Adding Groups or Group Types

About this task

Why add groups?

Groups allow you to define repeated occurrences of sets of records, for example the groups that are used with EDI messages to define loops. Groups are only required when the data does not provide any additional delimiters or structure to clearly mark the beginning and end of repetitions that contain more than one record.  The following example data shows a repeating set of records that can be defined using groups:

Groups can contain any number of records or other groups. Groups cannot contain fields. For an example of using a group to model the preceding input Flat File data, see Group Example.

You create groups in the Schema Layout tab. Groups that are not based on a group type are displayed in the Schema Layout tab using the following icon:

Groups that are based on a group type are displayed in the Schema Layout tab using the following icon:

Note: Groups are not global to the project and can only be reused in the current Flat File Schema.

Why Add Group Types?

Group types allow you to define a set of repeating records or groups once and then use it many times within a Flat File Schema. Both the occurrence properties and the content you define in a group type are inherited by any group based on that type.

Note:
  • Groups based on a group type cannot contain any other content besides the nodes inherited from the group type
  • The content inherited from the group type is not visible in the Schema Layout tab.
  • Group types can also be based on other group types.
  • Group types are not global to the project and can only be reused in the current Flat File Schema.

Create group types in the Type Library tab. Group types that are not based on a group type are displayed in the Type Library tab using the following icon:

Group types that are based on a group type are displayed in the Type Library tab using the following icon:

Adding Groups or Group Types

The procedure for adding groups and group types is identical except for the tab you initially select as described in the following procedure. To add a group or group type:

Procedure

  1. Open a Flat File Schema from the Project tab.
  2. Select the appropriate tab:
    • To add a group, select the Schema Layout tab.
    • To add a group type, select the Type Library tab.
  3. Select the appropriate tab:
    • To add a group, select the Schema Layout tab.
    • To add a group type, select the Type Library tab.
  4. Select one of the following options from the list:
    • New Child > Group: To add a group as a child of the current node.
    • New Sibling > Group: To add a group as a sibling of the current node.
    • New Children: to bulk add groups as a child of the current group or record.
  5. In the New Group dialog box, enter a valid node name in the Group Name field.
  6. If this group should be based on a group type, select the group type from the Based on Group list.
  7. Click OK. The group node is shown in the appropriate tab (Schema Layout or Type Library) and group properties display in the Basic Properties pane.
  8. Specify the properties for the group.

    If this group is based on a group type that defines the content for the group, the group is complete. If not, define the content of the group.




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Timestamp icon Last updated: Wednesday, February 17, 2016


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