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	FQN
Schema `Human Resources` in a data source with unique identifier as 7	`"7.Human Resources"`
Schema name with a period	`"7.\"HR.2017\""`

Table

Format {DS_ID}.{SCHEMA_NAME}.{TABLE_NAME}

Object	FQN
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	FQN
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	FQN
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\""`

NOTE: The FQN structure for column and index is the same. 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	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\""