1.8

The DataMapper Module
The DataMapper is the tool to create a data mapping configuration.
A data mapping configuration file contains the information necessary for data mapping: the
settings to read the source file (Delimiter and Boundary settings), the data mapping workflow
with its extraction instructions ('Steps'), the Data Model and any imported data samples.
Data mapping configurations are used to extract data and transpose that data into a format that
can be shared amongst different layouts and outputs created with the Connect Designer and
Workflow.
The original data, located in a file or database outside of Connect, is called a data source.
The first step in the data extraction process is making settings for the input data (see "Data
source settings" on page115) , including boundaries for each record inside the data sample.
When you define the boundaries, you are actually defining a series of records inside your data
sample file.
After configuring these settings you can start working on the logic to extract data from each of
those records. You need to identify and extract data from each record. To achieve this, you will
create a data mapping workflow, consisting of multiple steps (extractions, loops, conditions and
more) (see "Data mapping workflow" on page113 and "Extracting data" on page118).
When this process is complete, the result is a Data Model. This model contains the necessary
information to add variable data to Connect Designer templates. (see "The Data Model" on
page151 for more information). It has a generic format with an emphasis on content, free from
any restrictions imposed by the file types or the origin of the data. This allows a same layout or
output to be populated with data from different sources and formats without the need to modify
it.
DataMapper basics
Connect’s DataMapper lets you build a data mapping workflow to extract data from a variety of
data sources. The data mapping workflow consists of multiple 'steps' which process and extract
data from each record of a data source and store it in a new, extracted record set. The data
mapping workflow is saved in a data mapping configuration.
1.
Create a new data mapping configuration.
Run the Designer and start creating a data mapping configuration by selecting a data
source. See "Data mapping configurations" on the next page.
Page 100