Using Batch Input Files

All parameters for a transformation script can be entered interactively by using the user interface, or you can request the processing of many sets of parameters by providing them as a batch input file.

Each line of a batch input file contains a complete set of parameters, as a comma-separated list of name="value" specifications.

For example, to use the SortDataModelTopics script to transform the three documents “/some.bqy”, “/some/other.bqy” and “/yet/another/example.bqy”, using the topic orderings in “/order.txt”, and sorting unspecified topic names alphabetically, use this input file:

	
orderings="/order.txt",sortUnknownTopics="true",document="/some.bqy"
orderings="/order.txt",sortUnknownTopics="true",document="/some/other.bqy"
orderings="/order.txt",sortUnknownTopics="true",document="/yet/another/example.bqy"

Note:

Each parameter value is quoted and all of them must be included on each line, even where the value does not change.

In EPM Workspace, the values of any parameters that represent files need to be UUIDs. The sample scripts are explicitly coded to enable batch files to specify file paths, by using code similar to this to convert them into UUIDs where necessary:

	
var document = env.getParameterValue(“document”);

if (document.substring(0, 1) == “/”)
	document = repository.getFileUuid(document);

To enable annotation of batch input files, blank lines and any lines beginning with # are ignored.

Note:

The code also works on the desktop, because the UUID of a file is identical to the file system path.