IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: PAW Escape Character

July 5, 2022

Have you ever been in a situation where you have an element name with an apostrophe (or two) in IBM Planning Analytics? Examples of this might entail last names such as “O’Connor” or “O’Sullivan”?

Although IBM best practices specify that the apostrophe is a special character to avoid in object and element names, in many instances you’ll see an apostrophe used in your data source (especially in names and brand names).

Planning Analytics confuses the apostrophe as a single quote … which is a special character used to define literal strings. You can resolve this situation by using an “escape character.” An escape character invokes an alternative interpretation on the characters which follow.

The Planning Analytics escape character sequence defines 2 single quotes together as the equivalent of 1 single quote.

Example:

‘O’’Connor’ will display as ‘O’Connor’

This escape sequence can be used in both Rules and Turbo Integrator processes.

This approach will allow your use of O’Connor to properly work instead of causing you to convert it into “oh darn”!

Revelwood has worked with IBM Planning Analytics / TM1 for more than 27 years. We’ve partnered with hundreds of companies on the design, development, maintenance and updates of IBM Planning Analytics applications, across every industry. Have a challenge with Planning Analytics / TM1? We can help you!

Author

Tara Byrnes

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