[teiid-dev] alternative to the text connector / translator

[Steven Hawkins]

Hello all,

In working through the kinks of the example with Paul in the latest milestone, it's clear that the text translator / file resource adapter functionality is as confusing as ever for a user.  To simplify our approach to text we should at least remove the use of a separate descriptor file.  There are two logical successors to that approach:

1. move the additional metadata onto the model as extension properties (HEADER_ROW, DELIMITER, etc.)
2. introduce a system function similar to Postgres' copy from (http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.1/static/sql-copy.html) that would essentially reuse the connector logic, but not require a table based physical model of the files.

Assuming the use of a simple file translator/ resource adapter procedure to get files, the downside to either approach is that relative file names would now be stored on either the model or in a function.

I support the second, since it completely removes the need for a heavy-weight text translator and is feasible before RC1.

Steve