Data Structure Columns (DMM)

A data structure column represents a database table column, a flat file column, an XML element or attribute, or an output parameter of a web service operation at a particular point in the transformation.

For example, you may have a column called Name in your source database, which is extracted and processed by a number of transformation actions before being loaded into your target database. Each of these steps in the transformation task will contain a data structure column, which represents the column at that point in the transformation. The column may be renamed filtered, reordered, and/or have its data type, length, default value etc, changed, and you can trace each of these changes by referring to the data structure column at the relevant point in the transformation.

You can use the Data Structure Mapping Editor (see Data Structure Mapping Editor) to show how source and target objects data structure columns are mapped.

• Creating a Data Structure Column
  When you draw a data flow from one step to the next, the data structure columns in the first step will automatically be created in the second step. You can also manually create data structure columns by using the Add Columns and Add a Row tools on the Data Structure Columns tab of a data input, an action or a data output.
• Data Structure Column Properties
  To view or edit a data structure column's properties, double-click its diagram symbol or Browser or list entry. The property sheet tabs and fields listed here are those available by default, before any customization of the interface by you or an administrator.