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Creating a Transformation

xAssets Configuration Guide
Integration and Data Operations with Transformations

Creating a Transformation

This page explains the different ways to create a new transformation and when each approach is appropriate. Creating a transformation gives you a blank (or pre-populated) Transformation Editor where you configure the data source, destination, mapping, and schedule.

Prerequisites

Methods for Creating a Transformation

There are four ways to create a new transformation:

  1. New from the list -- Click the New button
button in the transformation list, or choose "New Transformation" from the Transformations menu above the list. This creates a completely blank transformation.
  1. Clone an existing transformation -- Select a transformation and click the Clone button
button, or choose "Clone Transformation" from the Transformations menu. This creates a copy of the selected transformation with all its settings, which you can then modify. The clone is independent of the original.
  1. Create an override -- Open an existing system-layer transformation and click the Create New Override button
button in the Transformation Editor. This creates a customer-layer clone that overrides the original whenever it would normally run. See [Layers and Overrides](layers-and-overrides.md) for details on how overrides work.
  1. New from the Find dialog -- When finding a transformation (for example, when the Edit button
button is clicked without a selected transformation), click the ![New Transformation button](../../images/button-new-transformation.png) button in the Find dialog to create a new transformation.

Methods 2, 3, and 4 all create a copy of an existing transformation, giving you a head start on configuration.

Choosing the Right Approach

Scenario Recommended Method
Building a brand-new integration or process with no existing template Method 1 (New from list)
Building something similar to an existing transformation Method 2 (Clone)
Customising a built-in system transformation while preserving the original Method 3 (Override)
Creating a transformation while already in the Find dialog Method 4 (New from Find)

After Creation

Once the transformation is created, the Transformation Editor opens. Configure the transformation by working through the tabs:

  1. Data Source -- define where the data comes from (see Transformation Data Sources)
  2. Data Destination -- define where the data goes (see Transformation Data Destinations)
  3. Data Mapping -- map source fields to destination fields (see Source to Destination Data Mapping)
  4. Schedule -- optionally set up automatic execution
  5. Menus -- optionally create menu items that run this transformation

Tip: When cloning a transformation for a similar purpose, review all tabs carefully. It is easy to overlook a setting (such as the schedule or menu assignment) that was carried over from the original but is not appropriate for the new transformation.