Macros that you create are available when configuring processes in a flowchart and
defining derived fields.
About this task
Campaign supports the following types of
custom macros, which in turn support an unlimited number of variables:
- Custom macros that use an IBM®
expression
- Custom macros that use raw SQL
- Custom macros that use raw SQL and include a specified value
Support for raw SQL improves performance, allowing complex transactions to be carried out in the
database rather than having the raw data filtered and manipulated in the application server.
Important: Non-technical users are able to use custom macros; therefore, when you create
a custom macro you should describe how it works very carefully, place similar kinds of macros in
special folders, and so on. This approach can help reduce the possibility that someone might use a
custom macro incorrectly and retrieve data that they were not expecting.
- Open a flowchart in Edit mode.
- Open the Options
menu and select Custom macros.
- In the Custom macros dialog, click New item.
- In the Save under list, select the folder where you want to save the
macro. If no folders exist, use the default, None.
- In the Name field, enter a name
and declaration for the macro so that it can be referenced.
Use
the following syntax: MacroName(var1,var2,...)
For
example: GenGroupBy(id,val1,table,val2)
The MacroName must
be unique and alphanumeric. It can include underscores (_) but not
spaces.
Note: If a custom macro has the same name as a built-in
macro, the custom macro takes precedence. To avoid confusion, do not
name custom macros with operator names or names that are the same
as the built-in macros. The exception would be if you specifically
want the new custom macro to always be used instead of the built-in
macro.
Important: The variable names must match
the variable names in the custom macro definition in the Expression window,
and they must be expressed as a comma-separated list in parentheses.
- From the Security policy list, select a security policy for the new
custom macro.
- Use the Note field to explain what the custom macro is designed to do
and what each variable represents. Be sure to describe the macro carefully, so users understand how
it works when they encounter it in lists.
- From the Expression type list, select the type of custom macro that you
are creating:
- IBM macro expression: For more information, see the IBM Macros
User's Guide.
- Raw SQL selecting ID list: If you select this option, you must select a
Database.
- Raw SQL selecting ID + value: If you select this option, you must select
a Database and a Value type. Be sure to select the
correct value type. Otherwise, when you later attempt to profile this query, a "Mismatched Type"
error results. If you select Text as the value type, fill in the
Width (# bytes) field. You can obtain this information from the database. If
you do not have access to the database or are unable to obtain the information, enter
256, the maximum width.
- Click in the Expression field to open the Specify selection
criteria dialog.
- Create your query expression. You can use as many variables
as you like. Variable syntax is alphanumeric, and the variable must
be enclosed in angle brackets (< >). Operands (values and strings)
and operators might be variables.
Important: Do not use flowchart user variables in custom macro definitions because
custom macros are global but flowchart user variables are not global.
The following example shows a custom macro definition.
- Click Save.
The custom macro is saved in the Items list.
- Close the Custom macros dialog.
