Case-Insensitive Attribute Handling in FME

Problem

FME is case-sensitive with attribute names. When users upload files (CSV, Excel, etc.) with inconsistent casing (Name, name, NAME), it causes:

• Schema mapping failures (e.g., in SchemaMapper or Joiner).

• Unexpected behavior when casing isn’t controlled.

• Extra complexity requiring custom Python for basic cleanup.

Why It Matters

• Real-world data often has inconsistent field name casing.

• Makes reusable workflows brittle and error-prone.

• Slows down schema inspection and integration with metadata or APIs.

Suggested Solution

• Add a reader or transformer option to treat attributes case-insensitively.

• Let users define a canonical case format (e.g., lowercase or PascalCase).

• Add case-insensitive matching toggles in SchemaMapper and AttributeRenamer.

Impact

• Simplifies file ingestion, mapping, and validation.

• Reduces Python scripting for common cleanup tasks.

• Makes FME workflows more robust and user-friendly.