Importing data from a flat file
You can analyze data that is in flat files by importing the metadata about the file into the metadata repository with InfoSphere® Metadata Asset Manager. A QETXT.INI file that specifies the format of the data in the flat files must exist before you import the metadata. You can create or update this file with the InfoSphere Information Analyzer Identify Flat File wizard.
Before you begin
- An ODBC connection must be defined on the engine tier with the DataDirect Text driver.
- The ODBC connection on the engine tier must point to the directory in which the flat files are stored.
About this task
You can use the Identify Flat File wizard
to specify the format of the data that is in your flat file, which
allows you to import your flat file data into your projects. When
you use the Identify Flat File wizard, you
specify either the fixed-widths of the data in your flat file, or
you specify the delimiter that your data is separated by, such as
commas, spaces, and colons. You can then preview the way the wizard
will parse your data. After displaying a preview of how the data in
your text file is parsed, and how it will look when it is uploaded
into a table in your data source, the wizard automatically saves these
settings in the QETXT.INI file on your system. Once the QETXT.INI
file is configured by the wizard, you can import the data by using InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager.
Note: You
can also create or update the QETXT.INI file with a text editor.