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Importing delimited file metadata

About this task

You can import the metadata of a delimited file from a predefined CSV file.

Before importing delimited file metadata from a CSV file, make sure that each line of your CSV file complies with the following format: 
Name*; Purpose; Description; Version(0.1 by default); Status(DEV|TEST|PROD); FilePath*; FileFormat(UNIX|WINDOWS|MAC); Encoding; FieldSeparatorValue; RowSeparatorValue; EscapeType; EscapeChar; TextEnclosure; FirstLineCaption(true|false); HeaderValue; FooterValue; RemoveEmptyRow(true|false); LimitValue; TableName*; Label*; Comment; DefaultValue; Key*(true|false); Length*; Nullable(true|false); Pattern; Precision; TalendType

Note that:

  • The fields with an asterisk (*) must not be left blank.

  • Name is the file connection name that will be created under the File delimited node. You can create multiple file connections by specifying different connection names.

  • TableName is the name of the file schema, and Label is the column name in the schema.

  • Escape sequences must be used to specify CSV metacharacters or control characters, such as ; or \n.

  • The FirstLineCaption field must be set to true and the HeaderValue field must be filled properly if the delimited file contains a header row and rows to be skipped.

The following example shows how to import the metadata of a delimited file named directors.csv from a predefined CSV file named directors_metadata.csv.

Below is an abstract of the file directors.csv, which has two columns id and name:

id;name
1;Gregg Araki
2;P.J. Hogan
3;Alan Rudolph

The CSV file directors_metadata.csv contains two lines to describe the metadata of directors.csv:

directors;Centralize directors metadata;Metadata of directors.csv; 0.1;DEV; E:\Talend\Data\Input\directors.csv;WINDOWS;UTF-8; "\";\""; "\"\\n\""; Delimited;;;true;1;;false;;directors_schema;id;;;false;1;true;;0;id_Integer
directors;Centralize directors metadata;Metadata of directors.csv;0.1;DEV; E:\Talend\Data\Input\directors.csv;WINDOWS;UTF-8; "\";\""; "\"\\n\""; Delimited;;;true;1;;false;;directors_schema;name;;;false;1;true;;0;id_String

To import delimited file connection metadata from the above-mentioned CSV file, do the following:

Procedure

  1. In the Repository tree view, expand the Metadata node and right-click File delimited.
  2. In the contextual menu, select Import connections from CSV.
    The Import connections from CSV dialog box opens.
  3. Click Browse... and browse to the CSV file that describes the metadata of the delimited file metadata, directors_metadata.csv in this example.
  4. Click Finish to close the dialog box.
    The Show Logs dialog box opens to list imported and rejected metadata, if any.
  5. Click OK to close the dialog box.
    A new file connection named directors is created under the File delimited node in the Repository tree view, with its properties as defined in the CSV file.

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