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source. They don't determine how these data are formatted in the Data Model or in a template. In
the Data Model, data are converted to the native data type. Dates, for example, are converted to a
DateTime object in the Data Model, and will always be shown as "year-month-day" plus the time
stamp, for example: 2012-04-11 12.00 AM.
Extracting data
Before you start
Data source settings
Data source settings must be made beforehand, not only to make sure that the data is properly
read but also to have it organized in a record structure that meets the purpose of the data
mapping configuration (see "Data source settings" on page92). It is important to set the
boundaries before starting to extract data, especially transactional data (see "Extracting
transactional data" on page101). Boundaries determine which data blocks - lines, pages,
nodes - form a record in the source data. Data that are located in different records cannot be put
into the same record in the record set that is the result of the extraction workflow.
Preprocessor step
The Preprocessor step allows the application to perform actions on the data file itself before it is
handed over to the Data Mapping workflow. In addition, properties can be defined in this step.
These properties may be used throughout the extraction workflow. For more information, see
"Preprocessor step" on page116.
Adding an extraction
In an extraction workflow, Extract steps are the pieces that take care of the actual data
extractions.
To add an Extract step:
1. In the Data Viewer pane, select the data that needs to be extracted. (See "Selecting data"
on page99.)
2. Choose one of two ways to extract the selected data.
l
Right-click on the selected data and select Add Extraction from the contextual
menu.
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