Mapping Mode

Introduction

Mapping mode provides an overview of a transformation mapping and the basic tools to perform the mapping. Also see Common Mode Elements for elements of the user interface that are shared by multiple display modes.

Accessing Mapping Mode

Mapping mode is the default display mode when opening a transformation for configuration.

In mapping mode, the left side contains the source structure and variables available to be used within the mapping of the target structure on the right side:

To return to mapping mode while in script mode, click the arrow on the left side of the screen:

Source and Target Schemas

In mapping mode, the left side of the transformation displays the source schema, while the right side displays the target schema. These schemas can be defined either within an activity that is located adjacent to the transformation, or directly within a transformation. If a schema has not yet been defined, you are presented with the options below for the source or target side, respectively.

Source Has No Schema

It is not required to specify a source schema (see When to Use a Schema). If you don't want a source schema to be used, you don't need to do anything with the source side of the transformation.

If you have not specified a source schema and want to specify one, you can return to the workflow to provide a schema within an activity located adjacent to the transformation, or select one of these options:

• Use Variables: This toggles to the Variables tab, where you can add variables as described in Mapping Variables.
• Define Schema: This provides an additional menu of options including Create Flat, Create Hierarchical, and Use Sample File. When an option is selected, this opens an interface for creating a flat or hierarchical file schema, or providing a sample file as described under Schemas.
• Mirror Target Schema: Copies the target schema as described under Schemas. This option is present only if (1) there is a defined target schema and (2) the source of the transformation is  not  an adjacent server-based activity whose schema is generated directly from the endpoint, such as is the case with SOAP, Database, and Salesforce endpoints, as well as many other application-specific endpoints and some custom endpoints.

Target Has No Schema 

A target schema must be specified prior to being able to configure a transformation mapping (see When to Use a Schema).

If you have not specified a target schema, you can return to the workflow to provide a schema within an activity located adjacent to the transformation, or select one of these options:

• Define Schema: This provides an additional menu of options including Create Flat, Create Hierarchical, and Use Sample File. When an option is selected, this opens an interface for creating a flat or hierarchical file schema, or providing a sample file as described under Schemas.
• Mirror Source Schema: Copies the source schema as described under Schemas. This option is present only if (1) there is a defined source schema and (2) the target of the transformation is not an adjacent server-based activity whose schema is generated directly from the endpoint, such as is the case with SOAP, Database, and Salesforce endpoints, as well as many other application-specific endpoints and some custom endpoints.

Target Nodes

A defined target schema is made up of nodes that can contain fields, as well as other, child nodes that can contain fields. Source data cannot be mapped to the target nodes themselves, but can be mapped only to the fields they contain. Once you have defined a target schema, to access options available on each node, hover over the target node, then click the actions menu icon  to show the actions menu. Each action is described below.

• Remove Loop Node: Removes the loop node definition. This option is available only on nodes that have a loop node manually defined. To remove a loop node definition on an automatically generated loop node, remove all of its direct leaf mappings as described under Removing a Mapping in Mapping Source Objects.

  NOTE: If you remove all of the direct leaf mappings of a manually defined loop node, the loop node definition still exists. Though there is no immediate visible indication in the user interface that a loop node definition exists, you can verify the presence of a loop node by trying to drop a source node onto a target node and find that only the Automap option is present.

• Remove Loop Node and Mappings: Removes the loop node definition due to mappings that are direct leaf children associated with the loop node, and removes those mappings. Any other mappings within child loop nodes beneath the parent loop node are preserved, and the node retains its loop node definition if at least one grandchild is mapped. This option is available only on nodes that have a loop node defined (either manually or by automatic generation). 
• Remove All Mappings Beneath This Node: Removes all mappings on fields contained within the node, as well as all mappings on fields contained within child nodes of that node. Using this option on a root node removes all mappings in a transformation. On selecting this option, a message asks to confirm that you want to remove mappings.
• Remove All Invalid Mappings: Removes all invalid mappings on fields contained within the node, as well as all invalid mappings on fields contained within child nodes of that node. For more information about invalid mappings, see Transformation Mapping Validity.

• Expand All Nodes Beneath This Node: Expands all child nodes beneath the parent node. (By default, nodes are expanded up to 5 levels deep.)
• Duplicate Node: Duplicates the node and its fields, as well as any child nodes and their fields. Mappings are not duplicated.
  

  This option is available only on nodes where it is applicable, which is only on nodes whose cardinality indicates that elements can occur more than once (with the exception of the root node) and that are not already a duplicate of another node. 

  For display purposes at design time only, the name of the duplicate node is appended with a hash (#) and an incremented number. For example, when you duplicate a node named transaction, the first duplicate of the node is displayed as transaction#1. If you then duplicate the transaction node again, the second duplicate is displayed as transaction#2. During runtime, the original node name is used for both the original node and duplicate nodes. For example, the nodes displayed as transaction, transaction#1, and transaction #2 are each processed with the original node name transaction. Duplicate nodes cannot be renamed.

  Whether a duplicate node is reflected in other locations throughout the project depends on how the schema was defined:

  • Defined in an Activity: If the schema in which the node is duplicated is defined in an activity, then the duplicate node is reflected in the activity's schema. If the activity's schema later undergoes any changes as a result of a changed activity configuration or a schema refresh from the endpoint, the retention of duplicate nodes depends on if the original node that was duplicated still exists:

    • If the original node exists, any previously duplicated nodes are retained.
    • If the original node no longer exists, all nodes created as duplicates of that node are removed.

  • Defined in a Transformation: If the schema in which the node is duplicated is defined in a transformation, then the duplicate node is not reflected in the activity's schema, as the activity's schema is being overridden by the schema defined in the transformation.

• Remove Duplicated Node: Removes the duplicate node and its fields, as well as any duplicate child nodes and their fields. This option is available only on nodes that were created using Duplicate Node.
• Add Condition to Node: Used to conditionally apply a mapping to the fields contained within a node. This option is available only on nodes that do not already have a condition applied. On selecting this option, script mode opens for you to create the condition. For details about creating the condition, see Conditional Mapping.
• Edit Condition: Opens script mode for editing the existing condition in script mode. This option is available only on nodes that already have a condition applied. For more details, see Conditional Mapping.
• Remove Condition: Removes the condition. This option is available only on nodes that already have a condition applied.

Target Fields

For a transformation mapping to result in output data from the transformation, you must map to at least one field in the target schema. Once you have defined a target schema, you can map to the target fields in any of the ways covered below, including by mapping source objects, variables, scripts, or custom values to the target fields or adding other script logic:

• Automapping
  Automapping is used to automatically map source and target fields whose names are an exact match within identical data structures. You can perform automapping using the entire data structure or within selected source and target nodes.
• Mapping Source Objects
  In addition to automapping, source fields can be manually mapped to a target field. When you map a source field to a target field, the reference path of the source object is inserted into a script on the target field.
• Mapping Variables
  When you map a variable, the variable reference is inserted into a script on the target field. Variable references are constructed with a dollar sign ($) preceding the variable name.
• Mapping Custom Values
  Custom values are simply hard-coded values that can be mapped to a target field.
• Mapping with Scripts
  All transformation mappings are made up of scripts on individual nodes and fields within a target schema. This page covers how to open transformation scripts and reference project components and functions within them, although any valid script logic can be used.