Identifying alphabets in a numeric field

[Lalitha]

I am reading a sequential file with varchars(all fields as varchars inculding numbers) and trying to insert them into a table.The job abended with an "Invalid Number" error.One of the numeric fields contains alphabets or some wierd characters.How can I check in the transformer stage (or any other stage if I have to use one) if the incoming value is a numeric value.

[ray.wurlod]

Welcome aboard. :D

There is an IsValid() function that allows you to check, in a Transformer stage, whether an input string is valid as some other data type.

[DSguru2B]

Welcome Aboard,
There is a function AlNum() in the px transformer that performs Alpha-numeric checks. You can probably use that function.

[DSguru2B]

On second thought, use IsValid()

[Lalitha]

I tried using the Alnum function.Since it checks if the argument contains alphanumeric values, even a value of '1' is getting rejected. And when Nulls are encounted,I am getting the following error:

APT_CombinedOperatorController,1: Requirements Failure: Null string argument.
Requirements Failure: Null string argument.

I also tried using the Isvalid function,but got this error for Nulls:

APT_CombinedOperatorController,1: Expected identifier; got: <eof>

This is the error for a value of '1':

APT_CombinedOperatorController,2: Expected identifier; got: "1".

[ray.wurlod]

Transformer functions are intolerant of nulls. You must handle them separately. NULL is valid for any data type (provided the receiving field is nullable). Therefore you require something like

Code: Select all

If IsNull(InLink.TheColumn) Then 1 Else IsValid("Integer", InLink.TheColumn)