SAS DI STUDIO automatically propagate columns after join / appending tables

[TommiSvard]

Hello! I have a question about the SAS Di Studio application itself.

Say i have two tables, A and B where i need to extract data from some, but not all columns in the tables. I use the extract transformation to only get the columns I need and maybe do some other manipulating like aggregating the data. After that I want to join these two tables (A and B) to one (table C), however if I now do a left join for example then Di Studios starts to propagate the columns I previously had removed in the earlier extract transformation so they are added back in. I've tried digging in the options and under Job Editor I turned off following settings: "Automatically map columns", "Automatically propagate columns" and "Automatically create join conditions in Join" but to no avail. Is this a intended behaviour or a feature I can turn off?

Thanks in advance.

Tommi

[RLigtenberg · Accepted solution]

Hi Tommi,

The automatic propagation (and mapping) of columns can be set at multiple levels.

1. The Options window (Tools – Options – Job Editor tab) sets the default for new jobs. Changes here do not affect existing jobs.
2. The Job level (Settings button) sets the default for the current job and overrides the Global (Options window) setting.
3. The Transformation level (right-click the transformation – Include in Propagation) overrides the Job level setting.

You could turn off automatic propagation for the extract transformations and allow it for the rest of the job.

[TommiSvard]

This is a gamechanger! Thank you so much