Introduction to the Substitution API

KMs are written as templates by using the Oracle Data Integrator substitution API. The API methods are java methods that return a string value. They all belong to a single object instance named "odiRef". The same method may return different values depending on the type of KM that invokes it. That's why they are classified by type of KM.
To understand how this API works, the following example illustrates how you would write a create table statement in a KM and what it would generate depending on the datastores it would deal with:
The following code is entered in a KM:

CREATE TABLE <%=odiRef.getTable("L", "INT_NAME", "A")%>(<%=odiRef.getColList("", "\t[COL_NAME] [DEST_CRE_DT]", ",\n", "", "")%>)

The generated code for the PRODUCT table is:

CREATE TABLE db_staging.I$_PRODUCT(

        P       RODUCT_ID numeric(10),   PRODUCT_NAME varchar(250),       FAMILY_ID numeric(4),    SKU varchar(13),        LAST_DATE timestamp)

The generated code for the CUSTOMER table is:

CREATE TABLE db_staging.I$_CUSTOMER( CUST_ID numeric(10),     CUST_NAME varchar(250),  ADDRESS varchar(250),   CITY varchar(50),       ZIP_CODE varchar(12),    COUNTRY_ID varchar(3))

As you can see, once executed with appropriate metadata, the KM has generated a different code for the product and customer tables.
The following topics cover some of the main substitution APIs and their use within KMs. Note that for better readability the tags "<%" and "%>" as well as the "odiRef" object reference are omitted in the examples.