Automatic matching of fields
When you use an existing modeling stream, the fields are automatically matched when you configure SPSS® Model and SPSS® Score process boxes. The automatic matching process finds the first occurrence of an exact field name from mapped tables and matches it to the required field from the modeling stream.
Both the SPSS® Model and SPSS® Score process boxes perform automatic field matching of cell fields to modeling stream fields. This can cause issues where a field is not matched because Unica Campaign and IBM SPSS Modeler Advantage Enterprise Marketing Management Edition use different mechanisms to interpret field types.
For example:
In Unica Campaign, a
cell field that contains numbers within strings, such as 1512 and 100,
is of type string. In IBM SPSS Modeler Advantage Enterprise Marketing Management
Edition, that data
is determined to be numeric. In such cases auto-match fails and you
must match fields manually in the SPSS® Model or SPSS® Score process box.
The following sections describe the situations in which modeling stream fields are automatically matched.
Run a flowchart
Modeling stream fields are automatically matched when you run a flowchart in which the modeling stream contains unmatched fields. Fields might not be matched in a configured SPSS® Model or SPSS® Score process box if you changed the modeling stream after you saved the configuration in the SPSS® Model process box. For example, if you add candidate fields in an SPSS® Score process box, these fields are unmatched in the modeling stream.
- If the model is rebuilt, new fields that are not matched in the SPSS® Model process box are automatically matched.
- If the model is scored, new fields that are not matched in the SPSS® Score process box are automatically matched.
The flowchart run succeeds if matching is successful. If matching is not successful, the run fails and you must manually match fields before the process can be rerun.
If you did not change any fields, then the fields are not automatically matched. This action prevents any matches that you provided from being overwritten.
In the following example, you configured the SPSS® Score process box to match variables between the Unica Campaign flowchart and the modeling stream. So A matches A, B1 (which you manually overwrote) matches B, and C matches C.
| Field from Unica Campaign flowchart | Variable that is required by modeling stream |
|---|---|
| A | A |
| B1 For this field, you manually overwrote the automatic match. |
B |
| C | C |
If the modeling stream is changed and now requires variables A, B, and D, your previous matches are preserved and only the new variable D is automatically matched. So A still matches A, B1 still matches B, and the new variable D matches D.
| Field from Unica Campaign flowchart | Variable that is required by modeling stream |
|---|---|
| A | A |
| B1 | B |
| D The field D is automatically matched at run time. |
D |
Open SPSS® Model or SPSS® Score process box in flowchart edit mode
Modeling stream fields are automatically matched when you select a modeling stream in the SPSS® Model process with the Use existing modeling stream option.
When you open an SPSS® Model or SPSS® Score process box, Unica Campaign retrieves metadata about the configured modeling streams from IBM SPSS Modeler Advantage Enterprise Marketing Management Edition:
- For any mismatches of the modeling stream fields, a warning is displayed.
- Any matches that you set up on the existing modeling stream fields are retained.
- Any deleted fields are deleted from the mapping.
- For new fields, you can use the Match button to automatically match fields or use the Add button to manually match fields.
Modify fields in an SPSS® Modeler Advantage session
Modeling stream fields are automatically matched when you select a modeling stream in the SPSS® Score process box.
When you modify modeling stream fields in SPSS® Modeler Advantage, Unica Campaign does not have information about the session or any changes you made there.
- When you click OK in the SPSS® Model or SPSS® Score process configuration dialog, the existing configuration in the process box is saved. However, Unica Campaign does not get the latest modeling stream metadata. If required fields changed from the last time the configuration window was opened, click OK. Then, reopen the process box to update those fields for the modeling stream.
- When you open the SPSS® Model or SPSS® Score process box, Unica Campaign retrieves the latest modeling stream configuration. Any changed fields are automatically matched, as described in "Open SPSS® Model or SPSS® Score process box in flowchart edit mode".
- When you run the SPSS® Model or SPSS® Score process box, Unica Campaign retrieves the latest modeling stream configuration. Fields are automatically matched, as described in "Run a flowchart".