Table Definitions

[Bram]

Hi,

I have very dumb question, what is the table definition and column definition. As per my understanding, table definition is the creation of new tables from the datastage in the Datastage Manager client tool. We can create table defintions for any file structures etc.

Please correct me,

Thanks ,
Balaram

[ketfos]

Hi, Bram,

You need, as a minimum, table definitions for each data source and one for each data target in the data warehouse.
You can view, import, or create table definitions using the DataStage Manager or the DataStage Designer.

In create table defintion, you define source name, source type, table name, description, and then define column names..

Ketfos

[ray.wurlod]

The term "table definition" is loosely used within DataStage. A table definition can mean different things, depending on whether it's describing a sequential file, a database table, a stored procedure, and so on.

A table definition contains lots of things, including format information (if for sequential files), a collection of column definitions and various other properties.

A column definition contains all of the information pertinent to a column, including its name, its expected SQL data type, precision, scale, data element (a user-defined data type used entirely within DataStage), description, mainframe characteristics, and so on.

Table definitions in the DataStage repository do not enforce any kind of behaviour; they serve as a record of what was imported or created, but do not - in general - influence the way in which data are processed. You can override parts of a table definition, or use only part of it, and so on.

When (if) you create a new table definition using Manager or Designer, you are NOT creating the corresponding table. You are only creating a description of what a table might look like. In order to create the table (or file), an appropriate command (or stage type) must be employed.

[Bram]

Thanks ketfos and Ray,

Balaram