Tips for Beginners

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Tips for Beginners
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Quick Filter

• Use the right click Quick Filter option and
  edit for actual value you want to test
• This gives you the appropriate filter format til
  you learn the requirements for filters in ACL
• Use drag to create MATCH function with QF

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GAPS on dates

• To run GAPS on dates ALWAYS send the results to
  an ACL table

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Printing Table Layouts

• Print Project Contents
• Display command

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TIPS for INTERMEDIATE USERS
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SUMMARIZE on NUMERIC VALUES

• To use the Summarize command on numeric values
  use the EXPR option in Summarize On
• If you use the save as option in the expression
  builder, you can reference the character value
  you create

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Harmonizing fields for JOIN/RELATION

• When you have character fields of various
  lengths, you can test the longer one using the
  LENGTH ALLTRIM functions to determine if you
  can change the length of the current field or
  need to create a computed field
• If you need to pad with blanks, you may use the
  SUBSTR function, specifying the length you need,
  e. g., if the Name field is 30 and you need it to
  be 50, you can use SUBSTR(Name, 1, 50)
• Lengths do not have to match when you use date or
  numeric fields as keys!

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TIPS for Advanced Users
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Scripts for Multiple Systems

• Identify the fields you will need for the
  analysis process create a file layout
• Create a dataprep script to move the data from
  the appropriate system to the file layout you
  have created
• The EXTRACT command can be a multi-lined command
  in a script which can help ensure that you put
  data (or blanks) in all fields
• Use the AS option in the EXTRACT command to
  create the required field names

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Using Data from Multiple Files in Script

• You can create a file of exceptions or data that
  you want to use to do analysis using a separate
  file
• Use the DOWHILE Option and LOCATE RECORD to step
  through the exception file
• Move the data from the exception file to
  variables
• Use the variables in the analysis script

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Continuous Monitoring Results

• Create exception files during your analysis
• OPEN the exception file and run the COUNT command
• Use the IF command, e.g. IF COUNT1 gt 0 and EXPORT
  results to an excel spreadsheet
• Use the IF command again and NOTIFY the
  appropriate persons using the ATTACHMENT option
  to include the spreadsheet you created
• The persons who receive the emails will know that
  they are only notified if there are exceptions

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SET command options for Scripts

• SET SESSION
• SET FOLDER
• SET LOG
• SET DATE

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Problem with the Append Option

• When you are wanting to append data you wait
  for the APPEND option on the file already
  exists dialog and it doesnt appear determine
  if the file you are writing to has spaces in the
  name, if it does you will NOT get this option and
  you have to use the checkbox on the MORE tab to
  do the append