Table Editor

The Table Editor provides a table-based object type structured view of the contents of a model. The figure below shows a relational model viewed in the Table Editor. Common object types are displayed in individual table folders. All Base Tables, for instance, are shown in one table independent of their parentage.

You can customize Table Editor properties via Table Editor Preferences.

Table Editor Features

These are the primary features of the Table Editor:

- Edit existing properties.
- Add, remove or edit objects. (Cut, Copy, Paste, Clone, Delete, Rename, Insert Rows )
- Paste information from your clipboard into the table.
- Print your tables.

Main Toolbar Table Editor actions

When a Table Editor is in focus, the Insert Table Rows action is added to the application's main toolbar.

Context Menu Table Editor actions

A few Table Editor actions are contributed to the right-click menu for selected table rows. These actions, described and shown below include:

- Table Paste - Paste common spreadsheet data (like Microsoft Excel) to set object properties.
- Table Editor Preferences - Change table editor preferences, including customizing visible properties.
- Insert Rows - Create multiple new sibling objects.
- Refresh Table - Refreshes the contents of the current Table Editor to insure it is in sync with the model.

Editing Properties

You can edit properties for an object by either double-clicking a table cell.

For String properties, the table cell will become an in-place text editor field.

If a property is of a boolean (true or false) or has mutliple, selectable values a combo box will be displayed to change the value.

For multi-valued properties where the available values are dynamic (i.e. can change based on available models or data), a picker-button ("....") will be displayed.

An example of of this type is the relational column datatype property. Editing via the table cell and clicking the "..." button for datatype will display the following dialog.

Inserting Rows in Table Editor

The Insert Rows action provides an additional way to create objects in a model. Insert Rows action performs the same function as Insert SIbling action, but allows you to create multiple children at the same time. All new rows will correspond to an object of the same type as the selected object and be located under the same parent as the selected object.

To Insert Rows in a table:

> Step 1: Select a table row to insert rows after.

> Step 2: Right-click select "Insert Rows" action or select the Insert Rows action on the main toolbar. The following dialog will be displayed.

> Step 3: Edit the Number of Rows value in the dialog, or use the up/down buttons to change the value.

> Step 4: Select OK in dialog.

The desired number of rows (new model objects) will be added after the original selected table row.

Pasting into the Table Editor

If you have a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or other file that contains meta object property information, you can copy that information onto your operating system’s clipboard and paste the information into the Table Editor.

The contents of this file must be tab-separated, but not comma-separated. The MetaBase Modeler will paste this information as metamodel-specific meta objects of a certain type, determined by the tab onto which you paste this information.

This paste function enables you to paste a block of contiguous rows and columns of property values into the table. This means you can populate many columns of information, not necessarily all. For example, if you have a spreadsheet containing meta object Names, Datatypes, and Descriptions, you can arrange your table and paste only that information into the table and can set other property values later. You cannot, however, paste namespace or location information into the table.

To paste items from the clipboard:

> Step 1: Select the Table Editor tab in your Model Editor.

> Step 2: Copy the information for the meta objects you want to create onto the system clipboard from Microsoft Excel.

> Step 3: Click the tab that corresponds to the model object type this information represents. For example, to paste table, click the Base Tables, Views, or Groups tab.

> Step 4: From the Table E ditor, select Insert Rows. Specify number of new rows to correspond to the number of rows copied onto the system clipboard.

> Step 5: Click the first of the new rows in the left-most column, typically Name.

> Step 6: From theTable E ditor, right-click select Table Paste action .

The rows you selected display in the model. These new objects become a part of your metadata model. You can create relationships, derive virtual metadata, and use these meta objects as any others.

You might encounter difficulties if you try to paste too many rows or if you try to paste invalid information.

#### Pasting Too Many Rows

Your paste operation might encounter problems if you attempt to paste more rows than you have created new rows. If you do, the Reconcile Clipboard Paste dialog box displays.

You can click OK to paste the information anyway; this discards the information that is highlighted. Or you can click Cancel and alter either your existing table by adding rows for that information, or the dimensions of the data you are importing.

#### Other Limitations

There is no ability to re-order table columns once they have been imported. All modifications must be done in Microsoft Excel prior to the cut-and-paste.

The Table Editor feature is not designed for creating new objects via copy/paste from other selected objects in Designer. This means that you cannot “paste” an entirely new object, specifying its parent name.

Location is not a valid paste field. You cannot change an object’s parent in the table.

Related Topics

- Dimension Designer Perspectives
- Model Editors
- Web Service Advisor view
- Table Editor Preferences
- Getting Started with Metamatrix Dimension

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