Keys with Special Characters
Keys With Special Characters
Alation API uses Fully Qualified Names (FQN) of objects to uniquely identify them. This can also be referred to as asset name escaping or escape.
Schema
Format {DS_ID}.{SCHEMA_NAME}
| Object | Fully Qualified Name |
|---|---|
Schema Human Resources in a data source with unique identifier as 7 | "7.Human Resources" |
| Schema name with a period | "7.\"HR.2017\"" |
Virtual Data Sources
In virtual data sources containing schema names with a period, you may need to add
alation.in front of schema names. Example:"7.\"alation.HR.2017\"".
Table
Format {DS_ID}.{SCHEMA_NAME}.{TABLE_NAME}
| Object | Fully Qualified Name |
|---|---|
Table Employees in schema Human Resources in a data source with unique identifier as 7 | "7.Human Resources.Employees" |
Table name with a period Employees.FullTime in schema HR.2017 in a data source with unique identifier as 7 | "7.\"HR.2017\".\"Employees.FullTime\"" |
Column
Format {DS_ID}.{SCHEMA_NAME}.{TABLE_NAME}.{COLUMN_NAME}
| Object | Fully Qualified Name |
|---|---|
Column First Name in table Employees in schema Human Resources in a data source with unique identifier as 7 | "7.Human Resources.Employees.First Name" |
Column name with a period Name.short in table Employees.FullTime in schema HR.2017 in a data source with unique identifier as 7 | "7.\"HR.2017\".\"Employees.FullTime\".\"Name.short\"" |
Index
Format FQN={DS_ID}.{SCHEMA_NAME}.{TABLE_NAME}.{INDEX_NAME} and index_type={INDEX_TYPE}
| Object | Fully Qualified Name |
|---|---|
Index Index One in table Employees in schema Human Resources in a data source with unique identifier as 7 | "7.Human Resources.Employees.Index One" |
Index name with a period Index.one in table Employees.FullTime in schema HR.2017 in a data source with unique identifier as 7 | "7.\"HR.2017\".\"Employees.FullTime\".\"Index.one\"" |
The Fully Qualified Name structure for column and index is the same. An index object is distinguished from a column object by the presence of the property index_type.
Examples
Quotes & Periods in the Name
| Object Type | Metadata | Fully Qualified Name |
|---|---|---|
| datasource id | 3 | |
| schema | CORP_DW | |
| table | REP"CLIENT | REP"CLIENT |
| column | COU".NTRY | COU".NTRY |
This would yield a key of: 3.CORP_DW.REP\"CLIENT.COU\"\.NTRY
Various Special Characters in Column Names
This table shows how to use various special characters in a column name.
| Special Character | Example Column Key |
|---|---|
| ! | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL!NAME\"" |
| " | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL\"NAME\"" |
| # | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL#NAME\"" |
| $ | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL$NAME\"" |
| % | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL%NAME\"" |
| & | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL&NAME\"" |
| ' | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL'NAME\"" |
| ( | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL(NAME\"" |
| ) | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL)NAME\"" |
| * | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL*NAME\"" |
| + | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL+NAME\"" |
| , | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL,NAME\"" |
| - | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL-NAME\"" |
| . | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL.NAME\"" |
| / | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL/NAME\"" |
| : | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL:NAME\"" |
| ; | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL;NAME\"" |
| < | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL<NAME\"" |
| = | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL=NAME\"" |
| > | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL>NAME\"" |
| ? | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL?NAME\"" |
| @ | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL@NAME\"" |
| [ | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL[NAME\"" |
| \ | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL\NAME\"" |
| ] | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL]NAME\"" |
| ^ | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL^NAME\"" |
| _ | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL_NAME\"" |
| ` | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL`NAME\"" |
| { | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL{NAME\"" |
| } | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL}NAME\"" |
| ~ | "32.SCHEMA.TABLE.\"COL~NAME\"" |
Updated 6 months ago