A parse asset contains options on a Definition tab and a Configuration tab. Use the Definition tab options to enter a name for the asset, optionally enter a description for the asset, and select the folder in which to store the asset.
Use the Configuration tab options to configure one or more parsing operations that a mapping will perform. You configure the parsing operations as a sequence of steps that the mapping follows at run time.
Dictionary options on the Configuration tab
When you add a step to a parse asset, Data Quality prompts you to define a step with a regular expression or with a dictionary.
The following image shows the options that you configure when you define a step with a dictionary:
The dictionary options includes the following properties:
1Add Step option.
Adds a step to the asset. A step describes a parsing operation that a mapping can apply to an input data field.
2Up and Down options.
Moves a step that you select up or down within the step sequence.
3Step sequence.
Defines the order in which a mapping applies each step to the input field at run time. The mapping performs dictionary parsing operations in the order that you specify.
4Option description.
Identifies the dictionary that you add to the step.
5Test input field.
Contains the string that the Secure Agent uses to test the steps in the parse sequence.
6Test output fields.
Contain the result of the test. The asset displays an output field for each step and also displays output fields for overflow dat and unparsed data.
7Step type.
Identifies the type of step to which the properties apply. The step type can be dictionary or regular expression.
8Dictionary name.
Identifies the dictionary that the step applies to the input data. You select the dictionary.
9Output name.
An output to which the step can write each input data values that matches a dictionary value. You enter the output name. The mapping creates the output on the Parse transformation at run time.
10Casing option.
Specifies whether the step considers the character case of the input values that it compares to the dictionary values. For example, the character case may be relevant if you plan to parse person names from an input string, as person names begin with an uppercase letter.
Clear the option if the character case is not relevant to the type of data that you plan to parse from the inputs.
11Standardization option.
Specifies whether the step will replace any input value that matches a dictionary value with the corresponding value from the valid column in the dictionary.
The step compares the input values to every value in the dictionary. If you clear the option, the step does not standardize any input value that matches a dictionary value.
12Valid dictionary column name.
Identifies the valid column in the dictionary that you select. The valid column contains the preferred versions of the values in the dictionary. The valid dictionary column is active when you select the standardization option.
13Import file option.
Imports the first column of data from a comma-separated file to the test panel.
Regular expression options on the Configuration tab
When you add a step to a parse asset, Data Quality prompts you to define a step with a regular expression or with a dictionary.
The following image shows the options that you configure when you define a step with a regular expression:
The regular expression options includes the following properties:
1Add Step option.
Adds a step to the asset. A step describes a parsing operation that a mapping can apply to an input data field.
2Up and Down options.
Moves a step that you select up or down within the step sequence.
3Step sequence.
Defines the order in which a mapping applies each step to the input field at run time. The mapping performs regular expression parsing operations in the order that you specify.
4Option description.
Identifies the type of regular expression in the step. A custom regular expression is a regular expression that you define.
5Test input field.
Contains the string that the Secure Agent uses to test the steps in the parse sequence.
6Test output fields.
Contain the result of the test. The asset displays an output field for each step and also displays output fields for overflow dat and unparsed data.
7Import file option.
Imports the first column of data from a comma-separated file to the test panel.
8Step type.
Identifies the type of step to which the properties apply. The step type can be dictionary or regular expression.
9Regular expression type.
Specifies whether the step uses a built-in regular expression or a regular expression that you define.
10Regular expression field.
In Custom mode, the field contains the regular expression that you specify. You enter the regular expression logic in the field.
In Built-in mode, the field displays the name of the regular expression that you select. Additional fields display the regular expression logic and the number of output fields that you must create.
11Output name(s).
One or more outputs to which the step can write each input data value that matches the regular expression logic. You enter the output names.
The mapping creates the outputs on the Parse transformation at run time. If you expect an input field to contain more than one value that matches the regular expression, create an output for each value. For example, you might add two outputs if you will use the step to find data values that occur in pairs, such as map coordinates.
