Creating nicknames

Use the Create Nicknames window to specify nicknames for tables and views at the data source.

Nickname are names that you provide to reference data source tables and views during query processing. They contain three parts:

1. The location or server name that was defined when you created a server reference. See creating a server.

2. The schema name which defaults to your user ID and is displayed in the Create Nicknames window in the Schema column.

3. The nickname, which defaults to the data source table or view name and is displayed in the Create Nicknames window in the Nicknames column.

Creating nicknames is the last of a series of actions that you perform to work with data in a federated database system.

Fields and controls

Authorities and privileges

To create nicknames:

1. Open the Create Nicknames window. Before the Create Nicknames window opens, the Filter Tables for Nicknames window opens to allow you to filter the list of tables that will appear in the Create Nicknames window. If you have a large number of tables at your data source, be sure to filter the list of tables.The time required to populate the Create nicknames window greatly increases with the number of tables that you retrieve. The Schema and Nicknames columns are populated with default values. You can change the values in these columns.

2. Optional: Change the default schema and nickname (user ID and table name) for any or all of the tables and views. You can change them all at once or change them individually. You can:

   • Make global changes in the Schema and Nicknames columns. Click Options to open the Nickname Options window to specify the naming convention in the Schema and Nicknames columns for all tables..

   • Make individual changes. For each table or view whose default you want to change:

     1. In the Schema column, click the schema name and type or select a new name.

     2. In the Nickname column, click a nickname and type or select the nickname that you want to assign to the table or view.

3. Select the check boxes for the tables and views that you want to create nicknames for. You can check and uncheck all tables and views or check and uncheck them individually. You can:

   • Check and uncheck globally. Click Check All or Uncheck All to globally select or deselect tables and views

   • Check and uncheck individually. Check the box next to the tables or views that you want to select or click the check box next to the tables and views that you want to deselect.

4. Click OK to create nicknames for all selected tables and views. The nickname objects appear in the Control Center.

5. If an error occurs during nickname creation, the Create Nicknames window will remain open and display a list of unsuccessfully created nicknames. You can modify the values in the Schema and Nicknames columns and click OK to resubmit.