Version

    CheckForeignKey

    CheckForeignKey 64x64

    Short description

    Ports

    Metadata

    CheckForeignKey attributes

    Details

    Examples

    See also

    Short description

    CheckForeignKey checks the validity of foreign key values and replaces invalid values by valid ones.

    Same input metadata Sorted inputs Inputs Outputs Each to all outputs Java CTL Auto-propagated metadata

    -

    2

    1-2

    -

    Ports

    Port type Number Required Description Metadata

    Input

    0

    For data with a foreign key

    Any1

    1

    For data with a primary key

    Any2

    Output

    0

    For data with a corrected key

    Input 0

    1

    For data with an invalid key

    Input 0

    Metadata

    Metadata cannot be propagated through this component.

    CheckForeignKey has no metadata template.

    Metadata on both input ports can be different. Metadata on the output(s) are usually the same as those on the first input port. They must at least have the same metadata structure (the number of fields, data types and sizes). Field names may differ.

    CheckForeignKey attributes

    Attribute Req Description Possible values

    Basic

    Foreign key

    yes

    A key according to which both incoming data flows are compared and data records are distributed among different output ports. For more information, see Foreign key.

    Default foreign key

    yes

    A sequence of values corresponding to the Foreign key data types separated from each other by a semicolon. Serves to replace invalid foreign key values. For more information, see Foreign key.

    Equal NULL

    By default, records with null values of fields are considered to be different. If set to true, nulls are considered to be equal.

    false (default) | true

    Advanced

    Hash table size

    A table for storing key values. Should be higher than the number of records with unique key values.

    512 (default) | properties

    Deprecated

    Primary key

    A sequence of field names from the second input port separated from each other by semicolon. For more information, see Deprecated: Primary Key.

    Details

    CheckForeignKey receives data records through two input ports.

    The data records on the first input port are compared with those on the second input port. If a value of the specified foreign key (input port 0) is not found within the values of the primary key (input port1), the default value is given to the foreign key instead of its invalid value. Then all foreign records are sent to the first output port with the new (corrected) foreign key values and the original foreign records with invalid foreign key values can be sent to the optional second output port, if it is connected.

    Foreign key

    The Foreign key is a sequence of individual assignments separated from each other by a semicolon. Each of these individual assignments looks like this: $foreignField=$primaryKey.

    To define Foreign key, you must select the desired fields in the Foreign key tab of the Foreign key definition wizard. Select the fields from the Fields pane on the left and move them to the Foreign key pane on the right.

    CheckForeignKey 010
    Figure 433. Foreign key definition wizard (Foreign key tab)

    When you switch to the Primary key tab, you will see that the selected foreign fields appeared in the Foreign key column of the Foreign key definition pane.

    CheckForeignKey 020
    Figure 434. Foreign key definition wizard (Primary key tab)

    You only need to select some primary fields from the left pane and move them to the Primary key column of the Foreign key definition pane on the right.

    CheckForeignKey 030
    Figure 435. Foreign key definition wizard (Foreign and primary keys assigned)

    You must also define the default foreign key values (Default foreign key). This key is also a sequence of values of corresponding data types separated from each other by a semicolon. The number and data types must correspond to metadata of the foreign key.

    If you want to define the default foreign key values, you need to click the Default foreign key attribute row and type the default values for all fields.

    Deprecated: Primary Key

    In older versions of CloverDX, you had to specify both the primary and the foreign keys using the Primary key and the Foreign key attributes, respectively. They had a form of a sequence of field names separated from each other by a semicolon. However, the use of Primary key is deprecated now.

    Examples

    Checking city names of branch offices

    Check list of customers for cities without our branch office.

    List of customers

    John Doe        | London
    Lucy Brown      | Glasgow
    Elisabeth Smith | Stratford-upon-Avon
    ...

    List of cities with our branch office

    Edinburgh
    Glasgow
    London
    ...
    Solution

    Pass the list of customers (CustomerName and BranchOfficeCity) to the first input port and the list of cities with branch offices to the second input port.

    Use the Foreign key and Default foreign key attributes.

    Attribute Value

    Foreign key

    $BranchOfficeCity=$city

    Default foreign key

    Not Found;

    If a city from the list of customers was not found in the list with branch office cities, we changed the city name to Not Found.