Specification Editor for BI Tasks

Specially adjusted specification texts are used for tasks in the specification editor for BI tasks in order to describe the data origin in Business Intelligence projects.

Purpose

I/O specification texts for tasks describe the data origin in Business Intelligence projects.

Prerequisites

To enable the use of the I/O specification editor in an Innovator model for tasks, the Business Intelligence Modeling method assignment must be set for at least one profile.

Call

If tasks are selected in the interface of a BI model, you open the specific I/O specification editor with the Start>Open>Specification (F3) command.

The Design>Edit>Specification (F3) command for opening the I/O specification editor is also available in diagram editors.

So that the specification of the transformation of input elements to output elements takes place without ambiguity and uses only elements that are available for this task, these specification texts can be verified and adjusted in line with the current dependencies.

Text templates are available for the creation of the I/O specification texts.

Structure

The standard Description text definition has a different structure for all tasks in BI models than for other elements. Special command groups are available in the ribbon for these specific descriptions.

Specific Command Groups

Review tab

  • I/O Specifications Command Group

    Validation Submenu

    • Verify completeness

      Check all I/O specifications of the tasks to be complete. Selection can be: task, process, package, model or system model. Incomplete elements are shown in the result region once the verification is complete.

    • Search obsolete tasks

      Search all tasks with I/O specifications that contain transformations that are not aligned with existing dependencies. Selection can be: task, process, package, model or system model. Search results are shown in the result region.

    • Search dependencies with no task assignment

      Search all dependencies for transformations that are not assigned to a task. Selection can be: package, model or system model. Search results are shown in the result region.

    • Search obsolete dependencies

      Search all dependencies without references for source or target in corresponding I/O specification. Selection can be: package, model or system model. Search results are shown in the result region.

  • Adjust Interfaces Command Group

    • Find Differing Tasks

      Find tasks with I/O interfaces differing from the interfaces of their called global tasks. Selected tasks are checked. Alternatively, global tasks or packages containing global tasks can be selected. Then their calls are checked. Differing tasks are displayed in the result region.

    • Adjust Tasks

      Get I/O interfaces of the selected tasks from their called global tasks.

    • Adjust Global Tasks

      Transfer I/O interfaces of selected master tasks to their called global tasks.

Text Context Tab

I/O Transformations Command Group

  • Insert Text Template

    Insert this text template in the I/O specification.

    Text templates can be configured.

    • Transform

      Inserts the configured "Transform" text template into the I/O specification for all input and output elements of the same name.

      Transformations are described as algorithms. The output element must be at the start. The input elements required for the calculation should be used.

      Example:

      |Transform|ïOutputAttribute
      If ðInputAttribute1 is greater than 3, then take ðInputAttribute2, otherwise ðInputAttribute3.
      |End|

    • Copy

      Inserts the configured "Copy" text template into the I/O specification for all input and output elements of the same name.

      The output element is taken 1:1 from the input element.

      Example:

      ïOutputAttribute := ðInputAttribute

    • Multicopy short version

      Inserts text template 'Multicopy short version' for all input and output elements having the same name in the I/O specification.

    • Multicopy long version

      Inserts text template 'Multicopy long version' for all input and output elements having the same name in the I/O specification.

  • Show Transfer Preview

    Check transformations in the I/O specification. In a preview window the I/O links are color-coded, which are within a valid transformation and will therefore be implemented as dependencies. In a second window, the necessary actions are performed for the comparison of the dependencies. Subsequent changes in the specification text have no direct impact on the content of the preview. To update, run the command again.

  • Adjust dependencies

    Adjust transformations in I/O specification with the existing dependencies.

  • Display Short Names

    Switch the name of the I/O links in the specification texts between short and element names. The switching is done only when a text specification is not modified. Otherwise, the name is changed after saving.

Inputs Section

Purpose

The Inputs section displays the input elements.

Structure

The Data Structures column contains the structure definitions of the input elements.

The Entries column contains the elements of the input elements.

Use the button to sort alphabetically.

Outputs Section

Purpose

The Outputs section displays the output elements.

Structure

The Data Structures column contains the structure definitions of the output elements.

The Entries column contains the elements of the output elements.

Use the button to sort alphabetically.

Description Tab

The Description tab is structured using text templates. The individual sections contain the following standardized elements.

  • Description

    Short technical description of the purpose of this task.

  • Input processing

    Describes any filters or joins of data for further processing.

  • Output processing

    Describes the input elements with which an output element is to be formed and what should be taken into account here.

Transfer Preview Tool Window

Open the Transfer Preview tool window with the Text>I/O Transformations>Show Transfer Preview command. It contains the Hyperlinks and Dependencies tabs.

Following the call of the Transfer Preview, changes to the specification text have no immediate effect on the contents of the preview. Run the command again to update.

  • Hyperlinks Tab

    This preview window shows the I/O links that are located in a valid transformation and that should therefore be implemented as dependencies in color.

  • Dependencies tab

    This preview window lists the required actions for the adjustment of the dependencies.

Creating I/O Specifications

Usable Functions

The use of the text formating functions is the same as in the normal specification editor. However, the text templates already have automatically assigned formats. It only makes sense to change these in exceptional cases. The same applies for the insertion of tables and links.

If a specification text is deleted and saved, it is reset to the configured default setting.

Model References

Unlike in the normal specification editor, the model references are automatically determined and inserted into the text templates in I/O specifications. The incoming and outgoing task relationships constitute the starting point.

Placeholders

The use of placeholders is the same as in the normal specification editor.

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