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CAT Reader - Update Feature Types Not Persisting Attribute Name Changes

  • December 18, 2020
  • 5 replies
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I'm using FME Desktop 2020.2. I have added a CAT reader and set the boundaries and attribute names. I needed to change the attribute names so I used Update Feature Types - this was correctly reflected in the reader on the workspace, all of the new attribute values are displayed. However, if I go back to the Update Feature Types to make any other changes I'm shown the original attribute names and attribute types from when the CAT reader was added. It did not save the changes correctly.

 

I noticed an earlier post about this which was resolved in 2016, so not sure if this is similar or if there is something else I'm missing. Thanks for the help!

Best answer by davtorgh

Hi @ubernatural​ ,

 

are you sure you checked "Update Reader and Feature Types"?

 

Hope that helps!

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davtorgh
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  • Best Answer
  • December 18, 2020

Hi @ubernatural​ ,

 

are you sure you checked "Update Reader and Feature Types"?

 

Hope that helps!


  • Author
  • December 19, 2020

Thanks @davtorgh​  - I don't think I've seen that checkbox anywhere. I'm using the Readers-->Update Feature Types menu item and making changes in there. The changes to the attributes show when I expand the reader and when I preview. It's just when I go back in again using Readers-->Update Feature Types I am shown the configuration of the reader as it was at the time it was created.

 

Is "Update Reader and Feature Types" an environment setting somewhere that I'm missing?


  • Author
  • December 19, 2020

Ah, I found it. I have to update the reader by right-clicking on it in the Navigator and choosing 'Update Reader'. I can't use Readers-->Update Feature Types for that. I see the "Update Reader and Feature Types" radio button now, thanks for the assistance!


davtorgh
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  • December 19, 2020
ubernatural wrote:

Thanks @davtorgh​  - I don't think I've seen that checkbox anywhere. I'm using the Readers-->Update Feature Types menu item and making changes in there. The changes to the attributes show when I expand the reader and when I preview. It's just when I go back in again using Readers-->Update Feature Types I am shown the configuration of the reader as it was at the time it was created.

 

Is "Update Reader and Feature Types" an environment setting somewhere that I'm missing?

No, it's the same thing. I tried myself:

  • added a colum to a CSV and then Readers->Update Feature Types;
  • added another column and then Readers->Update Feature Types;

Everything went fine for me. Very strange...


  • Author
  • December 19, 2020
davtorgh wrote:

No, it's the same thing. I tried myself:

  • added a colum to a CSV and then Readers->Update Feature Types;
  • added another column and then Readers->Update Feature Types;

Everything went fine for me. Very strange...

Yes, it's a bit odd - I'm not sure what Readers->Update Feature Types is doing wrong but it's not writing the same information to the .fmw file. Here are the steps to follow to see the behaviour.

First, add a CAT reader. This uses a simple 2-line text file I created for this demonstration.

Screenshot 2020-12-19 133720Set up the attribute positions and column names in the Parameters... window.

Screenshot 2020-12-19 133850Save, and verify that the reader looks good on the workspace.

Screenshot 2020-12-19 133918Then, go to Readers->Update Feature Types.

Screenshot 2020-12-19 133937Screenshot 2020-12-19 134002In the Parameters... window, here I've updated the column names, and included a previously-excluded column.

Screenshot 2020-12-19 134053I get a confirmation about updating the feature types when I click OK.

Screenshot 2020-12-19 134118Back on the workspace after the change, everything looks good.

Screenshot 2020-12-19 134136But, if I go into the Parameters... window again from Readers->Update Feature Types, I see the parameters as originally saved, not my most recent edits.

Screenshot 2020-12-19 134235If I save here it will revert back to the originally-saved settings. I will cancel here now and go through the right-click method in the Navigator. I still won't see the most recent changes (through Readers->Update Feature Types) but if I make edits here I'll see the 'Update Readers and Feature Types' radio button. I check this, and when I go back in using either method I see my changes as expected.

Screenshot 2020-12-19 134430It's odd, I can't even get Readers->Update Feature Types to work with CSV files the way you're seeing. I've just tried this on 2020.0; I had been using 2020.2 with the same results. Not critical though since going through the Navigator is a better experience anyhow and doesn't seem to have any problems.

Again, thanks for the assistance, you put me on the right path!

 

 

 


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