Cleaning data in Data Reader with exclusion rules

you can achieve that by using the validation condition in the datareader's ETL, like in this example

This would read only records where C7 equals "Backup" and skip all others.

In your case it would be =if(left(<cell_value>,6)="5HR014",0,1)

Best,
Helmut

Thanks, Helmut!
Your solution works perfectly when I apply the formula in column D1.

I have a follow-up question:
Sometimes a single column might contain multiple rules or be linked to more than one field, each with its own specific validation condition.

Is it best practice to include all rules in D1 using nested logic?
Or is there a cleaner way to organize the logic, perhaps by separating different rules into columns E, F, G, and referencing them in D1 for better readability and maintenance?

I’d really appreciate your thoughts or examples on how to manage complex rule sets like this.

Best regards,
Govinda

I'm glad I could help.

Regarding your follow-up question: you can use all cells right of column D to put in separate conditions and then refer to those in the validation condition itself—that makes things a bit clearer for any other developer.

Best,
Helmut

Thanks again, Helmut!
I’ve tried your suggestion using separate columns for each condition, and it worked really well.

I have one last question:
Are the formulas used in the ETL (especially in the Validation Condition column) the same as standard Excel formulas?
Or are there specific syntax differences or limitations I should be aware of?

If they are different, is there any official documentation or list of supported functions for creating formulas within the ETL Data Reader?

Appreciate your help as always!

https://help.board.com/docs/creating-a-data-reader-protocol?highlight=etl

no problem at all.

You can use the ETL with almost any Excel function, but you'll see that not every formula will work. I'm unaware of any public list of all supported functions, so you'll have to try it out.

More information can be found in our manual

Best,
Helmut

All comments

you can achieve that by using the validation condition in the datareader's ETL, like in this example

This would read only records where C7 equals "Backup" and skip all others.

In your case it would be =if(left(<cell_value>,6)="5HR014",0,1)

Best,
Helmut

Thanks, Helmut!
Your solution works perfectly when I apply the formula in column D1.

I have a follow-up question:
Sometimes a single column might contain multiple rules or be linked to more than one field, each with its own specific validation condition.

I’d really appreciate your thoughts or examples on how to manage complex rule sets like this.

Best regards,
Govinda

I'm glad I could help.

Best,
Helmut