Bridge Specifications
Vendor | IRI, Inc. (CoSort) |
Tool Name | CoSORT SortCL |
Tool Version | 8.2 to 9.x |
Tool Web Site | http://www.cosort.com/products/CoSort/SortCL |
Supported Methodology | [Data Integration] ETL (Source and Target Data Stores) via DDF Text File |
SPECIFICATIONS
Tool: IRI, Inc. (CoSort) / CoSORT SortCL version 8.2 to 9.x via DDF Text File
See http://www.cosort.com/products/CoSort/SortCL
Metadata: [Data Integration] ETL (Source and Target Data Stores)
Component: IriCoSortSortCl version 11.2.0
OVERVIEW
This bridge generates a text file in SortCL DDF format for immediate or centralized use in SortCL data transformation or reporting applications. The current bridge only supports flat file layouts for SortCL input and output phase formatting, but not their manipulations.
Use SortCL to rapidly integrate, stage, and report on flat files outside ETL and other tools.
REQUIREMENTS
SortCL runs on all UNIX, Linux and Windows platforms with the command:
sortcl /SPECIFICATION=jobname.scl
Where jobname.scl is a cross-platform-compatible text file defining the input, process, and output phases of one or more source files (or pipes or procedures) mapping to one or more target files (or pipes or procedures) in one or more formats, for one or more purposes, such as: reports, hand-offs to BI tools, and DB loads.
Paste .DDF field descriptions under the /INFILE and/or /OUTFILE sections of a SortCL job script, or incorporate them by reference in any SortCL application with the command:
/SPECIFICATION=metadatafile.ddf.
For a DDL & DML job sample, see:
http://www.cosort.com/public/solutions/cosort/report/report_syntax.htm
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What is SortCL?
A: SortCL is the main 4GL and UI in the CoSORT package for high volume data transformation and custom reporting. Released in 1992 and in use at data warehousing, reporting and JCL sort migration sites worldwide, SortCL leverages explicit parameters and logical syntax for defining flat file (source and target) layouts and various manipulations. SortCL functionality supports one or more of these actions in the same job script and/or I/O pass:
SELECT
SORT
MERGE
JOIN
LOOKUP
CALCULATE
AGGREGATE
REFORMAT
For more information, please see http://www.cosort.com/public/solutions/cosort/sortcl.htm
Q: How do I use .DDF files?
A: These are text files describing the layout of flat files for use as input (source) or output (target) formats in a SortCL application. You can paste the contents of /FIELD layouts directly into a SortCL (.scl) job specification file or store them in a central metadata repository for re-use in any SortCL application with the command /SPECIFICATION=metadatafile.ddf.
Besides this MIMB export, how else can DDF files be created?
By hand or IRI-supplied tools. You can use notepad or any text editor to manually specify SortCL /FIELD layouts in a .DDF file as long as you follow the attribute convention of field name, position (fixed or floating), size or separator, and data type. DDF metadata is also automatically generated by FAst extraCT (FACT) for Oracle, for staged or simultaneous external ETL operations, and by these CoSORT package utilities:
COB2DDF (for COBOL copybooks)
CSV2DDF (for Microsoft CSV files)
CTL2DDF (for Oracle SQL*Loader control files)
ELF2DDF (for W3C extended format web log files)
Q: Must I license CoSORT on this machine to for me to export to SortCL DDF?
A: No. But you must have a copy of CoSORT running on a UNIX, Linux or Windows platform in order to execute a SortCL application that uses the DDF layouts.
Q: Can I use DDF files outside of CoSORT (SortCL)?
A: Yes. DDF metadata can also be used by RowGen to define the layout of files you wish to synthesize with randomly-selected or -generated data for the purpose of testing new apps and platforms.
Q: Is there more information on the web about SortCL DDF?
A: See: http://www.cosort.com/public/solutions/cosort/report/report_sortcl.htm
http://www.cosort.com/public/solutions/cosort/report/report_reuse.htm
http://www.cosort.com/public/solutions/cosort/report/report_central.htm
LIMITATIONS
Refer to the current general known limitations at http://metaintegration.com/Products/MIMB/MIMBKnownLimitations.html or bundled in Documentation/ReadMe/MIMBKnownLimitations.html
SUPPORT
Provide a troubleshooting package with debug log. Debug log can be set in the UI or in conf/conf.properties with MIR_LOG_LEVEL=6
Bridge Parameters
Parameter Name | Description | Type | Values | Default | Scope | |||
Directory | Defines folder where to write resulting output files (one per table). | DIRECTORY | Mandatory | |||||
File prefix | Outputs one file per Class in the source model. Each file name is matching the original Class name. You can define a common file name prefix for all files by this option. | STRING | ||||||
Export non-file classes as | Defines a rule on how to export classes that were created from other than flat files sources. You can choose not to export them at all or you can pick a format from the list. If you choose to use 'Delimited files', make sure you specify appropriate delimiter by 'Delimiter text' option. |
ENUMERATED |
|
Do not export | ||||
Delimiter text | Defines a delimiter text for a delimited file export. This option is used only if 'Delimited files' value is set for the 'Export non-file classes as' option. |
STRING | , |
Bridge Mapping
Meta Integration Repository (MIR) Metamodel (based on the OMG CWM standard) |
"IRI CoSORT SortCL Data Definition File" Metamodel IriCoSort |
Mapping Comments |
Attribute | /FIELD | |
Comment | # Comments in the DDF file | |
Description | # Comments in the DDF file | |
Name | field name (if physical name is not specified) | |
PhysicalName | field name | |
Position | Ouput is sorted by position | |
DataType | Data Type name | |
Length | Field length | |
Scale | Field scale | |
Class | /FILE | Only FlatFiles classes are exported. |
Comment | # Comments in the DDF file | |
Description | # Comments in the DDF file | |
Name | File name (if physical name is not specified) | |
PhysicalName | File name | |
PropertyType | Used to extractorigin specific flat file metadada | |
PropertyValue | Used to extractorigin specific flat file metadada |