v26.01: Working with Write Node

Write nodes save processed data from upstream nodes to target destinations, completing the data processing pipeline. Write nodes function as terminal nodes in workflows, meaning they only accept input connections and cannot provide output to subsequent nodes.

Available Write Node Types

Node Type	Description	Target Destination
Sheet	Writes data to sheets including standard sheets and multi-section sheets.	Workspace sheets
Table	Writes data to tables within the system.	System tables
Remote Table	Writes data to remote tables in external systems.	Remote databases
Master Data	Writes to master data entities such as hierarchies and reference data.	Master data objects
Journal	Writes journal entries for transactional data.	Journal entries

Configuration Layout

Write nodes require comprehensive configuration to define output destination, data structure, source mapping, and write behavior.

Field	Description	Required
Name	Unique identifier for the node within the workflow.	Yes
Output Destination	Target location where data will be written (sheet, table, etc.).	Yes
Layout Definition	Defines the output data structure with three sections: Rows, Columns, and Filters.	Yes
Input Selection	Specifies which upstream node (Read or Calculation) provides the data to write.	Yes
Input Filters	Optional filters to subset input data before writing.	No
Field Mapping	Maps source fields from input node to target fields in output destination.	Yes
Write Mode	Determines how the system handles existing data (Overwrite, Merge, or Append).	Yes

Layout Definition

The Layout Definition specifies the output data structure with specific requirements for each section.

Section	Allowed Elements	Member Selection	Purpose
Rows	Dimensions or Metrics	Dynamic or Fixed	Elements that appear as rows in the output structure.
Columns	Dimensions or Metrics	Fixed leaf members only (multi-select enabled)	Elements that appear as columns in the output structure. Relationship must be "Current Member".
Filters	Dimensions only	Fixed leaf members only	Defines the fixed intersection for data posting without displaying in output.

Note: Metric selection is mandatory regardless of where metrics appear in the layout structure (Rows, Columns, or Filters). Each metric can only be used in one Write node across the entire workflow. The system validates metric uniqueness and displays an error if duplicates are detected.

Field Mapping

The Field Mapping section establishes correspondence between input data and output structure. The interface displays a two-column view with Source Fields from the input node on the left and Target Fields from the output layout on the right.

Mapping Requirements

All target fields must be mapped to source fields.
Source and target data types must be compatible.
The system prevents incompatible mappings (string to number, date to string, etc.).
When source has more columns than target: System aggregates data automatically.
When target has more columns than source: User must modify layout to move extra dimensions to filters.
For sheet targets: Source columns must be unique (no duplicate records requiring aggregation of non-numeric fields).

Write Mode Options

Write Mode determines how the system handles existing data in the target destination.

Write Mode	Behavior	Use Case
Overwrite	Clears existing data based on specified criteria before writing new data. Requires configuration of clear header to specify which data to clear.	Full refresh of data where previous values should be replaced.
Merge	Updates existing records where dimension combinations match exactly. Inserts new records where no match exists. Functions identically to file upload merge behavior.	Incremental updates where some records are updated and new records are added.
Append	Adds records without clearing existing data. Primarily applicable for table targets (queue-based operations). Not relevant for sheet targets.	Adding new records to existing data without modifications.

Overwrite Mode Configuration

When Overwrite mode is selected, configure the clear header to specify what data to clear:

Option	Description
Fixed Member	Clears data for a specific member only.
Source Data	Uses values from input data to determine what to clear.
Context Variable	Uses workflow context values to determine what to clear.

Publishing Write Node

Before publishing, Write nodes can be validated using test and preview functions.

To test Write node configuration:

Click Test button in the configuration panel.
Executes write operation in test mode.
Validates configuration without committing changes to actual data.
Displays validation results and any errors.

To preview Write node output:

Click Preview button in the configuration panel.
Displays the data frame that will be written to the target.
Shows complete output structure with all mapped fields.
Enables validation of mapping accuracy and data structure.

To publish Write node:

Complete all required configuration.
Click Publish in the Level 2 header.
System validates metric uniqueness across all Write nodes in the workflow.
If validation passes: Configuration saves and node becomes available for execution.
If validation fails: Error displays with details about metric conflicts.

Note: Write nodes only accept input connections and cannot provide output connections to other nodes. They function as terminal nodes, marking the end of data flow paths in the workflow.