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Setting output file name at runtime based on an attribute value

  • November 13, 2018
  • 3 replies
  • 226 views
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I have a workspace that reads multiple features from a CSV file, transforms them and then writes the results to a custom text format (using text_line_data).

I would like to set the name of the output file at run-time based on a 4 digit integer value read from a second input CSV file. For example, if the integer is 2934 then the relevant attribute is set to OUTPUT_FILENAME=output_2934.txt

However, I am getting in a mess trying to configure the output text writer. If I fanout on OUTPUT_FILENAME, I get two output files (rather than the desired single file) when I run the workspace. The files produced are output_2934.txt (with no content) and output_.txt (with correct content). If I don't set the fanout, I can't see how to configure OUTPUT_FILENAME.

Is my approach fundamentally flawed? Any help much appreciated.

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3 replies

ebygomm
Influencer
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  • ebygommInfluencer
  • Influencer
  • November 13, 2018

To fanout by attribute all the features you are writing must have that attribute with the relevant value. If this is coming from a second writer you need to ensure you are adding it as an attribute to the features you are writing

e.g.

takashi
Celebrity
  • takashiCelebrity
  • November 13, 2018

All the features should have an identical value (2934 in the example) in the OUTPUT_FILENAME attribute if you intend to write them into a file named "output_2934.txt".

Check if the OUTPUT_FILENAME in every feature stores "2934", using FME Data Inspector. The Workbench menu: Writers > Redirect to FME Data Inspector option is useful to send all features to FME Data Inspector instead of the writer.

Why not inspect features with Visual/Data Preview and Feature/Record Information before writing them into a destination dataset?
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  • sunorchids
  • Author
  • November 14, 2018

Thank-you both @takashi and @egomm! This now works like a charm. I didn't appreciate that every feature (1000's) needed to have the same value of the OUTPUT_FILENAME attribute (a single value). The FeatureMerger did the trick.

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