Create an Interface with a Child Data Object (Mashup)

Using mashups allows you to easily customize your extracts by adding data from other data objects.

By default, the mashups store their data in cache and do not require repeated database requests. In cases of large volumes, this can mean huge performance improvements. The way cache is built and managed for each mashup depends on its cache policy, and is defined in the Data Object's properties.

Add a Mashup

After you select the main data object for your interface and click Create, you see the EDS Worksheet. The main Data Object you chose is at the left and the Taxonomy is at the right.

To add a mashup to the current interface, you can select an available Data Object from the Shapes toolbox on the left and drag it to the canvas. See the example in the following figure, where you selected warehouse position as your main data object and then select Generic SMF.

Warehouseposition Main Data Object and Select Generic SMF

View Key Expressions

Key expressions used to join the mashup to the main data object are automatically populated for you.

To see key expressions, click the caption next to each key box. See the following figure. 

Caption Next to Key Box

The keys are different for different mashups. For example, the key for the SMF mashup contains Security Alias, for Generic Entity it is Entity ID, and so on.

Add Fields from the Mashup to Your Output

To add fields from the mashup to your output, drag them from the mashup data object to the Taxonomy grid. See the following figure. 

Drag Fields from Mashup Data Object to Taxonomy

On occasion, you may need to use same mashup multiple times. For example, you may need to use the same mashup multiple times to run different code-translations.

Rename Mashups

To give your mashups meaningful names, you can rename them by right-clicking the window header and clicking the Rename option from the shortcut menu.

Rename Option in Window Header

Unclutter the Worksheet

If your interface needs many mashups and the worksheet becomes cluttered and busy, you have two options:

  • You can collapse the mashup by clicking the  Collapse icon in the mashup header.

  • Another option is to completely remove the mashup control from the canvas. To do so, right-click the mashup header, and then click Transform to inline expression. After you see the confirmation box, the system converts the expressions for this mashup to the form that does not require the mashup object itself. See the following figure. 

Transform to Inline Expression