Creating Transformations

Procedure

You are in the Modeling functional area of the Data Warehousing Workbench.

In the InfoProvider tree, choose Create Transformation in the context menu for your InfoProvider.
Choose a source for your transformation and choose Create Transformation.
The system proposes a transformation. You can use this transformation as it is, or modify it to suit your requirements. To the left of the screen, you see the source; to the right 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 suggested 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.

End of the note.
Using the mouse, you can create new connecting arrows or change existing connecting arrows; you can delete a connecting arrow by choosing the relevant entry in the context menu for the arrow.
You can activate the check for referential integrity in the rule group for single characteristics.
The check for referential integrity determines the validity of a characteristic’s value before it is updated. The system checks if the master data table (attribute table) or DataStore object specified in the InfoObject maintenance for this characteristic contains an entry for this characteristic. If no entries are found, an error message is displayed. If a characteristic does not contain any attributes, the check is not offered.
If you double-click an InfoObject in the transformation group, the maintenance screen for the rule details is displayed. You can:
- Select a rule type.
  More information: Rule Type
- Activate the conversion routine, if it exists. It is deactivated by default because the system assumes that the DataSource provides the internal format.
  More information: Conversion Routines in the BW System
- With key figures, you can specify a transformation type and define a currency translation or quantity conversion. See:
  Currency Translation During Transformation
  
  Quantity Conversion During Transformation.
- Using the InfoObject Assignment field for a source field, you can assign an InfoObject to a DataSource from which the data is to be read. This is required to read master data and for currency translations and quantity conversions. See:
  Assigning InfoObjects for Reading Master Data
  
  Assigning InfoObjects for Converting Amounts or Currencies
  
  Assigning InfoObjects for Time Conversion
  
  Note
  
  Conversion and transfer routines are not executed for assigned InfoObjects.
  
  End of the note.
- With Test Rule, you can check whether source values are updated to the target (for example, for analyzing errors in complex routines). See Testing Rules.
To create additional rule groups, choose Rule Group New Rule Group .
Choose Start Routine, End Routine to create the corresponding routines for your transformation.
See Routines in Transformations. If you update to a standard DataStore object or master data attribute and you have created a corresponding end routine, you can configure the update behavior for the fields in the end routine. See:

Update Behavior of Fields in the End Routine.
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 thus form a logical key and are processed together in a package.
This setting must be considered in combination with the settings for semantic groups in DTP:

If handling data records with errors is activated, only the sources fields of key fields can be selected in DTP. The actual grouping uses the intersection of these selected key fields and the fields selected from the transformation for semantic grouping.

If handling data records with errors is switched off, all the sources fields that were also selected in the transformation can be selected in DTP. The selection of the semantic group is formed from this intersection.

If handling data records with errors is switched off and no source fields were selected in the transformation for the semantic grouping, all the source fields can be selected in DTP. This function is kept for compatibility reasons as it was not yet possible to display source fields for the semantic grouping in the transformation. However, we recommend you select the fields in the transformation.

See: Example: Conditional Update Through Semantic Grouping.
With Extras Table View , you can display the metadata of the transformation as a table (in HTML format), for example for documentation purposes. You can use the context menu to print the Table View.
Activate your 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.

End of the note.

Result

The transformation is executed with the corresponding data transfer process when the data is loaded.

You can first simulate the transformation if you would like to check whether it provides the required results. To do so, execute the simulation of the DTP request. The transformation is also simulated along with the simulation of the data update.

More information: Simulating and Debugging DTP Requests.