tExternalSortOutput Standard properties

Schema and Edit Schema

A schema is a row description, it defines the number of fields to be processed and passed on to the next component. The schema is either Built-in or stored remotely in the Repository.

Click Edit schema to make changes to the schema. If the current schema is of the Repository type, three options are available:

• View schema: choose this option to view the schema only.

• Change to built-in property: choose this option to change the schema to Built-in for local changes.

• Update repository connection: choose this option to change the schema stored in the repository and decide whether to propagate the changes to all the Jobs upon completion. If you just want to propagate the changes to the current Job, you can select No upon completion and choose this schema metadata again in the Repository Content window.

Click Sync columns to retrieve the schema from the previous component connected in the Job.

• Built-in: The schema will be created and stored locally for this component only. Related topic: see Talend Studio User Guide.
• Repository: The schema already exists and is stored in the Repository, hence can be reused in various projects and Job flowcharts. Related topic: see Talend Studio User Guide.

File Name

Name or path to the file to be processed and/or the variable to be used.

For further information about how to define and use a variable in a Job, see Talend Studio User Guide.

Field Separator

Type in a character, a string, or a regular expression to separate fields.

Criteria

Click the plus button to add as many lines as required for the sort to be complete. By default, the first column defined in your schema is selected.

• Schema column: Select the column label from your schema, which the sort will be based on. Note that the order is essential as it determines the sorting priority.
• Sort type: Numerical and alphabetical order are proposed.
• Order: Ascending or descending order.

Maximum memory

Type in the size of physical memory you want to allocate to sort processing.

Temporary directory

Specify the temporary directory to process the sorting command.

Set temporary input file directory

Select the check box to activate the field in which you can specify the directory to handle your temporary input file.

External command "sort" path

Enter the path to the external file containing the sorting algorithm to use.

Add a dummy EOF line

Select this check box when using the tAggregateSortedRow component.

tStatCatcher Statistics

Select this check box to gather the Job processing metadata at the Job level as well as at each component level.

Global Variables

ERROR_MESSAGE: the error message generated by the component when an error occurs. This is an After variable and it returns a string. This variable functions only if the Die on error check box is cleared, if the component has this check box.

NB_LINE: the number of rows read by an input component or transferred to an output component. This is an After variable and it returns an integer.

A Flow variable functions during the execution of a component while an After variable functions after the execution of the component.

To fill up a field or expression with a variable, press Ctrl + Space to access the variable list and choose the variable to use from it.

For further information about variables, see Talend Studio User Guide.

Usage rule

This component handles flow of data therefore it requires input and output, hence is defined as an intermediary step.