Creating Transformations

The transformation process allows you to consolidate, cleanse, and integrate data.

Context

You can perform semantic synchronization of data from various sources.

You create a transformation between a source and a target. When you load data from one BW object into another BW object, the data passes through a transformation. A transformation converts the fields of the source into the format of the target.

A transformation consists of at least one transformation rule. Various rule types, transformation types, and routine types are available. These allow you to create very simple to highly complex transformations.

The following figure illustrates how the transformation is integrated in the data flow:

1. You are in the Modeling area in the Data Warehousing Workbench. In the InfoProvider tree, choose Create Transformation in the context menu for your InfoProvider.
2. Choose the source for your transformation and choose Create Transformation.

   The system proposes a transformation. The proposal is generated on the basis of a comparison with existing transformations. The system also checks for Basis InfoObjects that can be assigned (UNIT to 0UNIT for example) or whether the DataSource can be assigned to InfoObjects while editing the DataSource.

   You can accept the proposed transformation or modify it. On the left side of the screen, you see the source. On the right side of the screen, you see the rule group. To show the target as well, choose Switch Detail View On/Off.

   Note For InfoCubes with non-cumulative key figures, you cannot change the transformation proposed by the system. These transformation rules fill the time reference characteristic of the InfoCube. All other time characteristics are automatically derived from the time-reference characteristic.
3. Using the mouse, you can create new connecting arrows or change existing ones. You can delete a connecting arrow by choosing the relevant entry in the context menu for the arrow.
4. You can edit the rule details. More information: Editing Rule Details
5. Under Settings for Currencies and Units, you can do the following:
   • Allow currency translation and unit conversion for InfoSources and DataStore objects. As a prerequisite for this, all currencies and units of measure must be contained in the key of the target.
   • Activate the consistency check for units of measure. This allows you to prevent records from being updated with initial units of measure for example.
6. To create additional rule groups, choose  Rule Group   New Rule Group .
   More information: Rule Group
7. Choose Start Routine and End Routine to create the corresponding routines for your transformation.
   More information: Routines in Transformations
8. You can select source fields for the semantic grouping by choosing Define Semantic Groups for Packages. Data records with the same values in the selected fields form a logical key and are processed together in a package.
   More information: Semantic Grouping
9. If you want to follow changes to your InfoProvider over a given period, you can create a manual version. To do this, choose  Goto  Version Management  in the main menu.
   More information: Version Management
10. By choosing  Extras  Table View , you can display the metadata from the transformation as a table (in HTML format), for documentation purposes for example. You can use the context menu to print the Table View.
11. Activate the transformation.
    Note If you have installed a program for creating PDF files, you can print the graphical user interface as well as the table view of the transformation in PDF format.