This topic includes some examples of using file watchers.

• Dataset Creation and Import
• File Name Pattern Matching
• Using the Parameter Function

Example: Dataset Creation and Import

Suppose you want to create a set of datasets based on Excel and TSV files, and load data into those datasets. To set this up, do the following:

• Prepare your Excel/TSV files to match the expectations of your study, especially, time point-style (date or visit), ParticipantId column name, and time column name
• Copy the Excel/TSV files to a location available to the File Watcher. You can do this by either (1) copying the file to the server's machine or (2) uploading the file into the study's File Repository.
• Create a trigger to Import/reload study datasets using data file.
• Location: point the trigger at your directory of files.
• When the trigger is enabled, datasets will be created and loaded in your study.

Example: File Name Pattern Matching

Consider a set of data with original filenames matching a format like this: "sample_<timestamp>_<study_id>.xml", for example:

sample_2017-09-06_study20.xml

An example filePattern regular expression that would capture such filenames would be:

sample_(.+)_(?<study>.+).xml

If the specified pattern matches a file placed in the watched location, then the specified move and/or execute steps will be performed on that file. Nothing will happen to files in the watched location which do not match the pattern.

If the regular expression contains named capturing groups, such as the "(?<study>.+)" portion in the example above, then the corresponding value (in this example "study20" can be substituted into other property expressions. For instance, a move setting of:

/studies/${study}/@pipeline/import/${now:date}

/studies/study20/@pipeline/import/2017-11-07 (or similar)

Example: Using the Parameter Function

The Parameter Function is a JavaScript function which is executed during the move. In the example below, the username is selected programmatically:

var userName = sourcePath.getNameCount() > 0 ? sourcePath.getName(0) : null;
var ret = {'pipeline, username': userName }; ret;

Related Topics

• File Watchers