Loading column definitions

You can load column definitions from a table definition in the Repository.

1. Click Load... . The Table Definitions dialog box appears. This window displays the repository tree to enable you to browse for the required table definition.
2. Double-click the appropriate folder.
3. Continue to expand the folders until you see the table definition you want.
4. Select the table definition you want.
   Note: You can use Quick Find to enter the name of the table definition you want. The table definition is selected in the tree when you click OK.
5. Click OK. One of two things happens, depending on the type of stage you are editing:
   • If the stage type does not support selective metadata loading, all the column definitions from the chosen table definition are copied into the Columns grid.
   • If the stage type does support selective metadata loading, the Select Columns dialog box appears, allowing you to specify which column definitions you want to load.

     Use the arrow keys to move columns back and forth between the Available columns list and the Selected columns list. The single arrow buttons move highlighted columns, the double arrow buttons move all items. By default all columns are selected for loading. Click Find... to open a dialog box which lets you search for a particular column. The shortcut menu also gives access to Find... and Find Next. Click OK when you are happy with your selection. This closes the Select Columns dialog box and loads the selected columns into the stage.

     For mainframe stages and certain parallel stages where the column definitions derive from a CFD file, the Select Columns dialog box can also contain a Create Filler check box. This happens when the table definition the columns are being loaded from represents a fixed-width table. Select this to cause sequences of unselected columns to be collapsed into filler items. Filler columns are sized appropriately, their data type set to character, and name set to FILLER_XX_YY where XX is the start offset and YY the end offset. Using fillers results in a smaller set of columns, saving space and processing time and making the column set easier to understand.

     If you are importing column definitions that have been derived from a CFD file into server or parallel job stages, you are warned if any of the selected columns redefine other selected columns. You can choose to carry on with the load or go back and select columns again.

6. Click OK to proceed. If the stage you are loading already has column definitions of the same name, you are prompted to confirm that you want to overwrite them. The Merge Column Metadata check box is selected by default and specifies that, if you confirm the overwrite, the Derivation, Description, Display Size and Field Position from the existing definition will be preserved (these contain information that is not necessarily part of the table definition and that you have possibly added manually). Note that the behavior of the merge is affected by the settings of the Metadata options in the Designer Options dialog box.
7. Click Yes or Yes to All to confirm the load. Changes are saved when you save your job design.