The Column Finder tool is very useful when the situation arises where candidate tables and columns for extraction need to be discovered. The Column Finder tool is launched using the button found on the Rule Tools tab of the Set Designer application. Many other useful tools such as the Chain Finder, Who-Loads-What and the Index Follower can also be found on the Rule Tools tab.
There are many methods of identifying potential target tables.- not the least of which is to have extensive knowledge of the structure of the tables and the relationships between the tables. However, for those situations where the knowledge of the table structure and relationships is unavailable the Column Finder tool is there to help with the discovery process. The Column Finder tool identifies other tables by searching through their column information using criteria such as: having the columns similar to a text string, being of same name, having the same type or having the same size.
The DataBee Column Finder Tool
There are two ways to search for columns using the Column Finder tool. A search can be performed looking for a match to a specific column from a selected source table using the top central area. The bottom Find area will search for an arbitrary string of text. When searching for a text string using the bottom Find area, it is not necessary to select a source table or column.
Text String Searches
When performing a text string search, enter the text you wish to find in the matching column names and press the bottom Find button. By default, the search is performed as a simple exact string check - any column equal to the the matching text will be identified. All text searches are case insensitive. Selecting the Regex Match Mode allows the search to be performed using sophisticated Regex search strings. In Wildcard search mode a % character signals a multi-character wildcard search and the _ character can be used to specify a single character. Use the % or _ wildcard characters in combination at the start, end or middle of the text for sophisticated searching:
Similar Column Searches
The panel on the left side of the tool lists all of the tables in the schemas that the DataBee Set Designer application currently knows about. It is in this area that the source table for a similar column search is selected. If the table required is not present in the list, then probably the schema will need to be refreshed. Use the "Refresh Tables and Indexes" button on the Options tab of Rule Controller to reload this information.
Once a source table is selected, the columns it contains will appear in the panel at the top right of the tool. When one of the source table columns is selected, use the mouse to check the desired options within the search area and click on the top Find button. The tables that have columns matching the search criteria will appear in the target table and column panel on the right. This panel includes the table name with the matching columns listed in boldface type. The Options button below the table name panel can be used to include the source row count, extracted row count and plan information as columns in the table display.
Making a Rule from Search Results
Selecting the Make Rule button will start the New Table-To-Table Rule form which will enable the creation of a new Table-To-Table rule. The form will be opened and automatically configured. The items which are set depend on the tables and columns known. For example, if the table and column in the source side panel are selected, then the table and column in the New Table-To-Table Rule will be set appropriately. If the column is selected in the target side panel it will also be set along with the target table. The Make a Reverse Rule button performs the same function as the Make Rule button but it switches the source and target information prior to launch.