TDE Formatter [Deprecated]

In this Article

Overview

You can use this Snap to format tabular document data into Tableau data format (TDE extension) and writes this formatted data to a binary output view. The binary output view can be used to connect to the File Writer Snap to persist data as a file.  This file can then be used with Tableau products, including Tableau Desktop.

 This Snap Pack has been implemented against & verified with the 9.1 version of Tableau server. 

Snap Type

TDE Formatter is a Format-type Snap that transforms Data into Tableau TDE format.

Prerequisites

For Linux Snaplexes

TDE Formatter Snap is compatible with Linux Snaplexes. You must do the following configurations before using this Snap on Linux Snaplexes:

  1. Download the generic .tar .gz file for C++/Java. You can download the SDK from here.

  2. Unpack locally and ensure that all the binaries are owned by the account running the JCC service. For example:
    cp /opt/Snaplogic
    tar xzvf Tableau-SDK-Linux-64Bit-9-3-4.tar.gz

  3. Update /opt/Snaplogic/bin/jcc.sh & the LD_LIBRARY_PATH definition to include the lib64 folder path that resides in the root folder created in the previous step. For example:
    export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${SL_ROOT}/ldlib:/opt/Snaplogic/tableausdk-linux64-9300.0.0.0/lib64/tableausdk

  4. Restart the JCC service for the recent changes to take effect.

Support for Ultra Pipelines

Works in Ultra Task Pipelines.

Limitations and Known Issues

None.

Snap Views

Type

Format

Number of Views

Examples of Upstream and Downstream Snaps

Description

Type

Format

Number of Views

Examples of Upstream and Downstream Snaps

Description

Input

Document

  • Min: 1

  • Max: 1

  • Mapper

  • Copy

  • Any Parser Snaps

This Snap has exactly one document input view.

Output

Document

  • Min: 1

  • Max: 1

  • File Writer

  • S3 File Writer

This Snap has exactly one document output view.

Error

Error handling is a generic way to handle errors without losing data or failing the Snap execution. You can handle the errors that the Snap might encounter when running the Pipeline by choosing one of the following options from the When errors occur list under the Views tab:

  • Stop Pipeline Execution: Stops the current pipeline execution if the Snap encounters an error.

  • Discard Error Data and Continue: Ignores the error, discards that record, and continues with the remaining records.

  • Route Error Data to Error View: Routes the error data to an error view without stopping the Snap execution.

Learn more about Error handling in Pipelines.

Snap Settings

  • Asterisk (*): Indicates a mandatory field.

  • Suggestion icon (): Indicates a list that is dynamically populated based on the configuration.

  • Expression icon (): Indicates whether the value is an expression (if enabled) or a static value (if disabled). Learn more about Using Expressions in SnapLogic.

  • Add icon (): Indicates that you can add fields in the field set.

  • Remove icon (): Indicates that you can remove fields from the field set.

Field Name

Field Type

Description

Label*

 

Default Value: TDE Formatter
Example: TDE Formatter

String

Required. The name for the Snap. You can modify this to be more specific, especially if you have more than one of the same Snap in your pipeline.

Snap Execution

 

Default Value: Validate & Execute
Example: Execute only

Dropdown list

Select one of the three modes in which the Snap executes. Available options are:

  • Validate & Execute: Performs limited execution of the Snap, and generates a data preview during Pipeline validation. Subsequently, performs full execution of the Snap (unlimited records) during Pipeline runtime.

  • Execute only: Performs full execution of the Snap during Pipeline execution without generating preview data.

  • Disabled: Disables the Snap and all Snaps that are downstream from it.

Example


The following example pipeline shows how to convert document data to .tde using the Tableau TDE Formatter Snap. The Snap only formats the data as per Tableau TDE format specifications; to use the formatted data in Tableau, you create the .tde file using a File Writer Snap:

 



In the pipeline execution:

  1. JSON Generator Snap provides file data to the input view of the Tableau TDE Formatter Snap:

     


     

  2. The Tableau TDE Formatter Snap formats the data to .tde format: 

     



    The TDE format data is then written to a test_simple_new.tde file using a File Writer Snap: 

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