Defining Template Record Settings

In Best of Breed processing, the Template Record is the record in a collection that is used to create the best of breed record.

The template record is used as the starting point for constructing the best of breed record and is modified based on the Best of Breed Settings you define. The Best of Breed stage can select the template record automatically, or you can define rules for selecting the template record.

Example

Template record rules are written by specifying these options - Field name, Field type, Operator, Value type, and Value.

If you define the template record options as below:

Field name: MatchScore

Field type: Numeric

Operator: Equal

Value type: String

Value: 100

The template rule will select the record in the collection where the Match Score is equal to the value of 100.

To define a template record rule, go to Template Record Settings in the Rule Configuration panel and perform these steps:
  1. Select the option Define template record.
  2. Click the Add rule button.
  3. Define these options as listed in the table below, which are displayed on the Rules node:
    Option Description

    Field name

    		 It specifies the name of the dataflow field whose value you want to evaluate to determine if the record should be the template record.
    Field type Select one of these from the drop-down list to specify the type of data in the field:
    • Non-Numeric: Select this option if the field contains non-numeric data, for example, string data.
    • Numeric: Choose this option if the field contains numeric data, for example, double or float.
    Operator Select one of these from the drop-down list to specify the type of comparison you want to use to evaluate the field:
    • Contains: Ignores the field if it contains blank data.
    • Equal: Scores the field as 0 if it contains blank data.
    • Greater Than: Scores the field as 100 if it contains blank data.
    • Greater Than Or Equal To: Scores the suspect and candidate fields as 100 if they both contain blank data; otherwise, scores the suspect and candidate fields as 0.
    • Highest: Compares the field's value for all the records group and determines which record has the highest value in the field.

      For example, if the fields in the group contain 10, 20, 30, or 100, the record with the field value 100 would be selected.

      This operation only works on numeric fields. If multiple records are tied for the longest value, one record is selected.

    • Is Empty: Determines if the field contains no value.
    • Is Not Empty: Determines if the field contains any value.
    • Less Than: Determines if the field value is less than the value specified. This operation only works on numeric fields.
    • Less Than Or Equal To: Determines if the field value is less than or equal to the value specified. This operation only works on numeric fields.
    • Longest: Compares the field's value for all the records group and determines which record has the longest (in bytes) value in the field.

      For example, if the group contains the values "Mike" and "Michael", the record with the value "Michael" would be selected. If multiple records are tied for the longest value, one record is selected.

    • Shortest: Compares the field's value for all the records group and determines which record has the shortest (in bytes) value in the field.

      For example, if the group contains the values "Mike" and "Michael", the record with the value "Mike" would be selected. If multiple records are tied for the shortest value, one record is selected.

    • Lowest: Compares the field's value for all the records group and determines which record has the lowest value in the field.

      For example, if the fields in the group contain 10, 20, 30, or 100, the record with the field value 10 would be selected. This operation only works on numeric fields. If multiple records are tied for the longest value, one record is selected.

    • Most Common: Determines if the field value contains the value that occurs most frequently in this field among the group's records. If you select this operator, you see the Multiple results option, which allows you to choose one of these:
      1. Consider None: If the field has the same number of occurrences for more than one value, no value is returned as most common.
      2. Consider All: If the field has the same number of occurrences for more than one value, all most common values are returned.
    • Not Equal: Determines if the field value is not the same as the value specified.
    Value type Select one of these from the drop-down list to specify the value you want to compare to the field's value:
    Note: This option is not available if you select one of these Operators - Highest, Lowest, Longest, Shortest, Is Empty, Is Not Empty, or Most Common.
    • Field: Select this option if you want to compare another dataflow field's value to the field.
    • String: Select this option if you want to compare the field to a specific value.
    Value It specifies the value to compare to the field's value.
    • If you selected Field in the Value type field, select a dataflow field.
    • If you selected String in the Value type field, enter the value you want to use in the comparison.
    Note: This option is not available if you select one of these Operators - Highest, Lowest, Longest, Shortest, Is Empty, Is Not Empty, or Most Common.
  4. (Optional) If you want to define additional rules, click the Add rule button.
    Note: If you add additional rules, you will have to select a logical operator to use between each rule.
    • If you want the new rule and the previous rule to both pass in order for it to be selected as the template record, select And.
    • If you want either the previous rule or the new rule to pass in order for the record to be selected as the template record, select Or.

You have now configured rules to use to select the template record. You must now configure the best of breed settings to complete the configuration of the Best of Breed stage.