Flat file definition metadata

Metadata in a flat file is captured in a flat file definition. Some metadata are mandatory and some are optional. You define mandatory metadata by using a message default or by setting the metadata on the group, record, or field level. For example, the mandatory metadata for a field are: Name, Tag Name, Data Type, and if applicable, Start Position.

For more information, see the topics "Flat File Definition format" and "Changing the Message Component Property Values" in this user guide.

These tables show a list of metadata and description for each component in a flat file definition.

File

This table shows File component metadata:


Metadata	Details
ID	Identifier for a message transformation definition
Messages	Allows only one message per file

Message Definition

This table shows Message Definition component metadata:


Metadata	Details
Name	Specified for documentation purposes
Tag name	Specify a tag identified in XML or a tag written to XML
Escape character	Escape sequence for field and record separators
Record separators	Common record separators are: Carriage return: `\r` or `newline` and Line feed: `\n` or `lf`
Fixed length separator	If set to true, it defines fixed lengths of records
Field separator fields	Specify a value. There can only be one separator in a message. A record separator is considered as a valid separator. This value overrides any field length definition.
Ignore preceding field separator	Select to ignore preceding field separators
Default alignment	Specify the alignment to use when a field does not have a defined alignment. You can use a numeric and alpha field value.
Default padding	Specify the padding character to use when a field does not have a defined padding character. You can use numeric and alpha field value.
Default trim	Specify a trim behavior for XML to record if no trim is defined for a field. Use this to remove a preceding and trailing white space or keep the data unchanged. You can set this for a numeric and alpha field values.
Default empty field value	Specify a value to use if the data is empty for a field or tag. If left blanks, empty fields contain empty tags.
Add first field separator	Specify an extra field separator which is defined on the message level in front of the first field of every record in the message
Add last field separator	Specify to add extra file separators after the last field of every record in the message

Group

This table shows Group component metadata:


Metadata	Details
Name	Used for documentation purposes
Tag name	Tag to identify or write
Minimum occurrences	Minimum required number of times this group must occur
Maximum occurrences	Maximum number of times this group is allowed to occur. Specify a 0 (null) value for unlimited occurrences.

Record

This table shows Record component metadata:


Metadata	Details
Maximum occurrences	Specify the allowed maximum number of times for this group to occur. Specify a 0 (null) value for unlimited occurrences.
Name	Used for documentation purposes
Tag name	Select a tag to identify or a tag to write
Minimum occurrences	Specify the minimum required number of times this group must occur
Maximum occurrences	Specify the maximum number of times this group is allowed to occur. Specify a 0 (null) value for unlimited occurrences.

Field

This table shows Field component metadata:


Metadata	Details
Name	Used for documentation purposes
Tag name	Tag to identify or write
Data type	Specify a data type value to differentiate alignment, padding, trimming, and default empty value handling. You can use a numeric and alpha field values. The default value type is alpha.
Padding character	Character to pad this field
Alignment	Alignment to use for this field
Empty field value	Value to use if this field is empty
Trim	Indicates whether to trim the field
Identifier	Defines whether this field is an identifier
Default value	Identifier value that is tested against, or written to.
Start position	Field starting position if length-defined fields (no field separator) are defined
Length	If the field length is shorter than this length, then the field is padded. If the length is used as parsing fields without a field separator, then the last field is defined as "-1" , which allows the field to have a variable length.