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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}

ObjectFully 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\""

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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}

ObjectFully 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}

ObjectFully 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}

ObjectFully 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\""

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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 TypeMetadataFully Qualified Name
datasource id3
schemaCORP_DW
tableREP"CLIENTREP"CLIENT
columnCOU".NTRYCOU".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 CharacterExample 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\""