Download Altova MapForce User Manual

18
MapForce overview
2.5
Mapping between components
Mapping between components
A connector visualizes the mapping between the two sets of data and allows the source data
(value) to appear, or be transformed, into the target schema/document or database.
·
·
·
·
·
·
Components and functions have small "connection" triangles called: input or output
icons. These icons are positioned to the left and/or right of all "mappable" items.
Clicking an icon and dragging, creates the mapping connector. You can now drop it
on another icon. A link icon appears next to the text cursor when the drop action is
allowed.
Clicking an item name (element/attribute) automatically selects the correct icon for the
dragging action.
An input icon can only have one connector.
If you try and connect a second connector to it, a prompt appears asking if you want to
replace or duplicate the input icon.
An output icon can have several connectors, each to a different input icon.
Placing the mouse pointer over the straight section of a connector (close to the
input/output icon) highlights it. You can now reposition the connector by dragging it
elsewhere.
Number of connectors
Input and output icons appear on most components, there is not, however, a one to one
relationship between their numbers.
·
·
·
·
·
Each schema item (element/attribute) has an input and output icon.
Database items have input and output icons.
Duplicated items only have input icons. This allows you to map multiple inputs to them.
Please see Duplicating Input items for more information.
Functions can have any number of input and output icons, one for each parameter.
E.g. the Add Function has two input icons, and one output icon.
Special components, can have any number of icons, e.g. the Constant component only
has an output icon.
This example shows how you can use the concat function to combine the First and Last names
and place the result in the Title element. The constant component, supplies the space character
between the two names.
Altova MapForce User Manual
© 2006 Altova GmbH