Importing Categories
OK, here is a problem that I encountered before, but never really got a handle on. Say that I have two files downloaded from a database. The first column of both files has a geography field for the states. However, the first file has the full state name, and the second file has the state appreviations.
So when I import both files, with ‘State’ as a category, of course Quantrix will not recognize that they are the same. How do I resolve this?
Assume for the moment that renaming one of the state fields inside the database is not possible due to technical reason. Can I import one file as a one dimensional matrix, rename the state column (from appreviation to full name), then import again as a Olap matrix? Another option might be to set up a look up table to convert those appreviations into full state names?
Attached is an example model to clarify the issue. Thanks for any suggestions.
Hi – I don’t see the attached file you mentioned, but regardless you could do something like the following:
– Import the first set of state names – calling state a category.
– Rename the state names to match what is in the other set of data you are going to bring in.
– Link this newly renamed category to a new matrix
– Now import the second set of state names data, calling the incoming state column a category and set the category to go into the existing state category in the destination matrix.
The system should do a character match on the state names and merge successfully.
Give it a try and let us know your results.
-Mike