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TMQL™ Overview
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TMQL™ is a SQL
like query language which combines the simplicity and power of SQL with the
unique characteristics of a text file and flexibility of regular expressions
into one powerful language designed to manipulate fixed or delimited files.
For
a query to be executed, Text Master first requires a connection to be
created for a specific file and then a query to be built.
Connection - is, in a way, a description of
the file associated with it. A connection is required for queries to be
executed. Connections can be built from scratch or templates can be used for
smoother connection creation. Either one can be created from the Text
Master main screen after a file check is performed. Creating a connection that
way will reduce the number of entries required for the task to be accomplished.
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Query –
the following are queries available:
SELECT - provides data viewing functionality where every line (row) is
presented as set of fields (columns). Filtering of the lines is done on the
field level as well.
UPDATE
- every field in every row can be updated with a fix value or value composed
out other fields or part(s) of the other fields. Selection of the lines
(filtering) to be updated, if required, is accomplished by defining criteria
on the field level.
INSERT
- allows insert of the single line at the end of the file or insertion of
the lines from another file by retrieving lines from the another file with
SELECT command.
DELETE
- performs removal of the lines based on the filtering values.
TMDeDup
– removes duplicated rows based on field(s) value and/or part(s) of the
field values.
TMHSplit
- performs file split horizontally based on field(s) value and/or part(s) of
the field values.
TMKeep
– removes unwanted columns, group columns into new column, change length of
the field(s) for fix file format, reformat field(s) values, add new fields,
reorganize fields …
TMVjoin
- converts group(s) of several lines in one file into line(s) in another
file. Performs vertical join.
TMFile
- performs Windows Explorer file related functionality (copy, move, rename
…) as well as file split (number of line number or number of files are
provided along with other parameters) and join.
Several queries can be recorder in order of execution and
saved into text file with “tmb” extension. When executed queries will execute as
unit in recorded order but if any of the queries terminate with an error all
changes to the files modified can be rolled back (undone), if so defined in
global setup. (Pro version only)
Currently
TMQL™ is
implemented as a set of .net class libraries. Owing to
the TMQL™
flexibility and expandability about 80% of
AddressMasterOnline smart
client application functionality is provided by
TMQL™. |
