Transformation Rules

Transformation rules provide a way to standardize and reuse data transformation logic across your organization. They let business users apply predefined transformation logic to their data without needing to understand the technical details of how those transformations are implemented.

What are transformation rules?

A transformation rule consists of two key components:

Metadata: Description, tags, and other information that helps users understand what the rule does and when to use it.
Logic: The underlying transformation logic that processes the data.

Transformation rules are similar to embedded plans but have key differences:

They include additional metadata that makes them directly applicable to Transformation Catalog items (TCIs)
They have exactly one Input and Output step
Their steps never change the number of records (maintaining the same record count throughout the transformation)

They represent a level of abstraction that focuses on the business purpose rather than technical implementation.

Why use transformation rules?

Transformation rules are designed to:

Enable business users to prepare and transform datasets without needing to define transformation logic directly.
Increase efficiency when applying common data transformations across multiple datasets.
Enforce data standardization across your organization.
Allow separation of concerns: Technical users can create rules while business users can apply them.

When to use transformation rules

Transformation rules are ideal for:

Data standardization: Apply consistent formatting to data like phone numbers, addresses, or dates.
Data cleansing: Remove invalid characters, fix common errors, or standardize values.
Data preparation: Create derived fields or labels from existing data.
Any repeatable transformation: Define once, apply many times.

Create and manage transformation rules

This guide walks you through the process of creating, configuring, and managing transformation rules in ONE.

Create a transformation rule

To create a transformation rule:

Go to Manage data > Transformation rules.
Select Create transformation.
Enter a descriptive Name for your rule.
(Optional) Associate your rule with a terms from the business glossary.
(Optional) Enter a clear Description that explains what the rule does and when to use it.
Select Create.

Your new transformation rule is created in Draft state with pre-generated input and output steps.

Configure rule logic

Once you’ve created a transformation rule, you need to define its transformation logic:

In the transformation editor canvas:

Note that input and output steps are already added to the canvas.
Define inputs by clicking on the input step and specifying which attributes will be processed.
Add transformation steps between the input and output steps.
Connect steps by dragging from output ports to input ports.
Configure each step by clicking on it and setting its properties.
Configure the output step if needed for specific attributes.
Validate your rule by selecting Validate plan.
Test your rule with sample data using the data preview.

Transformation rules must not change the number of records. They should transform the input data without aggregating or filtering out records.

Supported transformation steps

Transformation rules can use the following step types:

Add attributes: Create new attributes derived from input attributes
Transform data: Modify attribute values with expressions
Delete attributes: Remove attributes that are not needed
Condition: Split the data flow into two streams based on a condition (requires merging streams before output to maintain record count)

For detailed information about configuring each step type, see data-transformations:data-transformation-steps-reference.adoc.

Best practices for transformation rules

Be specific: Create rules that do one thing well rather than trying to combine multiple transformations.
Test thoroughly: Plan for diverse test scenarios to handle edge cases.
Document clearly: Write descriptions that explain both what the rule does and when to use it.
Use meaningful names: Name rules to clearly indicate their purpose.
Tag effectively: Add relevant tags to make rules discoverable.
Organize logically: Create a consistent taxonomy for your transformation rules.

Consider creating a set of sample test data that includes edge cases for your rule. This helps ensure your rule handles unusual or unexpected data correctly before it’s used in production.

Add meaningful metadata

Good metadata is essential for making your transformation rules discoverable and usable:

Return to the Overview tab.
Enhance the rule Description with detailed information about:
- What the rule does.
- When to use it.
- Example inputs and outputs.
Add Terms if the rule relates to specific concepts in your Glossary.

Publish your transformation rule

When you’re satisfied with your rule:

Select Publish from the top right menu.
Your rule is now available for use across your organization.

Sufficient access level may be needed depending on user management settings of your organization.

Apply transformation rules

This guide explains how to find and apply transformation rules to your data in ONE.

Find and apply transformation rules

To apply transformation rules to your data:

Go to the transformation catalog item you want to transform.
From the three dots menu, select Create transformation catalog item.
Select Transformation rules.
On the Transformation Rules tab of the newly created TCI, select a Apply transformation rule.
In the Apply transformation rule dialog, select a Transformation rule.
Configure any rule parameters as needed. This depends on the individual rule.
Select Apply.

The selected rule is now applied to the TCI.

Manage applied rules

Once you’ve applied rules to your data:

The Transformation Rules tab shows all rules applied to your catalog item.
You can:
- View the sequence of applied rules.
- Remove applied rules.
- Add additional rules.
- Reorder rules to change the transformation sequence.

Use transformed data

After applying transformation rules:

The transformation logic is applied to the transformation catalog item (TCI) where applied.
You can use this TCI like any other catalog item:
- Profile the data.
- Apply DQ rules.
- Use it in reports or analytics.
- Export it to other systems.

The transformation plans generated by applying rules are read-only. If you need to add custom transformation logic beyond what’s available in rules, define the more complex logic on the Data Flow tab of the TCI instead.

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