Defining Data Extraction Templates

Description

The Data Extraction Template defines how a SQL-CrossSection or DBF-CrossSection series is created by extracting data from the columns in a record.

Discussion

The data extraction template enables you to create a data series from multiple columns in a result set. Each field in a result set is referenced using curly brace syntax. For example, the example below would create a data series that groups three fields from the result set into a single series:

{field1}
{field2}
{field3}

Values that are not enclosed in curly braces are treated as static values.

Multiple sub-series can be defined by separating each value with a pipe "|". The label for each sub-series is specified in the first row of the template. The sub-series label row is required if multiple sub-series are defined.

subseriesLabel1|subseriesLabel2|subseriesLabel3
staticValue1|{field1}|{field2}
staticValue2|{field3}|{field4}

If a data series only contains one sub-series, the sub-series label can be omitted.

Data Extraction Template Examples

This template creates a series of values with data from the following fields in a result set: 'Sales_01', 'Sales_02', 'Sales_03'. This series does not define any sub-series, therefore the sub-series labels are not necessary.

{Sales_01}
{Sales_02}
{Sales_03}

This template creates a series with two sub-series. The first sub-series is a list of static values. The second sub-series is data from the following fields in a result set: 'Sales_01', 'Sales_02', 'Sales_03'.

This series specifies two sub-series; therefore the first line of the template must define the sub-series labels.

Month|Sales
Jan|{Sales_01}
Feb|{Sales_02}
Mar|{Sales_03}

This template demonstrates creating three sub-series. The first sub-series is a list of static values. The second sub-series is data from the following fields in the result set: 'Sales_01', 'Sales_02', 'Sales_03'. The third sub-series is data from the following fields in the result set: 'PrevSales_01', 'PrevSales_02', 'PrevSales_03'

Because this series has multiple sub-series, the sub-series labels must be specified on the first row of the template.

Month|SalesCurrentYear|SalesPreviousYear
Jan|{Sales_01}|{PrevSales_01}
Feb|{Sales_02}|{PrevSales_02}
Mar|{Sales_03}|{PrevSales_03}