Question

Sort attrbute / field / column order - anywhere within a workspace

  • 17 March 2014
  • 6 replies
  • 59 views
H
Badge +1
Hopefully this isn't too difficult but I can't seem to find it anywhere.

 

I'm probably just missing it / can't find the transformer.

 

........

 

Is it possible to sort the order of attributes in the middle of a workspace ?

 

Note: I'm NOT talking about using the Sorter transformer to sort data WITHIN an individual attribute(s).

 

.........

 

On a destination dataset writer - this is no problem.

 

You right click on a fieldname move up / move down OR (better)

 

Destination Dataset - User attributes Tab - use arrows to move attributes about (up / down)

 

..........

 

This functionality would be really useful eg when viewing data using the data inspector at some intermediate processing stage.

 

............

 

Any help much appreciated

 

 

Regards

 

Howard L'

 

6 replies

H
Badge +1
Additional info..........

 

What I'm talking in original post is the ability to shuffle (re-order) attributes about.

 

Maybe this functionality could be incorporated into the existing AttributeKeeper or a new AttributeOrganiser ???

 

AttributeOrganiser would allow you to add / delete / re-order attributes

 

(possibly taking the place of both the existing AttributeKeeper & AttributeCreator ???)

 

..........

 

Cheers

 

Howard L'
davideagle
Rank
Badge +14
Howard - The functionality appears to have altered slightly between the two versions I'm comparing:

 

 

FME 2013 SP4:
  • Can't reorder attributes using move up/down on the reader feature type
  • But if you go to Tools > FME Options > Workbench and 'allow reader feature type editing' then you can access the User Attributes tab of the reader feature type and move attributes up and down. This only impacts the reader featuretype though.
  • On individual transformers you can right click the Output port and sort attributes alphabetically or move attribues up and down individually in the transformer. This doesn't however have any impact down stream of the transformer.
  • Even if you reorder in the last transformer and send to the inspector the inspector only represeents the data alphabetically sorted in the table view and the Feature Information window.
  • Columns can be repositioned in the table view by dragging them.
FME 2014 SP1Beta (14270):
  • Reader Featuretype allows move up/down on attributes, this impacts all transformers downstream and is reflected when you send data out to the Inspector.
  • No move up/down option on transformers.
  • Attributes that you create in the workflow always appear at the bottom of the attribute list and can't be moved.
  • Right click and sort on the transformer, whilst available, doesn't appear to work.
  • Columns can be repositioned in the table view by dragging them.
I agree that there might not be ultimate flexibility here but 2014 appears to be closer to what I'd like to see at least if not quite there yet. Also, when you couple this with transformers like the AttributeKeeper, AttributeRemover, AttributeRenamer, BulkAttributeRenamer and BulkAttributeRemover you tend to get close enough to what you need to appropriately inspect the data prior to writing it out where of course you can order your attributes on the target.

 

 

I'll raise a support case with Safe regarding the oddities in 2014 SP1 but hopefully this gives you some tips to move forward. 2014 has had a big interface overhaul, so I don't doubt theres not more to come in this area to make life easier.

 

 

Best regards, Dave
H
Badge +1
David,

 

Thanks very much for your reply and tips - really useful.

 

I've been using 2015 Beta (15024).

 

Same observations with this version also:
  • On expanding all the attributes in the middle of the workspace (ie on all the transformers) - Move up / Move down on fieldnames is greyed out.
  • <R click Transformer> Sort attributes... (not working)
..........

 

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for an AttibuteOrganiser transformer !!!

 

............

 

Thanks once again

 

 

Howard L'
I
Hi Howard

 

 

Thanks for detailing your use case here.  We are considering adding an AttributeOrganizer of sorts to future versions of FME.  I will keep you posted.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Iris
K
I don't have an answer to this question, but I do want to bump this post because I think a transformer with this capability would be very useful.
fmelizard
Rank
Userlevel 4
Badge +13
The new AttributeManager in FME 2016 does exactly this.

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