FileNamePartExtractor for Multiple Files

How did you set the "Source Filename" parameter of the transformer?

Yes. I put the Source name as a parameter and gave the parameter name to the Source FileName. I am running the wb using Prompt and run Translation and the name of the last file is displayed only. Rest all attributes are perfect.

The user parameter value will be a space separated file paths string when you selected multiple files. That's why you couldn't accomplish your goal. I think @pratap's answer is a general usage of the FilenamePartExtractor.

In addition, you can expose "fme_dataset" in the reader feature properties dialog (Format Attributes tab).

Hi @takashi and @pratap

I was going through system parameters page and was wondering if I can also use this as posted by @RobynAtSafe.

Hi,

:) There will be so many ways to attain the required result. Its up to you to decide which is optimum.

Pratap

I cannot understand how your question about the FilenamePartExtractor is related to the system parameters and Robyn's article. New question?

FilenamePartExtractor with AttributeExposer(for Multiple Files) gives us the file location, so as the system parameter FME_MF_DIR does. On the other hand, AttributeFileReader with StringConcatenator gives the same output as written by Robyn. I tried using Robyn's method but sadly it didn't work. Does both work the same way or Robyn's idea work only on databases? Can we use them while writing shps, XMLs etc.?

Note -- FME_MF_DIR is the directory where your workspace lives. It is NOT where the data is. It is very unlikely that FME_MF_DIR would be helpful for the scenario in the original question.

Regarding FME_MF_DIR parameter, the documentation says "Contains the name of the folder in which the current workspace resides and, in some cases, the location of the source datasets."

In my experiences, however, the parameter always contains the folder path in which the current workspace file (*.fmw) is saved. I've never seen the case where it contains "the location of the source datasets".

Robyn's workspace example doesn't use FME_MF_DIR. The StringConcatenator just concatenates a specific folder path and an attribute value storing a file name to create a full file path, and then the AttributeFileReader reads the contents of a file specified by the path.

How can you apply those to your purpose?

I think that your question was how to extract parts from each file path string, when multiple files have been selected as dataset of the reader. Am I wrong?

# I would like to know when FME_MF_DIR will contain "the location of the source datasets".

@daleatsafe, however, the documentation says "Contains the name of the folder in which the current workspace resides and, in some cases, the location of the source datasets." I've never seen such a case. Could you please clarify this?

Could it be that they're thinking of all those who put the workspace and the data in the same folder? I've certainly seen that quite a lot, in particular with occasional FME users.

Hi @david_r, thanks for your comment. Surely there are cases that all source data files are saved in the same folder as the workspace file. In such a case, FME_MF_DIR indicates the location of the source datasets, but it's a matter of course. As a description on the parameter, it's not necessary to be mentioned particularly, so I had supposed that there are other special cases where FME_MF_DIR indicates the location of source datasets even though it's not the same as the workspace location. Thinking too much...

Maybe my misinterpretation about "and, in some cases". Natural languages are more difficult to understand correctly than program languages.

Yes, probably when you create the workspace from a template. But I agree that it's not definite and perhaps not that common.

We should remove that inference in the documentation. FME_MF_DIR is the workspace directory, that is all. If your data happens to be there, congratulations. But I wouldn't want to make that leap in the doc. I've asked the team to adjust it. Thanks

I had the same issue, and I tried the above - it worked! Thank you so much!

@watts Its good to hear...

Many Thanks for acknowledgement