Creating a Join in Information Designer 

If you want to combine columns from two disparate data sources, for example if one field is in a different table than the rest of the information, you need to create a join between two tables.

To create a join:

1. In Information Designer, click New and select Join.

   Response: A Join Element tab is opened.

2. In the Data Sources tree, select the first column to include in the join operation.

3. Click Add >.

   Response: The selected column is added to the Source columns list on the Join Element tab.

4. Select the second column to include in the join operation.

5. Click Add >.

6. Optionally, repeat steps 4 and 5 for any additional columns to be included in the join.

7. Select a join operator from the Condition drop-down list, to specify how the two tables should be joined.

   Comment: There are two basic types of joins that can be done between tables: inner joins and outer joins. An inner join will return rows for which only the matching fields in both tables are equal. An outer join will return all the rows (including NULL values) from one table, and only the matching rows from the other table. If none of the default join options is suitable for your purposes, use the Freehand Join option to specify the join conditions manually.

8. Select the Target tables using the two drop-down lists.

   Comment: This is necessary when more than two tables are involved in defining the join. See also Freehand joins.

9. In the Description field, type your own description of the join.

10. Sometimes you may want to create more than one join between the same two tables. In such a situation, you may want to make one of the joins a default join that most information links should use. The default join is displayed when clicking on the Suggested Joins button in the Information Link Join Path field. If you want the join you are currently creating to be the default one, select the check box Default join.

11. Click Save or Save As... to specify the name and the folder to save the join in.

    Response: The join is added to the library and can be seen in the selected folder in the Elements tree.