Creating Models › Creating a Physical Model › Columns › Defining Table Column Properties for Target Databases › Define Teradata Table Column Properties

Define Teradata Table Column Properties

In a model based on the Teradata target server, you use the Teradata tab in the Table Column Editor to manage the data type, null option, and other properties for the selected column.

Note: The options described here are the basic options available for most physical data types. There can be more options available depending on the physical data type you assign to the table column. We recommend that you refer to your Teradata documentation for more information about using these properties.

To define Teradata table column properties

1. Right-click a column in the Model Explorer and click Properties.

   The Teradata Table Column Editor opens.

2. Select the table from the Table drop-down that contains the column that you want to define.
3. Select the column in the Navigation Grid that you want to define.

   Note: Click New on the toolbar to create a new column. Use the Enter filter text box to filter a very large list of columns to quickly locate the one that you want to define.

4. Click the Teradata tab and work with the following options:

   Physical Data type

   Lets you select a data type from the drop-down list to apply to the selected column. If the selected data type requires a value for precision, scale, or both, enter the value inside the data type parentheses. For example, you can select the DECIMAL() data type and specify a precision of 2 and a scale of 10 inside the parentheses to assign the data type DECIMAL(2,10) to the selected column.

   Null Option

   Lets you specify a null option for the selected column.

   Average Width

   Lets you enter an estimated average width for the column if the option is available (not dimmed). You can later use the Volumetrics dialog to calculate table and database size estimates based on these and other values.

   Percent Null

   Lets you enter the estimated percentage of nulls used for that column if the option is available. For example, you can estimate a variable width ADDRESS 2 column assigned a width of 50 characters, to be NULL about 30 percent of the time. Use whole numbers. You can later use the Volumetrics dialog to calculate table and database size estimates based on these and other values.

   Column Compression

   Specifies to reduce the amount of physical storage space occupied by a column that contains a large number of nulls, zeros, blanks, or the specified constant. Select the check box to enable column compression and then use the Compress Values option to specify values.

   Compress Values

   Lets you enter a compress value for the table column. Select one of the values in the grid. If there are no values listed, or you need to create a new value, click the New button.

   Format

   Lets you assign a display format. Select a value from the drop-down list. The display format controls how data appears in Teradata applications. For example, dd-mmm-yy displays a date value as 01-May-10. For CHAR(n) data types, if you do not specify a format, the format is automatically generated as X(n), where n is the number of characters defined in the data type. Click New to add a new display format or click the button to open the Teradata Display Format Editor to work with an existing display format.

   Title

   Lets you enter a name (up to 60 characters) that identifies the column values in Teradata applications. By default, the column name with a colon appended is inserted (for example, customer_name:).

   Character Set Type

   Lets you specify the type of character set to use.

   Note: This option is only available if you select a character data type, such as CHAR, CHAR VARYING(), CHAR(), and so on.

   Character Case

   Lets you specify how Teradata considers the case of the values stored in database fields for the selected column during processing. For example, table, TABLE, and Table are treated as different values when this option is specified. You can select either None, Case-Specific, or Not Case-Specific.

   Note: This option is only available if you select a character data type, such as CHAR, CHAR VARYING(), CHAR(), and so on.

   Upper Case

   Specifies whether column values are stored exactly as entered or automatically converted to uppercase characters. Select the check box to store the value for the table column in uppercase. Clear the check box to store the value for the table column exactly as it is entered.

   Note: This option is only available if you select a character data type, such as CHAR, CHAR VARYING(), CHAR(), and so on.

5. (Optional) Click the Comment tab and enter any comments that you want to associate with the object.
6. (Optional) Click the Where Used tab to view where the object is used within the model.
7. (Optional) Click the UDP tab to work with user-defined properties for the object.
8. (Optional) Click the History tab to view the history information for the object.
9. (Optional) Click the Notes tab to view and edit user notes.
10. Click Close.

    Teradata table column properties are defined and the Teradata Table Column Editor closes.