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PCSpan - General

Use the following options to customize the parameters specific to a Flat file data source.

Configuration file parameters are included below with the following_font.

Options

Insert column names record

Parameter: add_item_names

This option, when enabled, causes the Client to add a record with the DMSII item names to the start of all flat files. The names used are the item names in the DASDL, except for items that have OCCURS clauses. The latter get the suffix "[n]" appended to the name to make them unique, where n is the occurrence number of the item starting at 1. For example, an item named XXX with the clause "OCCURS 5 TIMES" will result in columns named XXX[1] through XXX[5].

Add new line characters to fixed format records

Parameter: add_nl_chars

This option, when enabled, causes the Client to automatically add new line characters to the end of fixed length records. The Client ignores this option when using variable length records, as they must end with new-line characters.

Enclose character data in quotes

Parameter: use_quotes

This option specifies whether or not character data should be enclosed in quotes. If this option is disabled, the Quote Character is ignored. This option is ignored when using the FIXED format.

Trim trailing blanks

Parameter: rtrim_spaces

This option controls whether or not the Client strips trailing blanks when using CSV format. COMMA format does not trim spaces, as it treats character data as fixed length. Furthermore, it does not do anything special with quote characters in the data that is enclosed in quotes, while CSV format uses two quote characters to represent a quote in the data (see the Enclose character data in quotes option above).

This option can be augmented by the Set blank columns to NULL parameter in the CUSTOMIZING page, which causes blank items to be represented as NULL (i.e. the empty string ",,").

Trim leading zeroes

Parameter: ltrim_zeroes

This option controls whether or not the Client strips leading zeroes for numbers in a CSV format.

Use + for positive signed numbers

Parameter: use_plus_sign

This option controls whether or not positive signed numbers are always preceded by a + sign.

Record Format

format

Parameter: format

Use this set of buttons to select the format for the records in the Flat Files created by the Client. The three supported formats are as follows:

  • CSV format: this format vaguely resembles the VARYING FORMAT in DBSupport on the MCP that is used by DBSPAN. This format uses a delimiter (comma or tab character) to separate the fields in the record. Character data can optionally be enclosed in quotes.

  • Fixed format: this is the equivalent of FIXED FORMAT in DBSupport on the MCP that is used by DBSPAN, where every item has a fixed length in the records.

  • Comma format: this is the equivalent of COMMA FORMAT in DBSupport on the MCP that is used by DBSPAN.

Format DMSII REAL as

Parameter: real_format

Default: Scientific, 11, 6

Range: Scientific or Decimal

Configurator: PCSpan (Format DMSII REAL as)

This parameter specifies the format the Client uses on items whose DMSII data type is REAL. The two supported formats are as follows:

  • Scientific (E) This format contains a normalized decimal number followed by an exponent preceded by the letter "E".

  • Decimal (F) This format outputs without using an exponent.

Special Characters

Column delimiter

Parameter: delimiter

These two options allow you to select the character that is used to separate columns in Flat Files created by the Client. This option is only meaningful when using CSV or COMMA formats, and defaults to ",". The other supported choice is the tab character.

Decimal point character

Parameter: decimal_char

These two options allow you to select the decimal point character to be used in numeric items. It defaults to "." and the only other allowable value is "," for European sites.

Quote characters

Parameter: quote

These two options specify whether the Client will use the Single Quote or Double Quote character for quoted strings in Flat File records.

Directories

Extracts

Parameter: extracts_dir

This option, when set to a non-blank value, defines the directory where the Client will create files containing extract records. If a directory is not specified, the files with extract records are written to the Client's working directory. By using the three separate directory specifications in this group you can make the Client use separate directories for extract, fixup, and update records. Typically you would set these to "extracts", "fixups" and "updates" to have separated directories.

Fixups

Parameter: fixups_dir

This option, when set to a non-blank value, defines the directory where the Client will create files containing fixup records. If a directory is not specified, the files with fixup records are written to the Client's working directory. By using the three separate directory specifications in this group you can make the Client use separate directories for extract, fixup, and update records.

Typically you would set these to "extracts", "fixups" and "updates" to have separated directories.

Updates

Parameter: updates_dir

This option, when set to a non-blank value, defines the directory where the Client will create files containing update records. If a directory is not specified, the files with update records are written to the Client's working directory. By using the three separate directory specifications in this group you can make the Client use separate directories for extract, fixup and update records.

Typically you would set these to "extracts", "fixups" and "updates" to have separated directories.