Filters features by test conditions to one or more output ports.
A test condition consists of one or more test clauses and a specified comparison method (AND, OR, or COMPOSITE).
Output Ports
<Unfiltered>
The feature is output via the <Unfiltered> port if the feature does not satisfy any of the test conditions. The name of this port can be changed by editing the parameters.
You can also specify your own output port names as described in step 4 under Port Definitions below.
Parameters
Port Definitions
- Double click a blank row in the table (or select the row and click the Edit Conditions button).
- Specify the Test Conditions. These are described in detail in the Tester transformer.
- Click OK to close the window and add the test condition to the TestFilter.
- Initially, the test condition will appear in both the Test Conditions and the Output Port columns. You can edit the Output Port field to specify your own output port name. Multiple test conditions can output to the same output port if the port name is the same.
Repeat these steps for each test condition that you want to add to the TestFilter. The buttons on the side of the dialog box allow you to add and remove rows from the table, and set the order in which to perform the tests:
Unfiltered Port Name
The feature is output via this port if the feature does not satisfy any of the test conditions. By default, the port is named ‘<Unfiltered>’.
Creating Test Clauses
Each clause is composed of a value to test, and the method of testing it. Depending on the type of test, at a minimum the clause will consist of a Left Value and an Operator. If the chosen Operator needs more information (for example, testing for an attribute that is greater than a certain value), a Right Value field is provided.
The Test Clauses are created in a table, and numbered from the top down.
|
Left Value |
Operator |
Right Value |
Mode* |
|---|---|---|---|
| The value or expression to test | The type of test to perform | The value for comparison, if required by the operator | Test the values in a specific manner |
| Examples | |||
| Latitude | > | 49.000001 | Automatic |
| @Area() | In Range | (1,100) | Numeric |
| SnackType | Like | Kebabs | Case Sensitive |
| Traffic | Attribute Is Null | <Unused> | Automatic |
| Count | Type Is | Integer | Automatic |
* Note that Mode is only available for individual tests when Comparison Mode is set to Specify Per Test.
Test Clause Operators
See all operators
These are the Operators available for constructing test clauses. They may be used to test attribute values, constructed expressions, constants, and published parameters.
Note that (unless otherwise specified) most operators can be used with both numeric values and strings. Strings may be compared with the =, !=, <, >, <=, and >= operators, and are evaluated by their character codes, so A < B.
|
Operator |
Description |
Right Value Configuration |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| = | Equal to | Enter a value for comparison. | ||||||||||||||||
| != | Not Equal to | Enter a value for comparison. | ||||||||||||||||
| < | Less than | Enter a value for comparison. | ||||||||||||||||
| > | Greater than | Enter a value for comparison. | ||||||||||||||||
| <= | Less than or equal to | Enter a value for comparison. | ||||||||||||||||
| >= | Greater than or equal to | Enter a value for comparison. | ||||||||||||||||
| In Range |
Tests if the value falls within the numeric range specified in set notation. Open-ended ranges may be defined by leaving either the lower or upper limit blank. |
Range values are separated by a comma and enclosed by brackets. Square brackets - [ ] - indicate inclusive limits (greater than or equal to, less than or equal to). Round brackets - ( ) - indicate exclusive limits (greater than, less than). Valid range examples: (1,9) Greater than 1 and less than 9 [1,9] Greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 9 (1,9] Greater than 1 and less than or equal to 9 (1,) Greater than 1 [,9] Less than or equal to 9 Note: This operator is not available when Mode is set to Case Sensitive or Case Insensitive, and those modes are not available when the operator is set to In Range. |
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| In | Tests if the value may be found in the provided list of possible values and ranges. |
Enter any combination of comma-separated strings, numeric values, and/or ranges (in the form of x-y). Valid configuration examples: 1,10,100 1-99 cat cat,dog,cats and dogs dogs,1-9,7 String ranges (for example, a-d) can also be specified. To test for values that contain a hyphen, enclose the value in quotation marks: "LL-27","LL-83". To test for values that contain either single (') or double (") quotes, enclose the value in the opposing quotes: "Duncan's Lake" or 'Say "Hello"'. |
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| Like | Tests that the value matches a specified string pattern. |
Enter a string pattern. Wildcards are supported using the percentage symbol (%), rather than an asterisk (*). In Automatic mode, this operator is case insensitive. This operator is not available when Mode is set to Numeric. Example: If Right Value is %bc%: abcd: Passed bc: Failed |
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| Contains | Tests that the Right Value occurs somewhere in the Left Value. |
Enter a value to test for. In Automatic mode, this operator is case insensitive. This operator is not available in Numeric mode. Example: If Right Value is bc: abcd: Passed abde: Failed |
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| Begins With | Tests that the Left Value string begins with the Right Value string. |
Enter the string to be tested against. In Automatic mode, this operator is case insensitive. This operator is not available in Numeric mode. Example: If Right Value is Do: Dogs: Passed Cats: Failed |
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| Ends With | Tests that the Left Value string ends with the Right Value string. |
Enter the string to be tested against. In Automatic mode, this operator is case insensitive. This operator is not available in Numeric mode. Example: If Right Value is gs: Dogs: Passed Cats: Failed |
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| Contains Regex | Tests that the value contains a string that matches a pattern described by a Regular Expression. |
Enter a Regular Expression. The Regular Expression Editor is available via the ellipsis (...) button, and may be used to construct and test expressions. The regex to test may represent a string to be found anywhere within the value, or may represent the entire value (by creating a regex long enough to represent the extent of the desired value). Example: If regex is \d (Any digit) cats: Failed 9: Passed cats82: Passed |
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| Type Is |
Tests if the value is compatible with the chosen Type. You may test for multiple types by adding additional Test Clauses. |
Select the Type to test for.
|
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| Encodable In | Tests if the value is encodable in the specified encoding without data loss. |
Select from a list of standard encodings. Sample encodings:
|
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| Attribute has a value | Tests that the attribute has a value, and is not null, missing, or empty. | <Unused> | ||||||||||||||||
| Attribute Is Null | Tests that the attribute has a null value. |
<Unused> |
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| Attribute is Empty String | Tests that the value is an empty string. | <Unused> | ||||||||||||||||
| Attribute is Missing | Tests that the attribute is absent on the feature | <Unused> |
Cached Values and Data-Aware Test Clauses
If Feature Caching is enabled, valid attribute values from upstream features can be viewed to complete test clauses.
As shown here in the Tester, if the Left Value has been set to an Attribute Value and the features have been cached, the context menu provides access to the values available in those features. If there are only a few choices, they will be presented in a sub-menu.
If there are a large number of choices, the values will be presented in a Select Value dialog, where the values may be sorted and searched with the Filter option.
Connecting Test Clauses: Logic
Multiple test clauses are connected with Logic, using AND, OR, and NOT in addition to parentheses to specify how the tests are evaluated to determine passing or failing.
Logic connectors can be edited by selecting options in the Logic column of the Test Clauses table, or may be edited directly using the Composite Expression parameter’s Edit button.
Advanced
Preserve Feature Order
This parameter controls the order in which features exit a transformer.
When a transformer has more than one output port, features usually exit one port at a time. At times, it may be useful to keep the order that features arrived in, switching from port to port as necessary. This allows feature order to be preserved, though at a potential cost in processing efficiency.
Select a method for feature ordering.
| Per Output Port (Default) |
Only preserve the input order of features as they occur within the group of features exiting a given output port. All features exiting an output port retain their ordering relative to each other (within the group), but not relative to features exiting other output ports. This option is generally the most efficient, where large chunks of features will exit an output port together (taking advantage of bulk mode). As features exiting different output ports may not be strictly output in the order they arrived, output ordering may be unpredictable. |
| Across Output Ports |
Strictly preserve the input order of features, regardless of which output port they exit. Features will be output singly in the same order they arrived, switching from port to port as necessary. This option is generally less efficient as the processing gains of bulk mode are less likely to apply - however, feature order is predictable. |
Usage Notes
- This transformer is equivalent to a connected string of Testers, and can be used to reduce a workspace that is filled with Testers.
- See the Tester for more information on test conditions.
- Note that testing operations are lexical comparisons and not locale-aware.
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.
How to Set Parameter Values
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.
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.
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.
Content Types
| These functions manipulate and format strings. | |
|
Special Characters |
A set of control characters is available in the Text Editor. |
| Math functions are available in both editors. | |
| Date/Time Functions | Date and time functions are available in the Text Editor. |
| These operators are available in the Arithmetic Editor. | |
| These return primarily feature-specific values. | |
| 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.
Table Tools
|
Row Reordering
|
Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:
|
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Cut, Copy, and Paste
|
Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:
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. |
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Import
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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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Search for samples and information about this transformer on the FME Community.
Keywords: Tester AttributeTester GenericTester Operator