Column definitions

You must define columns to specify what data the CFF stage will read or write.

If the stage will read data from a file that contains multiple record types, you must first create record definitions on the Records tab. If the source file contains only one record type, or if the stage will write data to a target file, then the columns belong to the default record called RECORD_1.

You can load column definitions from a table in the repository, or you can type column definitions into the columns grid. You can also define columns by dragging a table definition from the Repository window to the CFF stage icon on the Designer canvas. If you drag a table to a CFF source stage that has multiple record types, the columns are added to the first record in the stage. You can then propagate the columns to one or more output links by right-clicking the stage icon and selecting Propagate Columns from the pop-up menu.

The columns that you define must reflect the actual layout of the file format. If you do not want to display all of the columns, you can create fillers to replace the unwanted columns by selecting the Create fillers check box in the Select Columns From Table window. For more information about fillers, see Filler creation and expansion.

After you define columns, the CFF stage projects the columns to the Selection tab on the Output page if you are using the stage as a source, or to the Columns tab on the Input page if you are using the stage as a target.