Collapse/Expand Metaconnector Properties

The Collapse/Expand Metaconnector Properties are described as follows.

Field

Description

Name

Specifies a unique name that identifies this connection. The maximum number of characters allowed is 255.

Connection to Use

Specifies the name of the underlying connection that is providing the data. This will often be an Order Metaconnector.

Grouping Keys

Specifies the field or list of fields that define the grouping key. One internal record is constructed from all external records with the same key value. To ensure that all records with this key value are collapsed into a single multivalue record, make sure that the external result set is ordered using the Order Metaconnector by the grouping key fields.

Note: Grouping occurs only on exactly equal keys, it is not possible to ignore case even if combining the Collapse/Expand Metaconnector with the Order Metaconnector.

Additional Write Keys

Specifies additional key field or fields which define the unique key within a collapsed record. For example, if four orders by a single customer are collapsed into one document, with the customer number as the key, and one order is changed, then the order number may be required to ensure the key's uniqueness across individual external records for this customer on expansion.

Disable Trimming of Text Trailing Spaces

Disables the trimming of trailing spaces in text data.

In normal operation, whenever text data is fetched from a connection, trailing spaces are removed from the text. The property NoTrimText has been added to the Direct Transfer and Replication activities.

When using this option in a Direct Transfer or Replication activity that uses a Collapse/Expand Metaconnector, you must also select this option here in the metaconnection definition.

Note: The term "Subkey" as used in the Virtual Fields Activity Document correlates to the term "Additional Write Key" as used in the Collapse/ Expand Metaconnector Document. This field should be unique in the external system table so that when an update, delete, or create event is performed, the event only affects one single record. If the field is not unique in the external system table, the event will affect all the records within the selected "group". The term "Grouping Key" in the Collapse/ Expand Metaconnector Document correlates with the term "Key Field" in the Virtual Fields Activity Document. When using what is described as "multi-value data", the "Grouping Key" (or "Key Field" in the Virtual Fields Activity Document) should not be unique. This information is also helpful when working with a Replication activity that uses a Collapse/Expand connection type.