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Local Links

A Local Link is a mapping between a set of data that you want to either import into your e.List item(s) in the Contributor Grid or move to a different location in the open e.List item in the Contributor Grid. A Local Link is made up of the source data, items in the source, commentary, and the target tab of the source data.

Link definitions can be created using external data sources or tabs in the active Contributor Grid. Link Definitions can be modified and distributed after creation. Link definitions can be stored as a *.cld file.

In Get Data, you can create and run a Local Link.

Create a Local Link

Create a Local Link so that you can load data from the following types of sources:

Steps
  1. Open Get Data.

  2. In the Run Local Links dialog box, click the New button.

    The Define Source Type and Destination dialog box appears.

  3. In the Link Name box, enter a name for the new load.

    Link names must be unique and cannot contain these characters: ’\ /:*?"<>|.

  4. In the Description box, enter a brief description of the source and target of the link.

    Tip: This information is useful when sharing links with other users.

  5. In the Data source type box, click the data source type you want.

  6. In the Pick source tab list, if you are using Contributor data, click a source tab where you want the data loaded from.

  7. In the Pick target tab list, if you are using Excel or ASCII data as the source, click a target tab where you want the data loaded into and click Next.

    The Pick Source Data dialog box appears.

  8. In the Source box, enter the file name.

  9. Provide the information required for your source file type:

  10. Click Next to continue.

    The Map Source to Target dialog box appears.

  11. In the top work area, select each row or column that you want to identify as description data and click Description. The Description icon appears .

    Description columns cannot follow Data columns in the source file.

  12. Select each row or column that contains data for loading and click Values.

  13. If some data is not numeric, right-click each column or row that contains non-numeric data, click Data Format, and click Text, Number, or Date.

  14. If some rows or columns of source data are not needed, select each of these rows or columns and click Ignore.

    The Ignore icon  appears in the header.

  15. In the Start import at row box, enter the row number that you want to start your import with if you do not want to load data beginning with the first row.

  16. If you want, rename the rows and columns .

  17. If you want, split a column or merge dimensions .

    You must now map the dimensions.

The Map Source to Target Dialog Box

The Map Source to Target dialog box is divided into two work areas:

The upper area is where you identify your source dimensions as data, description information, or unnecessary rows and columns. You can also rename columns and rows to make the link definition easier to understand. This is where you merge or split columns depending on what your target dimension requires.

The lower area is where you map source dimensions to target dimensions. You can map one or more source dimensions to a target dimension manually or you can choose Map All to map dimensions with the same name. You can also edit and clear any mapped dimensions.

Rename Rows or Columns

When you preview your source files in Get Data, the headers are automatically renamed. For example, columns are renamed to C1, C2, and rows are renamed to R1, and R2.

You can rename your columns and rows by manually renaming the rows and columns or renaming columns using existing column headers.

Tip: Renaming rows and columns the same name as target dimensions helps to easily identify which source and target dimensions match. You can then use the Map All feature.

Steps to Manually Rename Row and Columns
  1. In the Map Source to Target dialog box, select a row or column header and click Rename.

  2. Enter a new heading.

  3. Click OK.

Renaming Columns Using Row Header

To use row header, do the following:

This does not change dynamically with the data.

Split a Column

You can split a column whose information must be mapped to two or more separate target dimensions. For example, you have a source dimension that lists dates in the format Jan-03 and two target dimensions, one for month and one for year. You must split the source dimension into two sub-dimensions to correctly load the data.

Note: You cannot split a dimension already marked as a Description.

Steps
  1. In the Map Source to Target dialog box, select the source dimension (row or column) that you want to split and click Split.

  2. Position your pointer where you want to split the data, left-click, and drag the line into position.

  3. Right-click the character to remove the split bar.

  4. Click OK.

Merge Dimensions

You can merge two or more source dimensions to map them to one target dimension. For example, you want to merge a source dimension for years (03) and a source dimension for months (Jan) into one dimension (Jan 03) and map it to the target dimension of months and year (Jan 03).

Note: You cannot merge two dimensions when either is already marked as Description.

You can also undo a split by merging the new dimensions.

Steps
  1. Select the columns or rows that you want to merge.

  2. Click Merge.

Map Dimensions

You must map the source dimensions to the target dimensions for loading.

You can either map source and target dimensions with the same names automatically, or manually map source dimensions to target dimensions.

Tip: You can tell what type of mapping was used by pausing the pointer over the connecting line between the source and target dimensions.

You can quickly map your source and target dimensions when the names of each already match. This feature is useful when working with large files that contain many rows and columns.

The Map All button is available only if you have at least one set of matching dimensions.

If the items in the source and target dimensions do not match, a manual map is required. For example, if the source item is Jan-03 and the target items is 1-03, a manual map is required. If the items in a source or target of the manually mapped load are added, the load must be manually updated.

Steps for Automatic Mapping
  1. If the names do not already match, in the Map Source to Target dialog box, rename the columns and rows to the same names as their corresponding target dimensions.

  2. Click Map All.

    A single line connects paired dimensions.

    Tips: Double-click the connecting line (or either dimension) to confirm that the items in the dimensions are mapped correctly.

    To change the link properties, click the line and click Edit. To remove the link, click the line and click Clear. To remove all links, click Clear All.

Steps for Manually Mapping
  1. In the Map Items dialog box, select a source dimension and a target dimension and then click Map.

    The Map Items dialog box appears. Any matching dimension items are highlighted.

    Tip: Select the Case sensitive check box if you want to map items based on capitalization and the Calculated items check box if you want to map the calculated items.

  2. Click OK to accept the highlighted dimension items.

    The Map Source to Target dialog box reappears.

  3. If unmatched items remain in the Map Items dialog box, click Manually Map and do the following:

    The Map Source to Target dialog box reappears. A line connects single/paired dimensions.

  4. Click Next. The Additional Options dialog box appears.

    To include annotations, select Include Annotations.

    To include attached documents, select Include Attached Documents.

  5. Click Finish when you are done configuring the link element.

  6. The Run Local Links dialog box reappears listing the new Local Link and whether it is Ready or Incomplete.

View Items in a Dimension

You can view only the first 50 detail items in a dimension.

Steps
  1. Select either a source or target dimension.

  2. Under the dimension name, click the Preview button .

Remove Dimensions

You can remove a selected dimension from the Source Dimensions list in the Map Source to Target dialog box.

Steps
  1. In the Map Source to Target dialog box, select the source dimension you want to remove.

  2. Click the Remove button .

    This removes the description designation from a row or column. The row or column is now treated as values.

Filtering Dimension Items by Characters

You can filter dimension items that appear in the Dimension Items list based on the first character or more than one character in the item name.

Note: This filter only applies to items that appear in the list. It does not affect what gets loaded into the target.

Step

Filter Dimension Items by Substrings

You can filter Dimension items using a substring filter based on the character position. For example, you can filter items to just the third, fourth, and fifth characters of each item.

When you use a substring, all the items that match the substring are rolled up into one item. For example, if you have dimension items named Budget 1, Budget 2, and Budget 3 and if you applied the substring BUD to the first three characters, all three items are rolled into one dimension item to be loaded into the target dimension.

Unlike filtering by characters, using a substring applies to what is included in the load as well as what is viewed in the Dimension Items list. You can use substrings when mapping dimensions manually or automatically.

Steps
  1. In the Map Items dialog box, click Substring.

    The Select substring dialog box appears with the longest item name in the dimension list.

  2. Clear the check boxes below the characters that you do not want to appear in the dimension list.

    Tip: Drag the pointer to clear more than one check box at a time.

  3. Click OK.

    The dimension items are now filtered by the characters in the positions you selected.

Unmapped Dimensions

Mapping creates relationships between one or more source dimensions and a target dimension. When all source and target dimensions are mapped, the load definition is ready. Sometimes, the source and target do not have the same number of dimensions or some source dimensions are not meant to be mapped directly to a target dimension. All dimensions must either be mapped or dealt with before you can run a load.

The load appears in the Run Loads list with either a ready or incomplete symbol.

Resolve Unmapped Source Dimensions

Unmapped source dimensions are dimensions that are not mapped to a target dimension. You must designate the items on each unmapped source dimension that are to be included in the load. At least one item from every unmapped dimension must be selected or no data from the source will be loaded and the link will be incomplete.

Note: All source dimensions must be addressed, either by being mapped to a target dimension or by having items selected for inclusion on the Unmapped Dimensions dialog box. Otherwise the load will not be marked as complete and cannot be executed.

Steps
  1. In the Pick Unmapped Source Dimensions Items dialog box, in the Available list, select which dimension items should be loaded.

    If you select more than one item, the aggregated total is loaded into the target.

  2. Select the All items check box if you want to include all items and any items added in the future to the source dimension.

  3. Click Next.

  4. Repeat for any unmapped source dimension items.

Resolve Unmapped Target Dimensions

Unmapped target dimensions are target dimensions without any source dimensions mapped to it.

All target dimensions must be addressed, either by being mapped with a source dimension or by having items selected for inclusion. Otherwise the load will not be marked complete and can not be run.

Steps
  1. In the Pick Unmapped Target Dimensions Items dialog box, in the Available list, select which dimension items should be targeted by the source data.

    The same value is loaded into all items selected.

  2. Select the All detail items check box if you want to include all the current items and any future items added to the target dimension.

  3. Click Finish.

Add an Existing Link Definition

You can add link definitions to the Local Links list that were created by other Contributor users.

Steps
  1. Click Add.

  2. Find the link definition file (*.cld).

  3. Click Open.

    The newly added link definition appears in the Local Links list. You can now edit or run this link definition.

Share a Link Definition

You can share link definitions with other Contributor users by distributing link definitions through email or network locations.

Users must have submit or edit access to the target cube that is defined in the link definition to run the link. You define access privileges in Contributor Administration Console.

Steps
  1. In the Local Links list, select the link definition that you want to share.

  2. Click Save as to save the link definition to your local computer, or to a network location.

  3. Make the link definition file (*.cld) and the source file (*.xls or *.txt) available to other users.

    Users can now add the link definition file to the Local Links list . If they want to change the current location of the source file or use a different source, they must modify the link definition.

Run a Local Link

To load data into a target Contributor tab, you must have edit or submit rights for that tab. You cannot load data into tabs that are read-only.

Steps
  1. In the Local Links list, select the Local Link that you want to run.

    Multiple loads run consecutively.

    Tip: You can control the order that the Local Links run in by adding them to the Local Links list in the desired order.

  2. Click Run.

  3. Click OK when the link is finished running.

Quick Load

You can load data from an Export for Excel file by using the Quick Load feature.

Steps
  1. In the Local Links dialog box, click the Quick Load button.

  2. Under Export for Excel file, in the Source box, enter the file name.

  3. Choose the worksheets you want to load.

    Tip: You can also click the Select All button or the Deselect All button.

  4. Preview the file in the preview window.

  5. Click Run.

Run a System Link

You can run only System Links if the Contributor administrator grants you access to them. You cannot create a System Link.

Tip: To view the System Link execution history which includes when a link was run and by whom, click the History button.

Steps
  1. In the System Links list, select the System Link that you want to run.

  2. Click Run.

    If errors exist, you are prompted to view or ignore them.