Column Import stage: Output tab (DataStage®)
On the Output tab, you can specify details about data output from the Column Import stage. The tabs in this stage allow you to specify details about how data in the column is formatted and the relationship between the columns being input and the Output columns. You can change the default buffer settings for the output link and view the column definitions.
The Column Import stage can have only one output link, but can also have a reject link carrying records that have been rejected.
The Format section allows you to specify details about how data in the column you are importing is formatted so the stage can divide it into separate columns. The Columns section specifies the column definitions of the data. Click Edit in the Columns section to specify mapping. Mapping is the relationship between the columns being input to the Column Import stage and the Output columns. Mapping is specified in the Maps from column input section. The Advanced tab allows you to change the default buffering settings for the output links.
Output link format section
You use format section in the same way as you would to describe the format of a flat file you were reading.
The following sections list the property types and properties available for each type.
Record level
These properties define details about how data records are formatted in the flat file. Where you can enter a character, it can usually be an ASCII character. The available properties are shown in the following list:
- Final delimiter. Specify the single character that is written after the
last column of a record in place of the field delimiter. Type a character or select one of white
space, end, none, null, tab, or comma. IBM DataStage skips the specified delimiter string when
reading the file. See the following diagram for an illustration.
- whitespace. The last column of each record will not include any trailing white spaces that are found at the end of the record.
- end. The last column of each record does not include the field delimiter. This setting is the default.
- none. The last column of each record does not have a delimiter, which is used for fixed-width fields.
- null. The last column of each record is delimited by the ASCII null character.
- comma. The last column of each record is delimited by the ASCII comma character.
- tab. The last column of each record is delimited by the ASCII tab character.
- Intact. The intact property specifies an identifier of a partial schema. A
partial schema specifies that only one or more columns that are named in the schema can be modified
by the stage. All other columns in the row are passed through unmodified. The file containing the
partial schema is specified in the Schema File property on the Outputs tab.
This property has a dependent property:
- Check intact. Select this setting to force validation of the partial schema as the file or files are imported. This setting can degrade performance.
- Record delimiter string. Specify the string at the end of each record. Enter one or more characters. This setting is mutually exclusive with Record delimiter, which is the default, and record type and record prefix.
- Record delimiter. Specify the single character at the end of each record.
Type a character or select one of the following options:
- UNIX Newline (the default)
- null
(To specify a DOS newline, use the Record delimiter string property set to "\R\N" or choose from the menu.)
Record delimiter is mutually exclusive with Record delimiter string, Record prefix, and record type.
- Record length. Select Fixed where fixed-length fields are being read. IBM DataStage calculates the appropriate length for the record. Alternatively specify the length of fixed records as number of bytes. This setting is not used by default (default files are comma-delimited).
- Record Prefix. Specifies that a variable-length record is prefixed by a 1-, 2-, or 4-byte length prefix. It is set to 1 by default. This setting is mutually exclusive with Record delimiter, which is the default, and record delimiter string and record type.
- Record type. Specifies that data consists of variable-length blocked
records (varying) or implicit records (implicit). If you choose the implicit property, data is
written as a stream with no explicit record boundaries. The end of the record is inferred when all
of the columns that are defined by the schema are parsed. You can use the varying property to
specify one of the following IBM blocked or spanned formats: V, VB, VS, VBS, or VR. Data is imported
by using one of these formats. These formats are not available for export.
This property is mutually exclusive with Record length, Record delimiter, Record delimiter string, and Record prefix and by default is not used.