Overview

Variables in ONE DATA mainly help to use the different features in a flexible way, by reducing unnecessary navigation and avoid redundant actions. They can also be used to save frequently used or needed values, or else access user information.

ONE DATA includes multiple variable types:

  1. System Variables
  2. Workflow Variables
  3. Production Line Variables
  4. User Variables


System Variables

System variables are already predefined variables, They can be relevant to a certain user (e.g. user name), a certain workflow or workflow execution (e.g. job version, workflow version) or general attributes (e.g. current date, current time).

System variables can be accessed through a workflow's side navigation bar:

  


  1. Under Information section, select "show variables".
  2. Select "System Variables" in the right side navigation bar. The following window, with the existent variables, will pop up: 

  


Furthermore, system variables can be used in workflows within certain processor configuration fields or text input fields (e.g. Custom input Table Processor). simply placing the variable technical name between two '@' (e.g. @sys_user@) will replace the the variable by its value.

Another method, is to switch to the variables dropdown and select the corresponding variable (see the following figure). Variable values are updated automatically.

 


Workflow Variables

Workflow variables are variables created and set by the user within a certain workflow. They can be accessed through a workflow's side navigation bar:

  


  1. Under Information section, select "show variables". Available workflow variables will appear to the right.
  2. Select "Variable Manager" in the right side navigation bar. The following configuration window will pop up: 


   


  1. Within the list of available workflow variables, it's possible to edit the variable name and technical name.
  2. Within the variable configuration, it's possible to change the data type. Advanced settings can be added to switch between a free text or a dropdown with multiple choices to set the selected variable.
  3. Create a new variable. This variable has no data type and should be configured.
  4. Shortcuts to create a new variable for each data type.


Advanced Settings

Below the "Data Type" definition, there are three advanced definition possibilities that will be described in the next sections.


Value Definition Type

Describes the value definition of the variable. There are two options available:

  1. Exact Definition: Default way to define a single value for a variable with no restrictions except from the data type.
  2. Frame Condition: Define a frame in which the variable value has to be. This option is possible for the following data types:
    • Datetime   
    • Integer and Double  


Visualization Mode

This mode describes in which way the variable value can be defined. There are also two options:

  1. Freetext: With this option selected, the value can be chosen freely by typing it into a textbox.
  2. Dropdown: This option lets you define dropdown values from which the variable value can be selected. The configuration menu looks like this:  
    1. With this button you can add a new selection alternative.
    2. Checkbox to select values.
    3. Button to delete a selected dropdown value.


The short video below shows an example for defining the value of two string variables, one with Visualization Mode "Free Text", the other with "Dropdown".


***Video missing***



Further Information

Workflow variables can also be accessed within a workflow report via the variable container.

Other than a processor configuration field, workflow variables can be used in some processors' input text fields such as a  Custom input Table Processor (CIT) or Query processors (e.g. single input query and double input query processors)


Production Line Variables

A Production Line in ONE DATA is a sequence of selected Workflows and Production Lines to be executed in a specific order. Production Lines have their own variables that can be assigned to each one of the Workflows or Production Lines in the sequence.

These variables can be accessed through the "Production Line Variables" tab within the Production Line Information:

  


The user can add a new Production Line variable using one of the buttons for each data type at the bottom.

Furthermore, Production Line variables defined in this tab can be assigned to the Workflow and Production Line variables within the "Variables" tab. The Workflows and Production Lines in the sequence will then use these variable assignments in the execution of this Production Line.


  



User Variables

User variables have the main role of handling information about ONE DATA users in Analysis Authorization (under settings). Among the utilities of authorizations is the access customization or access restriction of the user to certain data (columns or values) in data tables. 


 


In addition, we can use it to map attributes from outside authentication (e.g. SAML) to a user, such as the user roles in SAML or their preferred language. The mapping between SAML and the user variables needs to be defined by the server admins.