StringConcatenator

Categories

Strings

Related Transformers

AttributeCreator

AttributeManager

ExpressionEvaluator

ListConcatenator

CoordinateConcatenator

Concatenates the values of any number of attributes, user parameters and/or constants, and stores the result in a new attribute.

Usage Notes

  • If you require setting more than one attribute, consider using the AttributeManager.
  • The ExpressionEvaluator calculates numeric expressions, which can be embedded within string expressions. Note that in string expressions, leading and trailing white spaces are preserved, whereas in a numeric context, such as within ExpressionEvaluator, leading and trailing white spaces are ignored.

Configuration

Input Ports

This transformer accepts any feature.

Output Ports

Features with the concatenated attributes.

Parameters

Expression Results

Choose Create New Attribute to evaluate the specified expression and have the calculated results put in the specified attribute.

Choose Overwrite Existing Attributes to evaluate the specified expression once per selected attribute. The result of the evaluation will be put back into the attribute.

New Attribute

This is the attribute that will contain the result. Use the default name, or type a new name.

Attributes To Overwrite

This parameter allows the same expression to be evaluated, once per selected attribute. For each attribute specified, the result of the expression will be stored into that attribute.

If the concatenation needs the value of the current attribute, retrieve it using the function @CurrentAttribute(). For example, if the incoming feature has attributes X and Y, and we wish to prefix them with string prefix_, select both attributes, and set the expression to prefix_@CurrentAttribute().

Defines the items to be concatenated. For each item, you can select either an attribute value, constant, newline, published parameter, private parameter, or FME parameter. A preview of the resulting string is shown in the Concatenated Result window.

To switch to a more advanced text editor, click the Switch to Advanced button.

In this editor, you can compose a string in the String Expression section. The string can contain attribute value references, function references, or user parameter references.

Note  To use Math functions in the text editor, you also need to use the feature function @Evaluate. For example, this expression multiplies the area of a feature by the value of an attribute, and creates a string that reports the result: @Evaluate(@Round(@Value(NumericAttribute))*@Area())
Note  You can switch back to basic mode using the Switch to Basic option on the Options menu; however, some table formatting may be lost when going from Advanced to Basic.

Editing Transformer Parameters

Using a set of menu options, transformer parameters can be assigned by referencing other elements in the workspace. More advanced functions, such as an advanced editor and an arithmetic editor, are also available in some transformers. To access a menu of these options, click beside the applicable parameter. For more information, see Transformer Parameter Menu Options.

Defining Values

There are several ways to define a value for use in a Transformer. The simplest is to simply type in a value or string, which can include functions of various types such as attribute references, math and string functions, and workspace parameters. There are a number of tools and shortcuts that can assist in constructing values, generally available from the drop-down context menu adjacent to the value field.

Using the Text Editor

The Text Editor provides a convenient way to construct text strings (including regular expressions) from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and constants, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Text Editor

Using the Arithmetic Editor

The Arithmetic Editor provides a convenient way to construct math expressions from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and feature functions, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Arithmetic Editor

Conditional Values

Set values depending on one or more test conditions that either pass or fail.

Parameter Condition Definition Dialog

Content

Expressions and strings can include a number of functions, characters, parameters, and more.

When setting values - whether entered directly in a parameter or constructed using one of the editors - strings and expressions containing String, Math, Date/Time or FME Feature Functions will have those functions evaluated. Therefore, the names of these functions (in the form @<function_name>) should not be used as literal string values.

String Functions

These functions manipulate and format strings.

Special Characters

 A set of control characters is available in the Text Editor.

Math Functions

Math functions are available in both editors.
Date/Time Functions Date and time functions are available in the Text Editor.

Math Operators

These operators are available in the Arithmetic Editor.

FME Feature Functions

These return primarily feature-specific values.

FME Parameters

FME and workspace-specific parameters may be used.
Creating and Modifying User Parameters Create your own editable parameters.

Dialog Options - Tables

Transformers with table-style parameters have additional tools for populating and manipulating values.

Row Reordering

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

  • Add a row
  • Remove a row
  • Move current row up one
  • Move current row down one
  • Move current row to top
  • Move current row to bottom

Cut, Copy, and Paste

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

  • Cut a row - delete and copy to clipboard
  • Copy a row to the clipboard
  • Paste a row from the clipboard

Cut, copy, and paste may be used within a transformer, or between transformers.

Filter

Start typing a string, and the matrix will only display rows matching those characters. Searches all columns. This only affects the display of attributes within the transformer - it does not alter which attributes are output.

Import

Import populates the table with a set of new attributes read from a dataset. Specific application varies between transformers.

Reset/Refresh

Generally resets the table to its initial state, and may provide additional options to remove invalid entries. Behavior varies between transformers.

Note: Not all tools are available in all transformers.

FME Community

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