. Select a certificate from the list and click OK.
- File: Navigate to the folder containing your certificate file and then select it. Enter the certificate password in the field provided. Click the Get Certificate Information button to display the details of the certificate.
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Add AutoFilter drop down lists to column labels in the Table: Select this checkbox to enable Excel’s AutoFilter feature so that it is ready and active upon opening the exported Excel file.
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Include Pivot Table sheet: Select this checkbox to modify the pivot settings. Click the Pivot Table button to display the Pivot Table Settings dialog box:
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Fields tab: Use this tab to set the desired pivot field filters, columns, rows, and values.
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Options tab: Use this tab to specify the Pivot Table name, corresponding action if the Pivot Table exists, style, and grand total parameters.
For Summary Exports:
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Digital Signature: Select this checkbox to apply a digital signature to the exported Excel file. By adding a digital signature, you establish the authenticity, integrity, and non repudiation of the export output. Select or change the certificate to be used by clicking the Certificate button. In the Select Certificate dialog box, specify the certificate source by choosing between Store and File in the dropdown menu.
- Store: A list of the certificates currently available on your Certificate Store is displayed. Select a certificate from the list and click OK.
- File: Navigate to the folder containing your certificate file and then select it. Enter the certificate password in the field provided. Click the Get Certificate Information button to display the details of the certificate.
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Embed the page setup header in the worksheet title: Select this checkbox to make the Summary page header (defined using the Page Setup dialog) part of title of exported Excel Worksheet.
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Include Outline to enable Drill Up/Down in Excel: Select this checkbox to include an outline in the exported Excel worksheet. The outline will allow you to drill up and down in Excel.
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Include Formulas to facilitate editing in Excel: Select this checkbox if you want Automator to attempt to translate subtotal and grand total calculations into Excel formulas in the exported Excel file.
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Use conditional formatting if required conditions are fewer than (?): This option implements Conditional Formatting Rules in the exported Excel file as long as the number of rules would not exceed the specified amount. The Conditional Formatting feature in Excel provides a mechanism to modify the display attributes of a cell based upon the value of that cell. Automator leverages this feature by creating conditional formats from the rules specified on the Coloring and Limits dialog of a measure's properties. Depending upon the rules defined for each measure, up to 3 conditional formatting rules can be generated for each value of an exported measure.
- Click the Page Setup button to specify the header/footer settings and other page settings for the Excel export in the Excel Page Setup window. Select the Use workspace settings checkbox to apply the default page settings of the workspace used. To make your own specifications, the following settings are available:
- Preferences
- Page Orientation: Set the desired page orientation (i.e., portrait or landscape).
- Paper Size: Set the desired paper size (e.g., letter, legal, or executive).
- Page Margins:
- Top: Accepts a value representing the top margin. The default value is 0.5 inches.
- Left: Accepts a value representing the left margin. The default value is 0.5 inches.
- Bottom: Accepts a value representing the bottom margin. The default value is 0.5 inches.
- Right: Accepts a value representing the right margin. The default value is 0.5 inches.
- Options
- Show Column Titles: Select this checkbox to display the column titles at the top of each page.
- Show Grid Lines: Select this checkbox to display the grid lines between rows and columns.
- Header Layout/Footer Layout
- Page Header display box: This shows a page header of up to 3 lines, with each line displaying left-aligned, centered, or right-aligned text. Input text (e.g., workspace name) into the boxes accordingly.
- Use custom font: Select this checkbox to modify the font settings, including the font style, font size, text color, and text style (i.e., bold, italic, underline). A sample of the text with the font settings applied is displayed on the right panel of the Excel Page Setup window.
- Preferences
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Select the Export All checkbox if you want to export all columns; otherwise, click Column Mapping to map the export columns to the destination columns.
Additional options for Microsoft Access file types
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In the When output file exists dropdown menu, select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names.
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Enter your Table Name.
NOTE: Click the Existing Tables button () to display the names of the tables in the export file when exporting to a file that already exists. Select the desired table name.
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When Add data is selected in the When output file exists dropdown menu, the When table exists dropdown menu becomes available with the following options:
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select Overwrite to substitute the data table,
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select Append to append records to the existing table,
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select Update to update existing rows,
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select Update and append to update existing rows and append new ones,
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Select the Export All checkbox if you want to export all columns; otherwise, click Column Mapping to map the export columns to the destination columns.
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When Update or Update and append is selected from the When table exists dropdown menu,modify the following:
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When update match not found: elect the Export to delimited text file check box to export the unmatched record(s) to a delimited text file when updating existing rows in a table if a matching row is not found in the destination table.
Additional options for OLE DB and ODBC file types
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Type in the Connection String or select it via the Data Link Wizard or Connection Definitions with all the required data.
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Select the Include password checkbox to input a password.
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Select the Bulk Behavior checkbox to enhance export performance.
NOTE: This option is applicable for Oracle Database and Microsoft SQL Server OLEDB providers only.
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Select the Use Transaction checkbox to revert the export via rollback if an error occurs during the export.
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The Use Transaction checkbox is only available when the Bulk Behavior check box is selected.
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Selecting this option will affect the performance of the table export and may require a large amount of system resources, especially for the target destination. Therefore, make sure to test this option first and then make the necessary adjustments.
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The transaction is valid for the export operation only and not for the overall process.
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Enter your Table Name.
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In the When table exists drop-down menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute the data table,
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select Append to append records to the existing table,
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select Update to update existing rows,
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select Update and append to update existing rows and append new ones.
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Select the Export All checkbox if you want to export all columns; otherwise, click Column Mapping to map the export columns to the destination columns.
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When Update or Update and append is selected from the When table exists dropdown menu, modify the following:
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When update match not found: Select the Export to delimited text file check box to export the unmatched record(s) to a delimited text file when updating existing rows in a table if a matching row is not found in the destination table.
Additional options for Qlik file types
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In the When output file exists drop-down menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names,
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select Add data to add the new data to the existing one,
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting an existing data.
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Additional options for Tableau Hyper file types
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In the When output file exists drop-down menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names.
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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NOTE: Export to Tableau is performed in .hyper format.
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To publish the Tableau export file to Tableau Server, click the Publish to Tableau Server check box under the Publish to Tableau Server options. This displays the following Tableau Server settings.
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Data Source Name: The name of the Data Source on the Tableau Server.
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Site: The address of the data source.
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Path to TABCMD: The route to the executable file of the TableauServerTabcmd application.
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Server Address: The address of the Tableau Server.
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Username: The login name for the Tableau Server.
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Use Password File: Select this option to use a password file in .txt format.
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Password: The password to the Tableau Server (NOTE: If the Use Password File option is selected, you need to specify the path to the password file).
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Proxy Address: The address of the proxy server in HOST:PORT format.
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Publish Type: Allows to specify an action for the data source:
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Overwrite Data Source: Overwrites the data source with the data from the export table (NOTE: Date modified is changed);
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Replace Data: Replaces the data in the data source with the data from the export table (NOTE: Date modified is not changed);
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Append Data: Adds data from the export table to the end of the data source table.
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Additional options for IBM Cognos Analytics file types
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Enter your Table Name.
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In the When output file exists dropdown menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names,
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Type the value of the Cognos Analytics server URL to the Server Url field.
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Click the Test button to get all namespaces.
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Select the corresponding Namespace.
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Type the correct Username and Password.
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Click the Check Credentials button to validate credentials.
NOTE: If you want to log in anonymously, select the Is Anonymous checkbox.
Additional options for Microsoft Power BI file types
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Enter your Table Name.
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In the When output file exists dropdown menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names,
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Click the Set Power BI Login Data button to open the Power BI Login form.
NOTE: If the data on logged in user has been already received, then the button name becomes Update Power BI Login Data.
Additional options for SAS Transport Format and SAS V8 Transport Format file types
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In the When output file exists drop-down menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names.
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Enter your Table Name.
NOTE: Click the Existing Tables button () to display the names of the tables in the export file when exporting to a file that already exists. Select the desired table name. The table name is limited to 8 characters in length.
Additional options for JSON file types
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In the When table exists drop-down menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names,
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select Add data to add the new data to the existing one,
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting an existing data.
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Additional options for Altair Knowledge Studio file types
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In the When output file exists drop-down menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names.
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Additional options for XML file types
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In the When output file exists drop-down menu,
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select Overwrite to substitute files with the same file names.
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select Skip to stop the export operation from overwriting existing data.
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Select the Legacy compatibility mode – Ignore format customizations during export checkbox if you want to use the Monarch Classic style formatting instead of the column format customizations during the export of numeric and date columns.
NOTE: When this option is selected, numeric values are exported using the current system’s localized decimal separator. Date values are exported in “yyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss” format. For Monarch Server, this would typically be based on the Service Account for the Monarch Server Agent Service localization specifically (or, if running Monarch Server in console mode, the User Account context in which the console is running).
Plug-ins supported by Automator
Datawatch.DataPrep.Engine
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PDF Report
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Text Report
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Delimited Text
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JSON
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XML
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HTML
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Microsoft Access
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Microsoft Excel
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ODBC
Panopticon.DataDirect
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DB2
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Hadoop Hive
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Cloudera Impala
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Informix
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MonogoDB
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MySql
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Oracle
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PostgreSQL
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Amazon Redshift
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Salesforce
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SqlServer
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SybaseIQ
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Teradata
Panopticon.CloudantPlugin
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IBM Cloudant
Panopticon.DatawatchPlugin
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Monarch Server - Report Warehouse
Panopticon.ODataPlugin
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Odata
Panopticon.SplunkPlugin
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Splunk
Panopticon.BusinessObjectsUniversePlugin
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Business Objects Universe
Panopticon.GoogleAnalyticsPlugin
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Google Analytics
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