Introduction
Designer has the ability to automatically join together similar but separate items (files, SQL views) after they have been synced. Some benefits include:
- Saves time designing: quicker to map a single item than it is to map several items.
- Keeps designs simple.
- Helps with incremental data.
How it works
- Name your items: Users must name the original raw data items in a particular way for this feature to work. Item names must start with split_[yourfilename]_ and then you can choose any name you want, as long as it is consistent across all the files you’d like to join. Anything after the second underscore can be whatever you want to distinguish the items from each other.
- For a database item, only tables or views prepended with phocas_split_ will be joined.
- Sync: items must be synced to the same location.
- Auto join: after sync, designer will automatically join all your items together and place the resulting item in the usual spot in Designer, named your filename
- Updates: Feel free to add new raw data items or edit the data in the existing raw data items. Designer will recognise this on Sync, and re-build the joined item.
- For the join to work correctly, the separate items should be structured the same (columns / headings)
Example
Step 1
We have three transaction files. Each file contains the same columns/headings, but with different data. They are:
- 2015ALL: Contains data from all of 2015
- 2016Q1: Contains data from the first quarter of 2016
- 2016Q2: Contains data from the second quarter of 2016
We'd like designer to join these files together for us. The first step is to locate these raw data files on your computer.
Step 2
Rename them by prepending each filename with ‘split_sales_’, as shown:
Step 3
Sync the three files to a single location in the usual manner, as shown.
Step 4
The files will appear individually in designer exactly as you've named them, but you’ll also notice a new file which is named [yourfilename]. (whatever is between the two underscores). In our example it is called Sales. This is the joined file. Use this in your design and you’re good to go.
Video