What are the main issues while working with flat files as source and as target?

What are the main issues while working with flat files as source and as target?

Ans: - We need to specify correct path in the session and mention either that file is ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’. Keep that file in exact path which you have specified in the session.

Points To be remember

·         We cannot use SQL override. We have to use transformation for all our requirements.

·         Testing the flat files is very tedious job

·         The file format ( source/target definition) should match exactly with format of data file. Most of the time erroneous result come when  the data file layout is not in sync with the actual file.

ü  Your Data file may be fixed width but the definition is delimited----> truncate data

ü  Your data file as well as definition is delimited but specifying  a wrong delimeter

a.       A delimiter or other than present in actual file or

b.       A delimited  that comes as a character in some field of the fileà wrong data again

ü  Not specying NULL character properly may result in wrong data

ü  There are other setting /attributes while  creating file definition which one should very careful.

·         If you miss link to any column of the target then all the data will be placed in wrong fields. That missed column wont exist in the target data file.