Serializer in Data Transformation in Informatica - XML File to Comma Delimited Flatfile

Serializer is opposite to parser - it converts XML to other formats like Microsoft Excel, text document or an HTML document. You can create a Serializer in two ways - Invert the configuration of an existing Parser or Edit the Script and insert the Serializer component. It is usually easier to create a Serializer than a Parser because the XML is completely structured. The structure makes it easy to identify the required data and write it, in a sequential procedure, to the output.

Serializer contains anchors that are analogous to the anchors that we use in the parser, but work in opposite direction. Serialization anchors read XML data and write the data to locations in the output document. The most important serialization anchors are ContentSerializer and StringSerializer.

ContentSerializer writes the content of a specified data holder to the output document. It is the inverse of a Content anchor, which reads content from a source document.

StringSerializer writes a predefined string to the output. It is the inverse of a Marker anchor, which finds a predefined string in a source document.

Serializer executes the serialization anchors in the sequence of their definitions. Serialization anchors write data sequentially, always appending it to the end of the output document.

In this Blog, We will convert a flat file in XML format to comma delimited flat file. The XML file that we use as example source is given below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="windows-1252"?>
<EmpPdf>
<FirstName>Chris</FirstName>
<LastName>Boyd</LastName>
<Department>HR</Department>
<StartDate>2009-10-11</StartDate>
</EmpPdf>

The XSD is same as we used in the Parser.  In the Serializer, we will use the output of the Parser(XML file) as source and convert it to Comma Delimited Flatfile.

If you have  any questions, feel free to leave comments on this page and I would get back as soon as I can.

Parsing Unstructured Data Using Data Processor Transformation in Informatica - PDF to XML

Data Processor transformation processes unstructured and semi-structured file formats in a mapping. We can configure it to process HTML pages, XML, JSON, and PDF documents. We can also convert structured formats such as ACORD, HIPAA, HL7, EDI-X12, EDIFACT, AFP, and SWIFT. For example, if we have customer invoices in Microsoft Word files, we can configure a Data Processor transformation to parse the data from each word file and extract the customer data to a Customer table and order information Orders table.

The Data Processor Transformation  has the following options:

Parser converts source documents to XML. The output of a Parser is always XML. The input can have any format, such as text, HTML, Word, PDF, or HL7.

Serializer converts an XML file to an output document of any format. The output of a Serializer can be any format, such as a text document, an HTML document, or a PDF.

Mapper converts an XML source document to another XML structure or schema. You can convert the same XML documents as in an XMap.

Transformer modifies the data in any format. Adds, removes, converts, or changes text. Use Transformers with a Parser, Mapper, or Serializer. You can also run a Transformer as stand-alone component.

Streamer splits large input documents, such as multi-gigabyte data streams, into segments. The Streamer processes documents that have multiple messages or records in them, such as HIPAA or EDI files.

In this blog, we will see how to extract data from a PDF Document and create a XML file using Data Processor Transformation. The source documents that have fixed page layout like bills, invoices and account statements can be parsed using positional format to find the data fields.  An anchor is a signpost that you place in a document, indicating the position of the data. The most commonly used anchors are called Marker and Content anchors. These anchors are often used as a pair:

Marker anchor labels a location in a document.

Content anchor retrieves text from the location. It stores the text that it extracts from a source document in a data holder.

 
I have a PDF document with employee data as shown below:

FirstName: Chris

Lastname: Boyd

Department: HR

StartDate: 2009-10-11

You will also need an XML Schema Definition (XSD) file which contains target XML schema. XSD file looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>

<xs:schema attributeFormDefault="unqualified" elementFormDefault="unqualified" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">

<xs:element name="EmpPdf">

<xs:complexType>

<xs:sequence>

<xs:element name="FirstName" type="xs:string" />

<xs:element name="LastName" type="xs:string" />

<xs:element name="Department" type="xs:string" />

<xs:element name="StartDate" type="xs:date" />        

</xs:sequence>

</xs:complexType>

</xs:element>

</xs:schema>

Using the above data, I have explained in my video how to create a schema object and Data Processor Transformation and use it in a mapping.

 * In case of any questions, feel free to leave comments on this page and I would get back as soon as I can.