Field transformation actions

Apply the field transformation rule to a record or object that contains the field to be transformed. A field transformation rule can be applied to a single field or multiple fields in the selected record.

Set action

The set action writes a value to a specified data field. When you define the rule, you specify the data to be set and the source of the new value. Indicate whether the rule always writes the new value to the target field or writes the new value only when the field is null (the default action). You can use this action to initialize the value in a data field. If the rule always writes the new value to the target field, any existing value in the field is overwritten.

The source can be one of the following values:

  • A value integration control
  • A hard-coded value
  • A system control (in the MAXVARS database table)
  • Another field in the specified record or object
  • A field in a related object

Replace action

The replace action replaces a value in a data field with another value. When you define the rule, specify the data field that you want to update. The control that you use must be a cross-reference control. You specify the name of a cross-reference control that contains the original and replacement values for the data field.

Use this action when the database and the external system use different identifiers for the same entity. You can, for example, replace the SITEID value in a publish channel with an external PLANTID value, and replace the external PLANTID value in an enterprise service with the SITEID value.

Combine action

The combine action concatenates values from multiple source fields into a single target field. When you define the rule, identify the target field and the source fields and the sequence in which the source data is to be written. The source data can be a data field or an integration control that contains a data value. You can also specify an integration control that contains the delimiter to separate the segments in the target field.

Use this action in an enterprise service processing rule when a mismatch exists between the system definition and the external system definition of an entity. An enterprise service processing rule can, for example, combine a vendor ID and a vendor location field from an external system into the COMPANY field. A publish channel processing rule can then use the split action to separate the combined field into separate values when data is sent to the external system.

The source and target fields must be in the same object. This action always overwrites the existing value in the target field. Ensure that the source and target fields are alphanumeric fields, or processing errors may occur.

Split action

The split action is the reverse of the combine action. The split action separates the value in one field into multiple fields. When you define the rule, you identify one source field, one or more target fields, and how the rule processor identifies segments of the source field.

The fields can have the following sources:

  • A field in the selected record or object
  • An integration control that contains the delimiter that separates the segments in the source field

The source and target fields must exist in the same object. This action always overwrites the existing value in the target fields. Ensure that the source and target fields are alphanumeric fields, or processing errors might occur.

If you combined multiple fields in an inbound message, split the combined field into individual fields in the outbound direction. There are two ways to identify how to split the field. You can specify the length of each segment of the source field, or you can identify a delimiter that separates the segments.

If the field length of each segment of source data is constant, the rule processor breaks up the source field from left to right, based on the field length, sequence, and values that you specify. For example, target field A with a character length of 6 holds positions 1-6 of the source field. Target field B with a character length of 3 holds positions 7-9 of the source field.

If the length of the source field segments is variable, but the source field contains a distinct delimiter that identifies the segments, use the separator option. The separator option identifies an integration control that defines the separator. The same separator must delimit all the segments. The rule processor parses the source field from left to right. The processor looks for the delimiter, breaks up the string into multiple values, and moves each value into the designated target field.