DSXchange

how do I handle null fields when I read a flat file?
When I read, discard the records.

thank you in advance

Use NullFieldValue='' under field properties in formattab of sequential file stage.

Thanks
G.K.K

to all types of field?

yes.. provide scenarios if u have any special cases

it's not valid for all types (timestamp,decimal, etc...)

mmanes wrote:When I read, discard the records.

You want them discarded or they are being discarded and you want to process them as nulls?

are being discarded and I want to process them as nulls.

Use NullFieldvalue property of Sequential stage.

Check format/metadata of your source file, whatever value you get as Null from file for any data type use that value in NullFieldvalue.

For example it could be -

String -NullFieldvalue=''
Decimal - NullFieldvalue=0

gaurav_shukla wrote:Use NullFieldvalue property of Sequential stage.

Decimal - NullFieldvalue=0

0 (Zero) might actually be a valid value for a number field.There is no "NULL" in a file and it is empty that actually is populated in a file and hence NullFieldValue='' works fine in common.

Text files don't have data types, they only have text. Technically, they can not have NULL. Therefore, all you have to do is to set the NullFieldValue property to the value that represents NULL in each field. And that's a business decision.