Output Selector: Value from Lowest

1.3.3.10.13 Output Selector: Value from Lowest

The Value from Lowest output selector evaluates a numeric attribute on each record to select a value to use for another attribute.

Use the Value from Lowest output selector where records have a numeric attribute which can be used to select the 'best' record to use for various other output attributes.

For some types of attribute, the lowest value for an attribute is the one of most interest. For example, when merging together records for the same individual and attempting to find the highest risk records, it may be that the individual record with the lowest credit score is the record wanted in output.

The following table describes the configuration options:

Configuration Description

Configuration	Description
Inputs	For the actual output Value, any input attributes from any input data sets may be configured as long as they share the same data type. A Number attribute must be configured as the Check Value Attribute for the actual 'Lowest' selection logic.
Options	Specify the following options: `Use first non-empty value if tied?`: this option provides a way of selecting a value arbitrarily if more than one record in the group has the same lowest value in the check attribute. The first alphabetically sorted value will be selected for String values, the lowest value for Numbers, and the earliest value for Dates. Type: Yes/No. Default value: Yes. `Consider Nulls as 0?`: this option drives whether to consider Null values as 0, or whether to ignore them. If Nulls are ignored, any numeric value will be considered lower than a Null value. Type: Yes/No. Default value: No.

Inputs

For the actual output Value, any input attributes from any input data sets may be configured as long as they share the same data type.

A Number attribute must be configured as the Check Value Attribute for the actual 'Lowest' selection logic.

Options

Specify the following options:

Use first non-empty value if tied?: this option provides a way of selecting a value arbitrarily if more than one record in the group has the same lowest value in the check attribute.

The first alphabetically sorted value will be selected for String values, the lowest value for Numbers, and the earliest value for Dates.

Type: Yes/No. Default value: Yes.
Consider Nulls as 0?: this option drives whether to consider Null values as 0, or whether to ignore them. If Nulls are ignored, any numeric value will be considered lower than a Null value.

Type: Yes/No. Default value: No.

Example

In this example, the Value from Lowest output selector is used to select the name of the person with the lowest credit score in a group of matching records.

Example configuration

Use first non-empty value if tied? = No

Consider Nulls as 0? = No

Example output

The following table shows example output using the Value from Lowest selector.

Note that in this case the Use first non-empty value if tied? option is set to No.

Table 1-112 Example Output Using Value from Lowest Selector

Input A (Name, CredtScore)	Input B (Name, CredtScore)	Output value(Value from Lowest)
Mr Bill Davis, 580	Mr William Davis, 690	Mr Bill Davis
Mr Stephen Lewis, 720	Steve Lewis, 650	Steve Lewis
null, 480	Mr F Johnson, 780	null
Mr Brian Hamilton, 595	Mr B Hamilton, 595	selection error (requires manual resolution)
Andrew Taylor, null	Andy Taylor, 0	Andy Taylor