Extracting Data from Clickstream Parameters :: SAS(R) Data Surveyor for Clickstream Data 2.2: User's Guide

Overview

You want to store the value from an incoming cookie, query, or referrer parameter in a user column.

You can use the Clickstream Parameters tab in the properties window for the Clickstream Parse transformation. Each row in the table on the Clickstream Parameters tab identifies a parameter that is parsed from the log during processing. Furthermore, each parameter can be assigned to a user column that stores the parameter's value.

The row for each parameter consists of the following columns:

Name

specifies the name of the column in the table.

Description

describes the contents of the parameter.

Source Type

identifies the source type from which the parameter is parsed. The available source types are None, Cookie, Query, and Referrer.

User Column

specifies the name of the variable that stores the parsed parameter's data value.

Perform the following tasks to manage parameters:

Create a New Clickstream Parameter

Perform the following steps to create a new clickstream parameter:

Use the User Columns tab to ensure that an appropriate user column has been created that will accept the value of the clickstream parameter that you intend to parse.
Click Create a new parameter on the Clickstream Parameters tab to add a row to the parameters table.
Enter a name and description for the new parameter in the Name and Description columns. The name entered must exactly match the actual name of the parameter as it exists in the Web log for which the value is being captured. For example, query and referrer parameters are often found in the Web log as name value pairs (Q=Value), with pairs often delimited by & characters (Q=Value1&R=Value2&S=Value3). In this case, the Name of the three parameters would be Q, R, and S, respectively.
Select a source type from the drop-down menu in the Source Type column.
Select a user column from the drop-down menu in the User Column column.

Other Tasks for Managing Parameters

For information about other ways to manage parameters, such as copying, importing, or exporting a parameter, see the Help for the Clickstream Parameters tab.

Note: If you create many clickstream parameters, it is a good practice to export them for reuse. By default, clickstream parameters are exported to an XML file in your Windows user folder. You cannot selectively export clickstream parameters; all are exported. However, you can select individual parameters when you import them.

Consider the following factors when you export and import clickstream parameters:

The easiest way to determine which parameters exist in a Web log is to save the UNIQUEPARMS table to a permanent location and import clickstream parameters from this physical table. Open the properties window for the Clickstream Parse transformation and select the Tables pane on the Options tab. You can then specify an Additional output library. The UNIQUEPARMS table will be saved to this location after processing a Web log. You have the option to rename it by changing the value of the Unique parameters output table option on this same tab.
After you import parameters from the UNIQUEPARMS table, you must create or import corresponding user columns. After you create or import appropriate user columns, you must select a user column for each parameter on the Clickstream Parameters tab. A UNIQUEPARMS data table has no previously defined user column assignments for parameters. Instead, it is simply a list of all parameters available in that Web log. This fact explains why the value of Description is set to Untitled after initial import.
Consider creating or importing any user columns that you need before you import any previously exported clickstream parameters from an XML file. Otherwise, the user columns assignments are missing and you must manually reselect the corresponding user columns for all imported clickstream parameters.