How to replace BLANK or NULL values in rule file

Question

Hi,
I have a source file which contains Blank or Null values which i need to replace them with a number "042" .How we can do this in the rule file using "Replace "(Field->Properties).I tried keeping spaces but its failing. I am actually new to essbase please let me know how we can do this.
Thanks in Advance

Answer 1

Hi,
Unfortunately you can't replace blank/null/space values directly. What you need to do is add a text field in your rules file first, then merge the text field with the column containing blank/null/space. Then you can use some creative find and replace to solve this problem.
For example, I often add a column called "TextCleaner" to my rules files where I suspect b/n/s values. After merging there are 3 possible options for the value.
1) "TextCleaner" (The original value was null)
2) "TextCleaner " (The original value was space)
3) "TextCleanerUSA Region" (The original value was valid data, such as USA Region)
Now you can use the find and replace as follows
First, F&R to remove any instance of "TextCleaner" and replace with 042. Be sure to check the "Match Whole Word" button. This swaps null values with 42
Second, do the same thing but with "TextCleaner ". This swaps any space/blank values with 42.
Third, replace "TextCleaner" with nothing. Do not check the "Match Whole Word" button. This changes any original valid values back to the original value.