VI cBase Input Object

The Visual Integrator (VI) cBase input object brings cBase data into the script.

The cBase input object accesses column data in a standard cBase or returns the metadata about the cBase. It can retrieve the row-level data that was used to build the cBase directly from the cBase or through a cPlan. The cBase input object can also calculate a Spectre dive and return the results. The object returns data for all columns in the cBase. The order of the records is based on how they are stored in the cBase, which is how they were input into the build.

NOTE:

Visual Integrator 7.1 can read cBases created in 7.0, but Visual Integrator 7.0 cannot read cBases created in 7.1.
After the cBase data is pulled into a VI data flow, the cBase data becomes untyped data. The one exception is that datetime and period columns maintain the format from the cBase.

The cBase input object has three panes where you set attributes.

VI cBase Input Object All Panes

Object Attributes

You set attributes for the cBase input object in the object attributes pane.

Attribute	Description
cBase/ cPlan/ dive	Defines one or more input files as follows: Click the browse button in the cBase/cPlan/dive section. The Select File dialog box opens. Browse to the file and click Select. That cBase/cPlan/dive row is now populated. NOTE For wildcards you can use question mark (?) or asterisk (). ? (question mark)—Matches any single character (asterisk)—Matches a sequence of characters Wildcard matching is case-insensitive and can search more than on directory. For example: `/cbases/MF//*.cbase` When using wildcards, files are returned in the order they are found in the directory; they are not necessarily sorted alphabetically. The order can vary across systems, and is often related to how files are deleted and added in the directory. Programs should not rely on a certain order. Windows has a limit of 16,384 files. On Linux, the limit is set by an administrator.
Input File Type	Defines the file type used (cbase, cplan, or dive). This box is filled in automatically to reflect the chosen input file. Defaults to the cbase file type.
cBase List Input	As of Visual Integrator 7.1(34), specifies an input flow to generate a list of cBases. This string is an object name, not a filename. This input flow should have a column named "filename". The cBase input object uses the values in this column as a list of cBase file names to open as its input. To use cBase List Input, two Input objects, one for the cBase List Input and a second for the actual cBase input, are required. This attribute allows programmatic control over the input to Integrator. Multiple cBases are combined at the detail level. Columns that do not appear in all cBases will appear as blank for the missing cBases. The input cBase names can be read from a file and processed using any of the Integrator process objects (with calculated fields, etc.). See the Directory Input Object for another alternative. NOTE: If you use this attribute, do not use the cBase/cPlan/dive attribute.
First	Specifies a number to limit how many records are read from each input file. This attribute is useful for script testing on a small number of records. If not used, all rows are read.
Prefix	Defines a prefix that is added to all column names in the flow. If you want a space between the prefix and the column name, include that space in the prefix string definition. Any columns assigned an alias do not use the prefix; instead, the columns use the alias name.
Metadata	Specifies if the cBase input object passes metadata about the fields in the cBase, or just the cBase data itself. This attribute applies only when you enter a cBase in the cBase/cPlan/dive attribute. true—Metadata, including detail fields in the cBase, passes to the output flow, which consists of one row per cBase column. false (default)—Metadata does not pass to the output flow. Only cBase column data appears in the output flow. When the Metadata attribute is true, the cBase input object returns the following Metadata Fields Filename—Returns the cBase filename from the cBase/cPlan/dive attribute. Field Name—Returns the column names from the cBase. Field Type—Returns the column's type—dimension, summary, or info field. Number Values—Returns the number of possible values for each column that is a string. Returns blank for other field types. Data Type—Returns the data type—string, integer, fixed100, double, Boolean, date, period, or datetime. Format—Returns the field's format as defined in the Spectre Build script that created the cBase. This attribute applies to cBases that are created by Spectre Build scripts; returns blank for cBases created with the VI cBase output object. Field Number—Returns the field number for each column in the cBase, with the first dimension having the field number 1. cBase Status—Returns Built if the cBase opened. If the cBase cannot be opened, returns a single row of metadata with the cBase Status column stating an error message, such as cBase not finished or Cannot open file. Build Time—Returns the cBase build date and time in the DI standard format (YYYY/MM/DD HH:MM:SS). This attribute applies to cBases that are created by Spectre Build scripts; returns blank for cBases created with the VI cBase output object. Build Description—Returns the path and filename for the Spectre Build script that built the cBase. Returns blank for cBases created with the VI cBase output object. cBase Size—Returns the total cBase size in bytes. Nullable—Returns True if a summary field is set to nullable; otherwise, returns False. In nullable columns, blanks appear as empty strings and zeros appear as zeros. Build Version—Returns the DI solution version used to build the cBase.
Filter	Defines a Spectre filter string to use to filter rows on the input. The Spectre engine processes this filter string and uses it to limit the rows based on the given expression. As an example, a filter such as: `value("facility code")="PLN"` keeps rows where the facility code column has a value of "PLN". The browse button opens the Spectre Expressions Editor where you can input a filter expression. For more information, see Spectre Expressions Editor. TIP: Integrator's $ Parameter substitution is performed on this expression before handing it to the Spectre engine to run.
Filter_Input	Specifies a separate input flow containing filtered columns for a cBase. The input flow must specify the columns by selecting the corresponding Filter check boxes in the cBase input object's column grid. The values in the cBase that match the rows in this filter input flow are returned, providing fast access to the detail data based on the cBase dimensions. In effect, the cBase is used as an indexed file. To implement the Filter_Input attribute, you create a separate input object. Create a Filein object with the input flow columns specified. Click the cBase input object's Filter_Input attribute browse button and move the pointer onto the task flow. A dotted line appears connected to the cBase input object. Attach this line to the Filein object that contains the input flow. The Filein object's name appears in the cBase input object's Filter_Input attribute and the input flow now can pass the specified columns into the data flow. Select all the corresponding Filter check boxes in the column grid. Do not use both the Filter_Input attribute and the Filter attribute because they are mutually exclusive.
Alias_Lines	Aliases can be set and edited in both the Alias_Lines attribute and the column grid. The column grid allows for graphical editing, while the Alias_Lines attribute is set at the code level in the following format: OldColumnName=NewColumnName For example: inv_nbr=Invoice Number Where Invoice Number is the alias for inv_nbr. The Alias_Lines method is useful for working with array parameters used as aliases. VI cannot process these array parameters because they are not in a format that VI can interpret. VI considers these array parameters to be malformed aliases and displays a warning message in the Logs tab. For example: Alias definition "$(ExternalAliases)" in object "From List" is not formatted as "OldColumn=NewColumn". When the line contains a parameter Integrator is most likely able to resolve it when the parameter is properly defined. To edit this alias definition use the "Alias_Lines" property. This message indicates that there is a malformed alias named $(ExternalAliases) in the object named From List. The array parameter displays as $(ExternalAliases) in the script. For VI to interpret this array parameter, you must assign an alias in the VI format. To assign an alias and resolve the error: Select the object in the task flow that is mentioned in the warning message. In this example From List. Click in the Alias_Lines field, and then click the browse button that appears. The Alias lines for <object_name> dialog box displays. Edit the alias in the form of: `OldColumnName=NewColumnName` In this example: `$(ExternalAliases)=External Aliases` Click OK. The array parameter has an alias, and the error message no longer appears.

Column Grid

The cBase input object column grid displays the columns from the input files.

Attribute	Description
Name	Displays the name of each input column. This attribute is read-only.
Alias	Defines alternate names for any of the input columns. Spaces before or after an alias column name are ignored. Spaces within an alias column name are acceptable.
Keep Order	Manages the order that columns display in the output data flow. By default, columns that are passed to the next object in the data flow are displayed in the order that they appear in the Name column. You can change this order by typing a number in the Keep Order column. When you assign a Keep Order number, the Keep column is checked automatically. The Keep Order numbers might reorder to accommodate any changes you make.
Keep	Manages which columns are kept in the output data flow. If no columns have a Keep check mark, all columns are kept in the output data flow, except for any explicitly marked Remove. Select the Keep check box for columns you want to explicitly keep in the output data flow. A number is automatically added in the Keep Order column when you select its Keep check box. After marking any column with a Keep check mark, only those marked Keep are kept in the output data flow. NOTE: After any Keep check boxes are checked, do not use the Remove check boxes as clicking a Remove check box sets all Keep check boxes to unchecked.
Remove	Manages which columns are removed from the output data flow. Select the Remove check box for columns that you want to explicitly suppress from the output data flow. NOTE: Use the Remove check boxes only when no Keep check boxes are checked.
Filter	Filters data in the cBase based on the selected columns. These columns must appear in the input object specified by the Filter_Input attribute and be defined as string columns in the cBase. Select Filter for each input column that you want to filter.
Dim	Specifies the dimensions to use to squash data from the cBase or cPlan into a Spectre Dive, similar to that of the squash object. Select the Dim check box for each input column that you want to specify as a dimension.
Other	Specifies other columns that are returned in the squashed data defined by the dimensions attribute. These columns might be summaries or infos, depending on their type and how the summary properties are set in the underlying cBase. Select the check box for each input column that you want to specify as other. NOTE: Columns specified here, when already specified as dimensions, are ignored.