Add a Unique Numeric Key to a Table

In the case where your data already includes unstructured text that you want to analyze, the data builder can add a unique numeric key as a column in the table. For example, many data tables include a text column for comments. Using text analysis, you can look for trends or themes within these comments. The text analysis in SAS Visual Analytics requires a unique numeric key to reference the data sources.
To add a unique numeric key to a table:
  1. Create a new data query.
  2. Add the columns to include in the text analysis by clicking the column name in the table in the workspace.
  3. In the Column Editor, right-click on the first row in the table, and select Add Generated Key Column.
    A column that is named GENERATED_ID is added to the table.
  4. Specify an output table, library, and location.
  5. Save and run the data query.
When you run the data query, the GENERATED_ID column begins at zero and increments for each row in the source table. If you select the Append data check box on the Properties tab, then the data query increments from the current maximum value.
If the data that you want to use is already in memory on SAS LASR Analytic Server, then performing the previous steps results in the following sequence of data movements:
  • The data is read from memory on SAS LASR Analytic Server and transferred to the SAS Application Server.
  • The data query runs and adds the generated key column.
  • The data is transferred back to SAS LASR Analytic Server in a new table.
You can avoid these data movements by adding the generated key column before loading the table to memory on SAS LASR Analytic Server.
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Last updated: January 8, 2019