1 MDM Syndicator Reference Guide
1.4 Preparing Destination Items
This part of the reference guide describes how to manage the destination items available in a syndication map and customize the values which are syndicated to them.
1.4.1 Destination Items Grid
Destination items are the “buckets” into which Syndicator places source data in the syndication file, and the destination items on a map should represent the schema of the intended destination for the records syndicated from the map.
Using Destination Item properties, you can add field-specific transformations to source values, so that the data in the syndication file matches the expected format of the destination system. For more information, see Customizing Destination Item Values linked below.
The destination items available for mapping appear in the Destination Items grid of the Item Mapping tab.
Destination Items Grid Columns
Column Description
Order* The order in which the item appears on records in the syndi
cation file.
Mapped Whether or not the destination item is mapped to a source
item:
● <empty> – unmapped
● – mapped
Name The name of the destination item.
● Name in italics indicates the item is required.
● [Attribute] after an item name indicates the item is an XML attribute.
Type The data type of the destination item.
● Text [x] x = field width set for this item on the Destination Items tab.
Source The name of the source item the destination item is mapped
to, or the static text that will appear in the item on every syn
dicated record.
* Column appears for flat maps only.
Managing Destination Items on XML Maps
The destination items available on XML maps reflect the XML schema associated with the map. For more information, see XML Schema Enforcement in Syndicator.
Managing Destination Items on Flat Maps
New flat maps do not have any destination items; all destination item management tasks for the map must be performed manually.
Related Information
Customizing Destination Item Values [page 39]
XML Schema Enforcement in Syndicator [page 15]
1.4.1.1 Adding New Destination Items to Flat Maps
Context
To add a new destination item:
Procedure
1. On the Destination Items tab, right-click on the Destination Items list and choose Add Destination Item.
Syndicator adds a new destination item to the Destination Items list. The new item inherits the property values of the Default Destination Item. For more information, see Destination Item Property Inheritance linked below.
2. Enter a name for the new item (optional).
3. Enter new property values for the destination item (optional).
4. Press Shift + Enter to save the destination item.
The destination item now appears in the Destination Items grid of the Item Mapping tab.
Related Information
Destination Item Property Inheritance [page 43]
1.4.1.2 Adding a Copy of an Existing Destination Item
Context
To add a copy of an existing destination item:
Procedure
● On the Destination Items tab, right-click on the destination item you want to duplicate and Choose Duplicate Destination Item.
Syndicator adds a new destination item, named Copyof<ItemName>, to the Destination Items pane as well as the Destination Items grid on the Item Mapping tab.
1.4.1.3 Renaming Destination Items on Flat Maps
Context
To rename a destination item:
Procedure
1. On the Destination Items tab, right-click on the destination item you want to rename and choose Rename Destination Item.
2. Enter a new name for the destination item.
3. Press Shift + Enter to save the name change.
The item is automatically renamed on the Destination Items grid of the Item Mapping tab.
1.4.1.4 Deleting Destination Items from Flat Maps
Context
To delete a destination item:
Procedure
● On the Destination Items tab, right-click on the destination item you want to delete and Choose Delete Destination Item.
Syndicator deletes the destination item from the Destination Items pane and the Destination Items grid on the Item Mapping tab.
Note
Deleting a mapped destination item unmaps its source item counterpart. To retain the source data in the syndication file you must map the source item to another destination item.
1.4.1.5 Changing the Destination Item Order on Flat Maps
Context
The order in which destination items appear in the Destination Items tab determines the order in which they appear in the Destination Items grid on the Item Mapping tab.
To change the order in which destination items appear:
Procedure
● On the Destination Items tab, click on a destination item and drag it up or down the list to its new position.
The Item Mapping tab is automatically updated with the new item order.
1.4.2 Customizing Destination Item Values
The Destination Items tab displays the destination item properties for all destination items on the map. These properties control how source values will appear in a destination item when syndicated.
You can customize each destination item individually, or use the default destination item to propagate property changes to all destination items which inherit from it. For more information, see Destination Item Property Inheritance linked below.
As you experiment with destination item properties, switch to the Syndication Preview tab to see the effects they have on the values of their mapped source items.
Related Information
Destination Item Property Inheritance [page 43]
1.4.2.1 Destination Item Properties
Grid Columns for Destination Item Properties
Column Description
Name The name of the property
Inherit/Reset Whether the property gets its value from its parent item:
● – property inherits its value
● – property does not inherit its value
● – property cannot inherit its value
● When the Default Destination Item is selected, the col
umn name changes from Inherit to Reset
● For more information, see Destination Item Property In
heritance linked below.
Value The current value of the map property
● Values in gray are inherited
● Values with a light-blue background have been modified but not yet saved
● Values entered as text must be 255 characters or less
Description of Destination Item Properties
Property Name Description
Name The name of the destination item.
Property Name Description
Required Is the item required on all syndicated records?
● Read-only on XML maps, as value is based on the item’s minOccurs value in the XML schema of the map.
Repeatable XML Node Can the item store repeating source data values?
● For XML maps only.
● Read-only, as value is based on the item’s maxOccurs value in the XML schema of the map.
Static Text Text entered here becomes the value of the selected item on
all syndicated records.
● Applies only to required items that are unmapped.
● Mapping an item replaces static text with source values.
Default Text Text entered here replaces any NULL values found in the
mapped source item’s values.
Hierarchy Style How much of a source hierarchy value to include in the desti
nation item:
● For more information, see Customizing Hierarchy Values in a Destination Item linked below.
Path Delimiter The character used in the destination item to separate de
limited values in a hierarchy value.
Prepend Field Name as Root of Pathname Add the source item name as the root of the source hierar
chy pathname?
● Hierarchy Style = value other than Node Name Only.
● For more information, see Customizing Hierarchy Values in a Destination Item linked below.
Number of Levels in Pathname from Root How many levels (delimited values) in a source hierarchy pathname value to include in the destination item, starting from the root.
● If the Prepend Field Name as Root of Path Names value is checked, the field name counts as a level.
● Hierarchy Style = Partial Pathname from Root.
● For more information, see Customizing Hierarchy Values in a Destination Item linked below.
Property Name Description
Number of Levels in Pathname from Leaf How many levels (delimited values) in the source hierarchy pathname value to include in the destination item, starting from the leaf.
● If the Prepend Field Name as Root of Path Names value is checked, the field name counts as a level.
● Hierarchy Style = Partial Pathname from Leaf.
● For more information, see Customizing Hierarchy Values in a Destination Item linked below.
Multi-Valued Item Delimiter The character used in the destination item to separate val
ues in a multi-valued item.
● For more information, see Mapping Lookup Table Data linked below.
Text Qualifier The character used as the text qualifier.
Max Item Length The maximum text length allowed for the item.
● Disabled on flat maps with fixed-width item format.
Fixed Column Width The specific width of the destination item.
● Enabled only on flat maps with fixed-width item format.
Normalization Type of normalization to apply to text values in this destina
tion item:
● None
● Standard
○ Standard normalization returns a capitalized alpha
numeric string from which all spaces and punctua
tion are removed.
● Standard with Custom Normalization
● Custom Normalization Only
Custom Characters The character string removed from source text when the
Normalization property value is Standard With Custom Normalization or Custom Normalization Only.
● This property is case-sensitive.
Change Case Changes the case of the source text values:
● None
● lower case
● UPPER CASE
● Sentence case
● tOGGLE cASE
Strip HTML Removes HTML tags from source text values.
Character Escaping Type of character escaping to perform on data values in the destination item:
● None: No escaping is performed
● HTML: Escapes all HTML-related symbols
● URL: Applies URL-style character escaping
Property Name Description
Leading Characters to Strip Characters to remove from the start of source data values.
● This property is case-sensitive.
Trailing Characters to Strip Characters to remove from the end of source data values.
● This property is case-sensitive.
Padding Add padding to make all item values equal to the Max. Item
Length or Fixed Column Width property values (whichever is used by the current map):
● None: Do not add padding
● Leading: Add padding before item value
● Trailing: Add padding after item value
Pad Character The character to use as padding in the Padding property.
Whole Number/Fraction Connector The character to use to connect a whole number with a frac
tion in a destination item value (for example, setting this property to "-" results in the source value 3 ½ to appear as 3-½ in the destination item).
Related Information
Destination Item Property Inheritance [page 43]
Customizing Hierarchy Values in a Destination Item [page 67]
Mapping Lookup Table Data [page 52]
1.4.2.2 Order In Which Formatting Properties Are Applied
The order in which formatting-related destination item properties are applied can affect the resulting data values. Syndicator applies formatting properties to destination item values in the following order:
1. Strip HTML
7. Fixed Column Width or Max Item Length 8. Text Qualifier
9. Padding and Pad Character
1.4.2.3 Viewing Properties of Multiple Destination Items
When multiple destination items are selected in the Destination Items pane, Syndicator places into the Value column of each property all distinct values for the property among the selected items. When the same property value is shared by every selected destination item, this single value is displayed in black. When more than one value is present for a property among the selected destination items, each distinct value is displayed in red and separated by a semi-colon.
In the case of a checkbox, Syndicator displays a grayed-out checkbox ( ) to signify the box is checked for some selected items and unchecked for others.
Whatever values you subsequently enter in the Property grid are applied to all selected destination items.
1.4.3 Destination Item Property Inheritance
The inheritance feature of MDM makes it easy to configure multiple destination items at once.
The Default Destination Item
The Default Destination Item on the Destination Items tab is the key to inheritance, a feature through which destination items can be quickly maintained and updated. The importance of the Default Destination Item is that its property values are automatically assigned to all destination items which inherit from it.
1.4.3.1 How Inheritance Works on Flat Maps
All destination items on flat maps inherit from the Default Destination Item, which in turn inherits its values from “factory default” settings. This inheritance hierarchy is illustrated in the following figure:
The following figure illustrates inheritance in action. The Inherit checkbox, when checked, instructs Syndicator to populate a property value from the next level up on the hierarchy, a process which can lead all the way up to the factory default setting. In this example, all destination items inherit their values from the Default
Destination Item, which gets its value from the factory default setting (inherited values appear in gray).
MDM gives you the ability to customize property values at any level of the inheritance hierarchy, except for the factory default setting, by “breaking” inheritance.
By breaking inheritance on the Default Destination Item, you can replace factory default settings with your own custom values and have all of the destination items on your map receive these value changes automatically.
This effect is illustrated in the following figure:
Of course, you may want to customize a property value on an individual destination item or protect a property from inheriting any future value changes. In these situations, simply break inheritance for the individual property on the individual destination item, as illustrated in the following figure:
As this example shows, Destination Item 2 inherits the value change from the Default Destination Item but Destination Item 1, which breaks inheritance, possesses the custom value 10.
1.4.3.2 How Inheritance Works on XML Maps
The premise of inheritance is the same on XML maps as it is on flat maps. Consider the inheritance hierarchy shown in the following figure:
The immediately noticeable difference between the inheritance hierarchy in figure Destination Item Inheritance Hierarchy on XML Maps and the hierarchy shown for flat maps in figure Breaking Property Inheritance on a Destination Item is that destination items on XML maps are nested in a series of internal nodes. The only practical difference this makes in terms of inheritance is that there are increased numbers of levels which must be traversed to get from a destination item (represented in the figure by a leaf node) to the factory default value. At each of these levels, inheritance of a property value can be maintained or broken according to the setting of the Inherit checkbox on that level, as illustrated in the following figure (inherited values appear in gray):
As this example shows, destination items on XML maps do not inherit values directly from the Default Destination Item, as they do on flat maps. Instead, they inherit values from their parent nodes. Leaf Node D inherits the value 50 from its parent, Internal Node 2, which inherits the value from its parent, Record Node.
Record Node inherits from Root Node, which alone inherits from the Default Destination Item.
Contrast Leaf Node D with Leaf Node A, which also inherits its value from its parent. However, because Internal Node 2 breaks inheritance, it does not pass the value of its parent, Record Node, to its children. Instead it passes the custom value 10.
Finally, consider Leaf Node C. It breaks inheritance and so does not inherit from its parent node but instead possesses the custom value 2.
1.4.3.3 Breaking, Restoring, and Propagating Inheritance
As shown in the following figure, the Inherit column on the Properties grid of the Destination Item tab determines whether or not the selected destination item inherits a property value from its parent or breaks inheritance.
When the Inherit checkbox is checked for a particular property, that property inherits its value from its parent.
When the Inherit checkbox is not checked, that property breaks inheritance – its value is no longer inherited from its parent.
There are two ways to restore breaks in inheritance:
● Manually: Select each child item and check the Inherit checkbox for the relevant property.
● Automatically: Propagate inheritance from the parent item. This is a one-step operation that restores breaks in inheritance for the selected property on all child items of the selected destination item.
The Propagate Inheritance command forces all child items of a parent destination item to inherit a selected property value. When the Propagate Inheritance command is performed, Syndicator
automatically checks the Inherit checkbox for the propagated property on all children of the propagating item.
This results in all children of the propagating item inheriting the propagated property value – a convenient tool that saves you from having to manually restore inheritance on each child item.
The following figures show the state of inheritance for a property before and after the Propagate
Inheritance command is performed on the Default Destination Item. (Although an XML map is shown in this example, the command works on flat maps in the same manner.)
Destination Item Inheritance Hierarchy Before Propagation
Destination Item Inheritance Hierarchy After Propagation
1.4.3.3.1 Breaking Inheritance of Property Values
Context
To break inheritance of property values:
Procedure
1. On the Destination Items tab, select the destination item or items containing the property which you want to break inheritance.
2. On the Properties grid, select the property or properties for which you want to break inheritance.
3. Right-click on a selected property and choose Break Inheritance.
Syndicator unchecks the Inherit checkbox on all selected properties, signifying inheritance is broken on these properties.
4. Press Shift + Enter to save the change.
1.4.3.3.2 Restoring Inheritance of Property Values
Context
To manually restore inheritance of property values:
Procedure
1. On the Destination Items tab, select the destination items that contain the inheritance break you want to restore.
2. On the Properties grid, select the property or properties for which you want to restore inheritance.
3. Right-click on a selected property and choose Inherit/Reset.
Syndicator checks the Inherit checkbox on all selected properties, signifying inheritance is restored on these properties.
Note
On the [Default Destination Item], the Inherit column is named Reset.
4. Press Shift + Enter to save the change.
1.4.3.3.3 Propagating Inheritance of Property Values
Context
To propagate inheritance of property values:
Procedure
1. On the Destination Items tab, select the parent item from which you want to propagate property values.
2. On the Properties grid, select the property or properties whose value you want to propagate.
3. Right-click on a selected property and choose Propagate Inheritance. Syndicator opens a confirmation dialog.
4. Click OK on the confirmation dialog.
Syndicator checks the Inherit checkbox of the selected properties on all children of the selected
destination item. To signify which values have been propagated, the Value field of propagated properties is shaded gray on all affected destination items.
Note
Propagating inheritance from the Default Destination Item causes all destination items on a map to inherit the value of the propagated property.