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.
Procedure
-
In
Information Designer, click
New and select
Join.
-
In the
Data Sources tree, select the first column to
include in the join operation.
-
Click
Add >.
The selected column is added to the Source columns list on
the Join Element tab.
-
Select the second column to include in the join operation.
-
Click Add >.
- Optional:
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for any additional columns to be included in
the join.
-
Select a join operator from the
Condition drop-down list to specify how the
two tables should be joined.
Tip: There are two basic types of joins between tables:
inner joins and outer joins. An inner join returns rows for which only the
matching fields in both tables are equal. An outer join returns 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 are suitable for your
purposes, use the
Freehand Join option to specify the join
conditions manually.
-
Select the
Target tables using the two drop-down lists.
This step is necessary when more than two tables are involved in
defining the join. See also
Freehand joins.
-
In the
Description field, type your own description
of the join.
Sometimes you might want to create more than one join between the
same two tables. In such a situation, you might want to make one of the joins a
default join that most information links should use. The default join is
displayed when the user clicks
Suggested Joins 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.
-
Click
Save or
Save As to specify the name and the folder to
save the join in.
Results
The join is added to
the library and can be seen in the selected folder in the
Elements tree.