Structure of Data Sources

Data sources are structured in three broad categories:

Single Record Type Files

In this type of file, the fields in all the records start and end at the same location. Hence, in a file with the fields Name, Address and Date of Birth, Name will always be in the same location in each record and similarly with Address and Date of Birth.

Multiple-Record-Type Files

A multiple-record-type file contains different types of records within the same data file. This type of file is generally not in a printable format but, like a report file, you need to be able to differentiate between the various types of records in the file.

When you use the Data Definition Wizard to define a multiple-record-type file, Analyzer identifies the different record types for you.

You can also choose the Skip Field Identification option in the Wizard to manually define data filters for each record type and then define the fields relating to that type. For more information see Data Filters and Conditional Fields.

Report Files

A report (print image) file is a text file that looks like a printed report, typically with page headings and column titles and perhaps subtotals as well. The different types of information in the header, subtotal and detail lines are treated as different record types.

When you use the Data Definition Wizard to define a report file, Analyzer identifies the different record types for you. If you define the file manually, you must use data filters to bypass the records you do not need, such as headers, subtotals and footers. You can also define static conditional fields if you need to include header information with each detail record.