3.5 Creating a Data Set Definition

A data set definition specifies the query used to generate a particular data set from the selected connection or flat file profile. You can create multiple data set definitions for the same profile in order to generate different data set instances.

  1. In the Project View, browse to and select the profile for which you want to create a data set, then click New Data Set.

  2. In the Name field of the Data Set Definition dialog box, specify a name for the new data set definition, then click Next.

    Optionally, provide a detailed description of the data set definition in the Notes field.

  3. In the Select Classes dialog box, select the schema classes you want to use in the data set definition, then click Next.

    The Data Set Definition Wizard displays all available object classes for the selected profile. A flat file profile displays only the class you specified when creating the profile. For more information, see Section 3.3, Creating a Flat File Profile.

    This dialog provides the following icons and options:

    Icon or Option

    Description

    Adds the selected classes to the data set definition. Select multiple classes by using Ctrl+click and Shift+click. Alternatively, you can double-click a class to move it from one column to another.

    Removes the selected classes from the data set definition. Select multiple classes by using Ctrl+click and Shift+click. Alternatively, you can double-click a class to move it from one column to another.

    Adds all available classes to the data set definition.

    Removes all classes from the data set definition.

    Queries the application for an updated set of schema classes. Try using this option if the Available Classes list is empty.

  4. In the Select Attributes dialog box, select the attributes that you want to include in the data set, then click Next or Finish.

    This is the last required step in the Data Set Definition Wizard. Click Finish to close the Wizard, or click Next to continue with some optional DSD configuration steps.

    This dialog provides the following icons and options:

    Icon or Option

    Description

    Enable multi-valued attribute support

    Select Enable multi-valued attribute support if you want to be able to see all attributes in a multi-valued attribute. This option is disabled if the application does not support multi-valued attributes.

    IMPORTANT:Multi-valued attribute support can add significant processing overhead to Analyzer operations. Because of this, Analyzer restricts the number of attributes in a data set to 60 when multi-valued attribute support is enabled.

    Adds the selected attributes to the data set definition. Select multiple attributes by using Ctrl+click and Shift+click. Alternatively, you can double-click an attribute to move it from one column to another.

    Removes the selected attributes from the data set definition. Select multiple attributes by using Ctrl+click and Shift+click. Alternatively, you can double-click an attribute to move it from one column to another.

    Adds all attributes to the data set definition.

    Removes all attributes from the data set definition.

    Moves the selected attribute up in the attribute list, thereby changing the ordering of the attributes in the data set definition.

    Moves the selected attribute down in the attribute list, thereby changing the ordering of the attributes in the data set definition.

  5. (Optional) In the Narrow Data Import dialog box, specify a filter to restrict the data imported with the data set definition, then click Next or Finish.

    To create a data filter:

    1. In the Filter drop-down list, select the attribute where you want to apply the filter.

    2. In the Pattern field, specify the text pattern against which you want to filter the data.

      You can specify whole values, or use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard to specify a portion of a value. For example, smi*, *ith, *mit*.

  6. (Optional) In the Select Search Base dialog box, specify the root container for gathering data for the data set definition, then click Finish.

    This option is only applicable to hierarchical databases such as LDAP directories. Leave this field blank to search from the application root.

You can edit an existing data set definition by double-clicking the data set definition object in the Project view. The editor lets you see the same pages used to create the data set definition.

NOTE:You cannot modify an existing data set definition if you have a data set instance based on the current data set definition. To modify an existing data set definition, first delete any existing data set instances.