Regarding parameters

vijaykumar · Post by **vijaykumar** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:32 pm

Hi Gurus,
These are some of the parameters declared at project level.
I need to identify these parameters.
when i say to my team that by observing the prompt we can analyze a parameter, they say that this is not the justified way.I mean this
#$MDW_USERNAME# correspond to user name.
Since i can use any name in the declaration, please help me is there any way to identify that this parameter corresponds to username and so on...

cheers;
vijay

DSguru2B · Post by **DSguru2B** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:34 pm

You can put comments in the DSParams file in your project directory that will tell you what a particular parameter corresponds to. Its a variable. Variables have meaniful names for the very reason of identifying what they relate to.

vijaykumar · Post by **vijaykumar** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:41 pm

Hi Gurus,

Instead of writing comments.They have dealed with some other company.They exported us jobs.I imported these jobs.Now they are saying to analyze these parameters.I said by means of prompt.
PROMPT-DEFINES THESE PARAMETERS, they are saying these are user dependent.Since they are user-dependent, i had a query in my mind.
Suppose if i defined #$username#,#$password# as jobparameters, i observe that they are stored in the order we define.Is there any default order that these parameters appear.Please help me Gurus

cheers;
vijay

DSguru2B · Post by **DSguru2B** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:46 pm

I dont think any order is necessary. These are environment varaibles. Open your datastage adminstrator, go to your project properties, click on environment variables. You will see a list of all the variables there. You can add and remove parameters there. You can add prompts there that can inturn give more meaningful names to these parameters.

narasimha · Post by **narasimha** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:46 pm

The value you enter in the prompt is the way to identify the parameter name.
You should be giving the appropriate names to identify them.
How else can you justify that?

I_Server_Whale · Post by **I_Server_Whale** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:51 pm

vijaykumar wrote:Is there any default order that these parameters appear.Please help me Gurus

cheers;
vijay

Like DSguru2B says the order doesn't and shouldn't matter. However, by default, these variables are in the order you created them. You can always insert a new variable in the beginning, end or middle of the list.

vijaykumar wrote:they are saying these are user dependent.Since they are user-dependent,

I didn't understand what exactly that means? Can you re-phrase or explain it better?

Whale.

vijaykumar · Post by **vijaykumar** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:53 pm

Hi Guru,

what about the order they are stored in the repository.

what i mean is that when i access through administrator, it displays the order in which the parameters are defined, that means even the order in which they appear are user dependent.

I just wanted to know is there any default order in which they appear.

cheers;
vijay

DSguru2B · Post by **DSguru2B** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:55 pm

Why dont you take a look ad the DSParams file in your specific project folder under Project directory and let us know what you investigated.

vijaykumar · Post by **vijaykumar** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:59 pm

Hi Gurus,

Sorry about that, i will make the question quite clear.

what i mean to say that is there any default order in which they are displayed, like username comes first, then only password or even the order in which they are displayed are user dependent (order in which the user declares)

cheers;
vijay

narasimha · Post by **narasimha** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:00 pm

Is there is reason why you should have it ordered? It does not matter.
When you say "user dependent" does it mean, "User Defined"

narasimha · Post by **narasimha** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:02 pm

Ahh .. Ok you can change the order in which they are arranged in the DS Administrator with your mouse. Is that what you want? Even if you change the order it does not matter.
Default order would be Name, Prompt, Type, Value.

I_Server_Whale · Post by **I_Server_Whale** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:07 pm

Sorry Vijay!. I take my words back

. The environment variables appear in an ascending alphabetical order. Atleast, in version 7.5.1.A.

So, the order is not user-dependent, if that's what user-dependent means.

vijaykumar · Post by **vijaykumar** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:40 pm

Hi,

Yaa Gurus, that is what i mean.
Thanks very much.

Actually my team is involved in testing.They are testing prompt in parameter declaration.

PARAMETER PROMPT- enter deptno
They are facing some problem when they write question mark.
PARAMETER PROMPT-enter deptno?

I was only able to justify that-No body wants to define the parameter in that way.prompt- defines some meaningful information.

I also said that-No body wants to test 'prompt', i said test something which has some impact.Parameterize that value which has impact, like parameter-VALUE.
Is that a justifed answer-please help me.

cheers;
vijay

DSguru2B · Post by **DSguru2B** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:46 pm

Parameter pompt can be as meaningful as you want. Heck you can write a short story there. When you run your job from designer or director, it will pull up the prompt and not the actual parameter name. So make sure you have meaningful entry in the prompt. When jobs are run from command line or scheduled, prompt becomes ineffective, there you have to specify parameter values from parameter names. Thats why i like to give meaningful parameter names and copy them to parameter prompt. This way whether i am building my parameter file or i am testing my code via designer, i see the same set of parameters everytime. If "they" are really that fussy about it, you can create a document for them. Possibly provide annotation within the job describing each and every parameter. "They" are not wrong when they say that they need more info. Document everything for their ease.

narasimha · Post by **narasimha** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:49 pm

vijaykumar wrote: PARAMETER PROMPT- enter deptno
They are facing some problem when they write question mark.
PARAMETER PROMPT-enter deptno?

I was only able to justify that-No body wants to define the parameter in that way.prompt- defines some meaningful information.

I also said that-No body wants to test 'prompt', i said test something which has some impact.Parameterize that value which has impact, like parameter-VALUE.
Is that a justifed answer-please help me.

I have used a '?' before in the prompt, It did not error, what error are you getting there?

Use prompt to make your life easy, don't complicate it