Create a New Data Element

A data element can be created as a global data element to be used by multiple projects, or it can be created specifically for a project and used only by that project. The user role assigned determines who can create a new data element. For more information, see Manage-Security and Role-Authorizations.

Creating data elements allows you to normalize data from different data sources and types to the same data format for disguise processing. After processing, the disguised data is returned to the originating source and original data format.

To create a new data element

1. Select and open the desired repository and project from the Rules Explorer view.
2. Select the Data Elements tab for the open project. The Data Elements view appears.
3. Click Add. This opens the Create Data Element Wizard view. The first option is Data Element Name.
4. In the Data element name field, enter a name for your data element.
5. If desired, in the Description field, enter a description for your data element and click Next. After you click Next, the icon next to the option changes from an arrow to a check mark.

6. Select the Processing Type options and click Next. Choices include:

   • Text: See Data-Element-Text-Processing-Type for details.
   • Numeric: See Data-Element-Numeric-Processing-Type for details.
   • Date: See Data-Element-Date-Processing-Type for details.
   • Custom: See Data-Element-Custom-Processing-Type for details.

   Important

   The choices for the remaining options may differ depending on the choice you make for this option.

7. Select the Value Alignment options and click Next.

   The choices for this option depend on the selection you made when you selected your processing type:

   • Left justify and blank fill

     Available for Text (default), Numeric, and Date (default) data types.

   • Right justify and blank fill

     Available for Text, Numeric, and Date data types.

   • Right justify and zero fill

     Available for the Numeric (default) data type.

8. Select the Invalid and Long Data Values options and click Next.

   The choices for this option include:

   • Invalid Source Value
   • Invalid Disguised Value
   • Long Data Values

   To help you fill in the fields, see Invalid-and-Long-Data-Values for descriptions of the choices for this option.

9. Select the Null Values options and click Finish. Null values will exist for fields that have been defined as nullable within the column definition of the DBMS. The options provided here determine how to handle null fields.

   The choices for this option include:

   • Retain: Null values in the source are valid and will not be replaced (default).

     This option specifies that null values are valid and will be retained. If the source column is null, that indication is passed along to the rule, and the column value is not replaced even if the disguise rule returns a value.

   • Replace: Allow null source values to be replaced.

     The indication of null is passed to the rule, and the column value is replaced by the disguised value.

   • Invalid: Null values in the source data are invalid.

     This option causes the source field to be considered invalid and whatever processing is specified for the invalid data will apply.

10. Click Finish.