Beast mode to generate Batch Date?

HowDoIDomo

Is there a Beast mode that can generate Batch dates? A colleague of mine has a dataset that updates monthly, but does not include a date column. The internal clients who view the report would now like to see a breakdown by date.

Is there a way to use a beast mode, or some other tool, to create a batch date calculated field? The only things I've found are to set the current date as a batch date.

GrantSmith

You can use a magic ETL and a formula tile to tack on the specific time your dataset was imported. It wouldn't match exactly to your system's date but would allow you to have a date tacked on in your dataset every time it's imported.

You use a formula tile with the formula:

CURRENT_TIMESTAMP()

If your data is being overwritten and you want to keep a history you can change the update method of your output dataset from Replace to Append (or Partition if you want to only have a single version per month).

MichelleH

@HowDoIDomo This is certainly not an elegant solution, but you could download each batch uploaded from the dataset history and manually add the updated date to the file to create your historical dataset. You would have to start with the very first time the dataset was uploaded and work your way forward.

MichelleH

@HowDoIDomo Is there some sort of identifier in your dataset that you could use to determine the date or month?

MarkSnodgrass

You could look into using data from the DomoStats/Domo Governance datasets to get the batch date and then join it to your main dataset so it would be available as a column on your card. Look at the Datasets or Dataset History reports from the DomoStats connectors.

HowDoIDomo

😓 I don't think so. They only date marker they can think of is the upload date. But, the dataset is set to replace. :(

MarkSnodgrass

Are you saying that your report viewers want to be able to select a date and view the data as of that date, but your data is set to replace so there is no historical data?

GrantSmith

You can use a magic ETL and a formula tile to tack on the specific time your dataset was imported. It wouldn't match exactly to your system's date but would allow you to have a date tacked on in your dataset every time it's imported.

You use a formula tile with the formula:

CURRENT_TIMESTAMP()

If your data is being overwritten and you want to keep a history you can change the update method of your output dataset from Replace to Append (or Partition if you want to only have a single version per month).

MichelleH

@HowDoIDomo This is certainly not an elegant solution, but you could download each batch uploaded from the dataset history and manually add the updated date to the file to create your historical dataset. You would have to start with the very first time the dataset was uploaded and work your way forward.