Merging Nodes with Drag-and-Drop
Use
If two nodes in the hierarchy tree really represent the same value, you can merge one node into the other. This may be necessary if data was imported from two sources that used different names for the same node, or you decide that you no longer want to make a distinction between two existing node values.
Just as with moving nodes, there is no explicit command to merge two nodes in the hierarchy tree. Rather, the pop-up context menu that pops up when you drag-and-drop a node includes a Merge Into choice that allows you to merge the dragged node into the node onto which you drop – and in the process reassign main table hierarchy lookup field values that were assigned to the dragged node.
The challenge of merging two nodes is to detect the lookup field values that have been assigned to the value of either node and to reassign them to the value of the single merged node, which MDM does automatically as part of the merge.
You can also use the Cut and Paste as Merge commands to merge two nodes in the hierarchy tree, as described in the section below.
Merging nodes occurs at the record level rather than the field level, and does not merge the underlying values of the fields within the two records. Specifically, it preserves the field values of the surviving node and discards those of the non-surviving node.
If necessary, you can first merge the underlying field values within the records prior to the merge by selecting each of the multiple records in the Records pane and reconciling the values in each of the fields. (For more information about how to view and edit multiple records, see Viewing and Editing Multiple Records.)
Procedure
To merge one node into another:
...
1. In the hierarchy tree, select the node you want to merge (the one that will disappear from the hierarchy tree).
2. Drag the selected node onto the destination node (the surviving node that will remain in the hierarchy tree).
3. Choose Merge Into from the context menu that pops up when you perform the drop.
To bypass the pop-up context menu, hold both Shift and Ctrl while you perform the drag-and-drop.
MDM merges the two nodes and all of the lookup field values that were previously assigned to either one of them.
When you merge two nodes in the hierarchy tree, MDM automatically detects all lookup field references to the non-surviving node value across all records in the repository lets you choose which node’s references to assign to the surviving node.
When you merge two categories in the taxonomy tree (even in Hierarchy mode), MDM automatically detects differences between their respective sets of inherited and linked attributes, and if necessary, adds links to the surviving category so that its set of linked and inherited attributes includes all the linked and inherited attributes of the category that is merged into it.
Operation |
Constraints |
Merge Into |
● Must be in Hierarchy or Taxonomy mode ● Tree must have focus ● A node must already have been cut or copied ● Destination node cannot be the root ● Destination and source node cannot be the same ● Destination and source node cannot have children ● Destination and source node cannot be an alias ● Destination and source node cannot have a matching set |