Chapter 1, Getting started with Pentaho Data Integration serves as the most basic introduction to PDI, presenting the tool. The chapter includes instructions for installing PDI and gives you the opportunity to play with the graphical designer (Spoon). The chapter also includes instructions for installing a MySQL server.
Chapter 2, Getting Started with Transformations introduces one of the basic components of PDI—transformations. Then, it focuses on the explanation of how to work with files. It explains how to get data from simple input sources such as txt, csv, xml, and so on, do a preview of the data, and send the data back to any of these common output formats. The chapter also explains how to read command-line parameters and system information.
Chapter 3, Basic Data Manipulation explains the simplest and most commonly used ways of transforming data, including performing calculations, adding constants, counting, filtering, ordering, and looking for data.
Chapter 4 —Controlling the Flow of Data explains different options that PDI offers to combine or split flows of data.
Chapter 5, Transforming Your Data with JavaScript Code and the JavaScript Step explains how JavaScript coding can help in the treatment of data. It shows why you need to code inside PDI, and explains in detail how to do it.
Chapter 6, Transforming the Row Set explains the ability of PDI to deal with some sophisticated problems, such as normalizing data from pivoted tables, in a simple fashion.
Chapter 7, Validating Data and Handling Errors explains the different options that PDI has to validate data, and how to treat the errors that may appear.
Chapter 8, Working with Databases explains how to use PDI to work with databases. The list of topics covered includes connecting to a database, previewing and getting data, and inserting, updating, and deleting data. As database knowledge is not presumed, the chapter also covers fundamental concepts of databases and the SQL language.
Chapter 9, Performing Advanced Operations with Databases explains how to perform advanced operations with databases, including those specially designed to load datawarehouses. A primer on datawarehouse concepts is also given in case you are not familiar with the subject.
Chapter 10, Creating Basic Task Flow serves as an introduction to processes in PDI. Through the creation of simple jobs, you will learn what jobs are and what they are used for.
Chapter 11, Creating Advanced Transformations and Jobs deals with advanced concepts that will allow you to build complex PDI projects. The list of covered topics includes nesting jobs, iterating on jobs and transformations, and creating subtransformations.
Chapter 12, Developing and implementing a simple datamart presents a simple datamart project, and guides you to build the datamart by using all the concepts learned throughout the book.
Chapter 13, Taking it Further gives a list of best PDI practices and recommendations for going beyond.
Appendix A, Working with repositories guides you step by step in the creation of a PDI database repository and then gives instructions to work with it.
Appendix B, Pan and Kitchen: Launching Transformations and Jobs from the Command Line is a quick reference for running transformations and jobs from the command line.
Appendix C, Quick Reference: Steps and Job Entries serves as a quick reference to steps and job entries used throughout the book.
Appendix D, Spoon Shortcuts is an extensive list of Spoon shortcuts useful for saving time when designing and running PDI jobs and transformations.
Appendix E, Introducing PDI 4 features quickly introduces you to the architectural and functional features included in Kettle 4—the version that was under development while writing this book.
Appendix F, Pop Quiz Answers, contains answers to pop quiz questions.