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Overview

Multi-field mapping allows you to combine or transform data from multiple source fields into a single entity field. Entegrata provides powerful operators that handle common data combination scenarios without requiring code. This guide covers all multi-field operators and how to use them effectively in your data pipelines.

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Available Operators

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Operator Overview

Operator (UI Label)PurposeExample Use Case
Use First Available (Coalesce)Use first non-null valueFallback from preferred to alternative fields
Join Text (Concat)Combine text valuesBuild full names, addresses, or composite keys
Apply Conditions (Case)Conditional logicTransform values, categorize data, apply business rules
Generate HashCreate unique hashesGenerate uniquely random text strings by combining data from multiple fields
Use Highest ValueUse highest valueTake the input whose value is the highest
Use Lowest ValueUse lowest valueTake the input whose value is the lowest
Operator selection menu

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COALESCE Operator

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What is COALESCE?

COALESCE returns the first non-null value from a list of fields. It’s perfect for providing fallback values when preferred data might be missing. Syntax: COALESCE(field1, field2, field3, ..., defaultValue)

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Common Use Cases

Email Address Fallback: 
COALESCE(work_email, personal_email, "no-email@example.com")
Phone Number Fallback: 
COALESCE(mobile_phone, home_phone, work_phone)
Name Fallback: 
COALESCE(preferred_name, first_name, username)

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Creating a COALESCE Transformation

1

Connect Multiple Input Fields

Drag a second source field to an entity field that is already mapped. This automatically creates a logic node on the canvas, defaulting to a Use First Available (Coalesce) operation. Alternatively, click the entity field to open the Edit Field modal and configure the operator on the Data Source tab.
2

Verify Field Priority Order

The order matters - COALESCE checks fields left to right. You can view and change the order of the inputs by dragging the fields listed in the Field Priority Order section.
View and re-order source fields
3

Set Default Value (Optional)

Check the Default Value checkbox and enter a fallback value to use if all input fields are null.

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COALESCE Best Practices

Ordering Inputs
  • Put most reliable/preferred fields first
  • Put default or fallback fields last
  • Consider data quality when ordering
If all fields are null and no default is provided, the entity field will be null. For required fields, always provide a default value.

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CONCAT Operator

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What is CONCAT?

CONCAT combines multiple text values into a single string. You can add separators, prefixes, and suffixes. Syntax: CONCAT(field1, separator, field2, separator, field3, ...)

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Common Use Cases

Full Name: 
CONCAT(first_name, ' ', last_name)
Result: "John Smith"
Full Address: 
CONCAT(street, ', ', city, ', ', state, ' ', zip_code)
Result: "123 Main St, Springfield, IL 62701"
Composite Key: 
CONCAT(customer_id, '-', order_id)
Result: "CUST001-ORD12345"
Email Construction: 
CONCAT(username, '@', domain)
Result: "john.smith@company.com"

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Creating a CONCAT Transformation

1

Connect Multiple Input Fields

Drag a second source field to an entity field that is already mapped. This automatically creates a logic node on the canvas, defaulting to a Use First Available (Coalesce) operation. Alternatively, click the entity field to open the Edit Field modal and configure the operator on the Data Source tab.
2

Select Concat Combination Option

In the Edit Field modal’s Data Source tab, select Join Text (Concat) from the Operator dropdown.
Select the CONCAT option in the dropdown
3

Verify Text Combination Order

The order matters - CONCAT appends fields left to right. You can view and change the order of the inputs by dragging the fields listed in the Text Combination Order section.
View and re-order source fields
4

Configure Text Separator

In the Text Separator field, enter the character(s) to insert between each field value (e.g., a space, comma, or dash).

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CASE Operator

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What is CASE?

CASE provides if-then-else conditional logic. Transform values, categorize data, or apply complex business rules based on conditions. Syntax: 
CASE
  WHEN condition1 THEN result1
  WHEN condition2 THEN result2
  ELSE default_result
END

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Common Use Cases

Status Categorization: 
CASE
  WHEN status = 'A' THEN 'Active'
  WHEN status = 'I' THEN 'Inactive'
  WHEN status = 'P' THEN 'Pending'
  ELSE 'Unknown'
END
Value Ranges: 
CASE
  WHEN revenue >= 1000000 THEN 'Enterprise'
  WHEN revenue >= 100000 THEN 'Mid-Market'
  WHEN revenue >= 10000 THEN 'SMB'
  ELSE 'Small Business'
END
Boolean Conversion: 
CASE
  WHEN active_flag = 'Y' THEN true
  WHEN active_flag = 'N' THEN false
  ELSE null
END
Multiple Conditions: 
CASE
  WHEN country = 'US' AND state = 'CA' THEN 'California'
  WHEN country = 'US' AND state = 'TX' THEN 'Texas'
  WHEN country = 'CA' THEN 'Canada'
  ELSE 'Other'
END

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Creating a CASE Transformation

1

Connect Multiple Input Fields

Drag a second source field to an entity field that is already mapped. This automatically creates a logic node on the canvas, defaulting to a Use First Available (Coalesce) operation. Alternatively, click the entity field to open the Edit Field modal and configure the operator on the Data Source tab.
2

Select CASE Combination Option

In the Edit Field modal’s Data Source tab, select Apply Conditions from the Operator dropdown.
Select the CASE option in the dropdown
3

Build First Condition

In the Edit Field modal’s Data Source tab, click Add case to create a new condition:
  • When: Define the condition to evaluate (field, operator, and value)
  • Then: Specify the output value when the condition is true
  • Check Default Case (ELSE) to set a fallback value when no conditions match
First CASE condition configuration
4

Add More Cases

Click Add case to add additional conditions. Cases are evaluated in order from top to bottom.
5

Set Default Case

Check Default Case (ELSE) at the bottom and enter the fallback value returned when no conditions match.
Always provide a default case, especially for required fields. Without it, unmatched records will be null.

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Available Operators in CASE

OperatorDescriptionExample
= (equals)Exact matchstatus = ‘Active’
≠ (not equals)Not equal tocountry ≠ ‘US’
> (greater than)Numeric/date comparisonrevenue > 100000
< (less than)Numeric/date comparisonage < 18
≥ (greater or equal)Inclusive comparisonscore >= 90
≤ (less or equal)Inclusive comparisonquantity <= 10
CONTAINSString contains substringname CONTAINS ‘Corp’
STARTS WITHString starts withemail STARTS WITH ‘admin’
ENDS WITHString ends withfilename ENDS WITH ‘.pdf’
INValue in liststate IN (‘CA’, ‘NY’, ‘TX’)
IS NULLField is nullmiddle_name IS NULL
IS NOT NULLField has valuephone IS NOT NULL

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CASE Best Practices

Condition Ordering
  • Put most specific conditions first
  • More general conditions go later
  • Always include an ELSE clause

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Troubleshooting

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COALESCE Returns Unexpected Nulls

Issue: COALESCE still returns null even with multiple input fields. Solutions:
  • Verify input field order
  • Check that at least one input has non-null values in sample data
  • Add a literal default value as last input
  • Preview each input field separately to verify data

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CONCAT Produces Extra Separators

Issue: Concatenated string has separators where fields were null. Solutions:
  • Enable “Skip nulls” option in CONCAT settings
  • Use COALESCE on inputs to convert nulls to empty strings
  • Consider using CASE to handle null scenarios differently

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CASE Always Returns ELSE Value

Issue: No conditions seem to match. Solutions:
  • Verify field data types match comparison values
  • Check for whitespace in string comparisons
  • Use case-insensitive operators for text
  • Preview source data to see actual values
  • Check operator choice (= vs CONTAINS vs STARTS WITH)

Mapping Fields

Learn basic field-to-field mapping

Field Management

Configure entity field properties and data types

Default Values

Set default values for fields

Data Mapping Editor

Complete guide to the mapping editor interface