Informaitca - DESIGNER

DESIGNER

Designer is one of the most common tools used by informatica developer. List of basic task performed in designer are


1. Connect to the repository using the Designer
2. View sources, targets, transformations, and mappings
3. Create/edit sources, targets, transformations, and mappings
4. Create shortcuts from a shared folder
5. Copy object from one folder to another
6. Copy and paste objects in mappings or mapplets in the same folder
7. Compare objects
8. Export objects
9. Import objects
10. Edit breakpoints
11. Create a debug session

Designer itself has different development workspace tools

1. Source Analyzer
2. Warehouse Designer
3. Transformation developer
4. Mapplet designer
5. Mapping designer.


Each of above tool has very specific use in development process.

SOURCE ANALYZER
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This is used to maintain (Create, update and delete) Source definition. There can be different type of source definition like Flatfile, Oracle, VSAM etc. Source definition can be created manually (you have type all the column names, dataype and precession) or you can import from RDBMS or flat file layout. While importing the source definition from RDBMS it uses ODBC connection to connect to database.

SOURCE DEFENITION CREATION
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Source definition can be created in different way. But important thing to remember is that once source definition is created is store in Informatica repository and has no link with the source from where it is created. Source can be created
1. Manually. Go to "SOURCES" menu, and select "CREATE". Give Source name and define Column Name, Data type and precession.
2. Import from Oracle: Before one can import source definition from Oracle, create a RDBMS connection to RDBMS. Select this connection and provide username, password for the database and SCHEMA name. It will show list of tables in the Schema. Select the table and import the table.
3. Import from Flatfile: One can import Source file definition from Flatfile (fixed width or Delimited). If first row of the file is column name header, then it can used to create the column name else you have to manually give the name ( Informatica by default will give FIELD1, FIELD2 etc.). The data type it will derive from the first data row from the file.

Enjoy this.