Astera Data Stack
Version 7
Version 7
  • Welcome to Astera Data Stack Documentation
  • Release Notes
    • Upgrading Astera 6 to Version 7
    • Release Notes for Astera 7.1
    • What is New in Astera 7.4
    • What’s New in Astera 7.4.1.221
    • What’s New in Astera 7.6
    • Upgrading to Astera 7.6
  • Setting Up
    • System Requirements
    • Installing Astera Data Integrator
    • Setting up Astera Integration Server 7
    • UI Walkthrough - Astera Data Integrator
  • Dataflows
    • Introducing Dataflows
    • Sources
      • Setting Up Sources
      • Raw Text Filters in File Sources
      • COBOL File Source
      • Database Table Source
      • Data Model Source
      • Delimited File Source
      • Email Source
      • Excel Workbook Source
      • File System Items Source
      • Fixed Length File Source
      • PDF Form Source
      • Report Source
      • SQL Query Source
      • XML/JSON File Source
    • Transformations
      • Aggregate Transformation
      • Apply To All Transformation
      • Constant Value Transformation
      • Data Cleanse Transformation
      • Data Quality Rules Transformation
      • Denormalize Transformation
      • Distinct Transformation
      • Expression Transformation
      • Filter Transformation
      • Function Transformations
      • Join Transformation
      • Merge Transformation
      • Normalize Transformation
      • Passthru Transformation
      • Rest Client
      • Route Transformation
      • Sequence Generator Transformation
      • Sort Transformation
      • Sources as Transformations
      • Subflow Transformation
      • Tree Join Transformation
      • Union Transformation
      • Web Service Transformation
    • Destinations
      • Setting Up Destinations
      • Database Table Destination
      • Delimited File Destination
      • Excel Workbook Destination
      • Fixed Length File Destination
      • SQL Statement Destination
      • XML/JSON File Destination
    • Data Logging and Profiling
      • Creating Data Profile
      • Creating Field Profile
      • Data Quality Mode
      • Record Level Log
      • Using Data Quality Rules in Astera
    • Database Write Strategies
      • Database Write Strategies
    • Text Processors
      • Fixed Length Parser
      • Fixed Length Serializer
  • Workflows
    • Adding Workflow Tasks
    • Creating Workflows
    • Using Workflow Designer
    • Customizing Workflows With Parameters
    • Workflows with a Dynamic Destination Path
    • Resuming and Rerunning Workflows in Astera
  • Subflows
    • Using Subflows
  • Functions
    • Functions Glossary
    • Introducing Function Transformations
    • Custom Functions
    • Logical
      • Coalesce (Any value1, Any value2)
      • IsNotNull (AnyValue)
      • IsRealNumber (AnyValue)
      • IsValidSqlDate (Date)
      • IsDate (AnyValue)
      • If (Boolean)
      • If (DateTime)
      • If (Double)
      • Exists
      • If (Int64)
      • If (String)
      • IsDate (str, strformat)
      • IsInteger (AnyValue)
      • IsNullOrWhitespace (StringValue)
      • IsNullorEmpty (StringValue)
      • IsNull (AnyValue)
      • IsNumeric (AnyValue)
    • Conversion
      • GetDateComponents (DateWithOffset)
      • ParseDate (Formats, Str)
      • GetDateComponents (Date)
      • HexToInteger (Any Value)
      • ToInteger (Any value)
      • ToDecimal (Any value)
      • ToReal (Any value)
      • ToDate (String dateStr)
      • TryParseDate (String, UnknownDate)
      • ToString (Any value)
      • ToString (DateValue)
      • ToString (Any data, String format)
    • Math
      • Abs (Double)
      • Abs (Decimal)
      • Ceiling (Real)
      • Ceiling(Decimal)
      • Floor (Decimal)
      • Floor (Real)
      • Max (Decimal)
      • Max (Date)
      • Min (Decimal)
      • Min (Date)
      • Max (Real)
      • Max (Integer)
      • Min (Real)
      • Pow (BaseExponent)
      • Min (Integer)
      • RandomReal (Int)
      • Round (Real)
      • Round (Real Integer)
      • Round (Decimal Integer)
      • Round (Decimal)
    • Financial
      • DDB
      • FV
      • IPmt
      • IPmt (FV)
      • Pmt
      • Pmt (FV)
      • PPmt
      • PPmt (FV)
      • PV (FV)
      • Rate
      • Rate (FV)
      • SLN
      • SYD
    • String
      • Center (String)
      • Chr (IntAscii)
      • Asc (String)
      • AddCDATAEnvelope
      • Concatenate (String)
      • ContainsAnyChar (String)
      • Contains (String)
      • Compact (String)
      • Find (Int64)
      • EndsWith (String)
      • FindIntStart (Int32)
      • Extract (String)
      • GetFindCount (Int64)
      • FindLast (Int64)
      • GetDigits (String)
      • GetLineFeed
      • Insert (String)
      • IsAlpha
      • GetToken
      • IndexOf
      • IsBlank
      • IsLower
      • IsUpper
      • IsSubstringOf
      • Length (String)
      • LeftOf (String)
      • Left (String)
      • IsValidName
      • Mid (String)
      • PadLeft
      • Mid (String Chars)
      • LSplit (String)
      • PadRight
      • ReplaceAllSpecialCharsWithSpace
      • RemoveChars (String str, StringCharsToRemove)
      • ReplaceLast
      • RightAlign
      • Reverse
      • Right (String)
      • RSplit (String)
      • SplitStringMultipleRecords
      • SplitStringMultipleRecords (2 Separators)
      • SplitString (3 separators)
      • SplitString
      • SplitStringMultipleRecords (3 Separators)
      • Trim
      • SubString (NoOfChars)
      • StripHtml
      • Trim (Start)
      • TrimExtraMiddleSpace
      • TrimEnd
      • PascalCaseWithSpace (String str)
      • Trim (String str)
      • ToLower(String str)
      • ToProper(String str)
      • ToUpper (String str)
      • Substring (String str, Integer startAt)
      • StartsWith (String str, String value)
      • RemoveAt (String str, Integer startAt, Integer noofChars)
      • Proper (String str)
      • Repeat (String str, Integer count)
      • ReplaceAll (String str, String lookFor, String replaceWith)
      • ReplaceFirst (String str, String lookFor, String replaceWith)
      • RightOf (String str, String lookFor)
      • RemoveChars (String str, String charsToRemove)
      • SplitString (String str, String separator1, String separator2)
    • Date Time
      • AddMinutes (DateTime)
      • AddDays (DateTimeOffset)
      • AddDays (DateTime)
      • AddHours (DateTime)
      • AddSeconds (DateTime)
      • AddMonths (DateTime)
      • AddMonths (DateTimeOffset)
      • AddMinutes (DateTimeOffset)
      • AddSeconds (DateTimeOffset)
      • AddYears (DateTimeOffset)
      • AddYears (DateTime)
      • Age (DateTime)
      • Age (DateTimeOffset)
      • CharToSeconds (Str)
      • DateDifferenceDays (DateTimeOffset)
      • DateDifferenceDays (DateTime)
      • DateDifferenceHours (DateTimeOffset)
      • DateDifferenceHours (DateTime)
      • DateDifferenceMonths (DateTimeOffset)
      • DateDifferenceMonths (DateTime)
      • DatePart (DateTimeOffset)
      • DatePart (DateTime)
      • DateDifferenceYears (DateTimeOffset)
      • DateDifferenceYears (DateTime)
      • Month (DateTime)
      • Month (DateTimeOffset)
      • Now
      • Quarter (DateTime)
      • Quarter (DateTimeOffset)
      • Second (DateTime)
      • Second (DateTimeOffset)
      • SecondsToChar (String)
      • TimeToInteger (DateTime)
      • TimeToInteger (DateTimeOffset)
      • ToDate Date (DateTime)
      • ToDate DateTime (DateTime)
      • ToDateString (DateTime)
      • ToDateTimeOffset-Date (DateTimeOffset)
      • ToDate DateTime (DateTimeOffset)
      • ToDateString (DateTimeOffset)
      • Today
      • ToLocal (DateTime)
      • ToJulianDate (DateTime)
      • ToJulianDayNumber (DateTime)
      • ToTicks (Date dateTime)
      • ToTicks (DateTimeWithOffset dateTime)
      • ToUnixEpoc (Date dateTime)
      • ToUtc (Date dateTime)
      • UnixTimeStampToDateTime (Real unixTimeStamp)
      • UtcNow ()
      • Week (Date dateTime)
      • Week (DateTimeWithOffset dateTime)
      • Year (Date dateTime)
      • Year (DateTimeWithOffset dateTime)
      • DateToJulian (Date dateTime, Integer length)
      • DateTimeOffsetUtcNow ()
      • DateTimeOffsetNow ()
      • Day (DateTimeWithOffset dateTime)
      • Day (Date dateTime)
      • DayOfWeekStr (DateTimeWithOffset dateTime)
      • DayOfWeek (DateTimeWithOffset dateTime)
      • DayOfWeek (Date dateTime)
      • DateToJulian (DateTimeWithOffset dateTime, Integer length)
      • DayOfWeekStr (Date dateTime)
      • FromJulianDate (Real julianDate)
      • DayOfYear (Date dateTime)
      • DaysInMonth(Integer year, Integer month)
      • DayOfYear (DateTimeWithOffset dateTime)
      • FromUnixEpoc
      • FromJulianDayNumber (Integer julianDayNumber)
      • FromTicksUtc(Integer ticks)
      • FromTicksLocal(Integer ticks)
      • Hour (Date dateTime)
      • Hour (DateTimeWithOffset dateTime)
      • Minute (Date dateTime)
      • JulianToDate (String julianDate)
      • Minute (DateTimeWithOffset dateTime)
      • DateToIntegerYYYYMMDD (DateTimeWithOffset dateTime)
      • DateToIntegerYYYYMMDD (Date dateTime)
    • Files
      • AppendTextToFile (String filePath, String text)
      • CopyFile (String sourceFilePath, String destFilePath, Boolean overWrite)
      • CreateDateTime (String filePath)
      • DeleteFile (String filePath)
      • DirectoryExists (String filePath)
      • FileExists (String filePath)
      • FileLength (String filePath)
      • FileLineCount (String filePath)
      • GetDirectory (String filePath)
      • GetEDIFileMetaData (String filePath)
      • GetExcelWorksheets (String excelFilePath)
      • GetFileExtension (String filePath)
      • GetFileInfo (String filePath)
      • GetFileName (String filePath)
      • GetFileNameWithoutExtension (String filePath)
      • LastUpdateDateTime (String filePath)
      • MoveFile (String filePath, String newDirectory)
      • ReadFileBytes (String filePath)
      • ReadFileFirstLine (String filePath)
      • ReadFileText (String filePath)
      • ReadFileText (String filePath, String codePage)
      • WriteBytesToFile (String filePath, ByteArray bytes)
      • WriteTextToFile (String filePath, String text)
    • Date Time With Offset
      • ToDateTimeOffsetFromDateTime (dateTime String)
      • ToUtc (DateTimeWithOffset)
      • ToDateTimeOffsetFromDateTime
      • ToDateTimeOffset (String dateTimeOffsetStr)
      • ToDateTimeFromDateTimeOffset
    • GUID
      • NewGuid
    • Encoding
      • ToBytes
      • FromBytes
      • UrlEncode
      • UrlDecode
    • Regular Expressions
      • ReplaceRegEx
      • ReplaceRegEx (Integer StartAt)
    • TimeSpan
      • Minutes
      • Hours
      • Days
      • Milliseconds
    • Matching
      • Soundex
      • DoubleMetaphone
      • RefinedSoundex
  • Report Model
    • User Guide
      • Report Model Tutorial
    • Report Model Interface
      • Field Properties
      • Pattern Properties
      • Region Properties
      • Report Browser
      • Report Options
    • Use Cases
      • Applying Pattern to Line
      • Auto-Creating Data Regions and Fields
      • Auto-Parsing
      • Creating Multi-Column Data Regions
      • Floating Patterns and Floating Fields
      • How to Work with Microsoft Word (Doc/Docx) Files in a Report Model
      • How to Work With OCR Scanned Files in a Report Model
      • How to Work With PDF Scaling Factor in a Report Model
      • Line Count
      • Pattern Count
      • Pattern is a Regular Expression
    • Exporting Options
      • Exporting a Report Model
      • Exporting Report Model to a Dataflow
    • Miscellaneous
      • Astera Report Model: Performance on Different Hardware Settings and Case Complexities
      • Microsoft Word and Rich Text Format Support
      • Importing Monarch Models
  • Project Management
    • Project Management
      • Deployment
      • Parameterization
    • Job Scheduler
      • Scheduling and Running Jobs on a Server
  • Web Services
    • Configuring Google Drive API through REST Client in Astera
    • Connecting to Eloqua using Astera REST API
    • POSTing Data Using the REST Client
    • Using the REST Client to Download a Text File
  • Metadata Management
    • Lineage and Impact Analysis
  • Connectors and Providers
    • Setting Up Oracle ODP.Net Connectivity in Astera
    • Running Microsoft Access Database Engine with Astera
    • Oracle Client Tools Setup
    • Oracle Data Load Options
  • Miscellaneous
    • Job Trace Improvements
    • SmartMatch Feature
    • Synonym Dictionary File
    • Using the Data Source Browser in Astera
  • Best Practices
    • Astera Best Practices - Dataflows
    • Cardinality Errors FAQs
    • Overview of Cardinality in Data Modeling
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On this page
  • Creating a Subflow
  • Subflow Input
  • Subflow Output
  • Usage
  1. Subflows

Using Subflows

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Last updated 9 months ago

The Subflow transformation object is used to call a subflow that will run as part of your dataflow. The subflow acts like a wrapper for the objects it contains.

Subflows can be seen as ‘black boxes’ inside your dataflow, simplifying and streamlining the dataflow design, increasing reusability, achieving an easier-to-understand view of your dataflow, and possibly eliminating the need to know what is going on inside the subflow so that you can focus on the output it creates.

Over time, if the logic inside your subflow changes, you can modify the subflow, and the modified subflow can now be used by the dataflow calling your subflow.

Subflows can be nested, meaning that a subflow can call other subflows. The output of the subflow can be fed into downstream objects on your dataflow, just like the output of any dataflow object.

To add a Subflow transformation, drag the Subflow object from the Transformations group in the Flow toolbox and drop it on the dataflow.

An example of what a Subflow object might look like is shown below:

To configure the properties of a Subflow object after it was added to the dataflow, right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu. The following properties are available:

  • Subflow Properties screen: Enter the file path of your subflow in the path input. Using UNC paths is recommended to allow for remote execution of your dataflow on a server.

  • General Options screen: This screen shares the options common to most objects on the dataflow.

    • Clear Incoming Record Messages: When this option is on, any messages coming in from objects preceding the current object will be cleared. This is useful when you need to capture record messages in the log generated by the current object and filter out any record messages generated earlier in the dataflow.

    • Do Not Process Records with Errors: When this option is on, records with errors will not be output by the object. When this option is off, records with errors will be output by the object, and a record message will be attached to the record. This record message can then feed into downstream objects on the dataflow, for example, a destination file that will capture record messages or a log that will capture the messages and as well as collect their statistics.

    • The Comments input allows you to enter comments associated with this object.

Creating a Subflow

Creating a subflow is similar to creating a regular dataflow because a subflow is essentially a dataflow. The difference between the two, however, is that a subflow may optionally have an input and output. The subflow input makes it possible to feed data into the subflow from an upstream object on the dataflow that calls the subflow. The subflow’s output is used to send data to the downstream dataflow object connected to the subflow.

When a subflow tab is active, the flow Toolbox has an additional group Subflow. This group has two objects that control the input and output properties of your subflow.

Subflow Input

The Subflow Input object is a connector controlling the input layout of your subflow. Any data feeding into the subflow will pass through the Subflow Input when the subflow is called by a dataflow or another subflow.

To add the subflow input, drag the Subflow Input object from the Subflow group in the Flow toolbox and drop it on the subflow.

To configure the properties of a Subflow Input object after it was added to the subflow, right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu. The following properties are available:

  • Meta Object Builder screen: The Meta Object Builder screen allows you to add or remove fields in the field layout, as well as select their data type. The fields added in Meta Object Builder will show in the SubflowInput1 node inside the object box.

  • General Options screen: This screen shares the options common to most objects on the dataflow.

Subflow Output

The Subflow Output object is a connector controlling the output layout of your subflow. Any data leaving the subflow will pass through the Subflow Output when the subflow is called by a dataflow or another subflow.

To add the subflow output, drag the Subflow Output object from the Subflow group in the Flow toolbox and drop it on the subflow.

To configure the properties of a Subflow Output object after it was added to the subflow, right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu. The following properties are available:

  • Meta Object Builder screen: The Meta Object Builder screen allows you to add or remove fields in the field layout, as well as select their data type. The fields added in Meta Object Builder will show in the SubflowOutput1 node inside the object box.

  • General Options screen: This screen shares the options common to most objects on the dataflow.

Usage

Some examples of using Subflows are shown below:

To create a new subflow, go to File -> New -> Subflow on the main menu. Or you can expand the dropdown on the main toolbar and select Subflow as shown below.