What is Type Inference?
When you import data from database tables or flat files, Trifacta attempts to infer the data types of each column based on the values of data in each column. While this is a useful feature for data that you've never seen before, sometimes the system can get a bit too smart for itself.
For example, your source table may use a String-type column to hold unique IDs. When loaded in Trifacta, Trifacta sees all Integer values and infers that the column should be an Integer.
Particularly when working with data from relational sources, you might want to keep the data types set at the source. To achieve this, you can disable Trifacta’s initial data type inference for individual tables.
Disabling initial Data Type Inference
1. In the Import Data screen, select the dataset where you want to disable data type inference.
2. When the table loads on the right side of the Import Data screen, click “Edit settings” on the bottom of the dataset card.
3. In the “Import settings” pop up, uncheck the box that reads “Infer column data types”.
4. Click “Save” to apply this change to your dataset.
More Information
For product help and specific questions, check out the Trifacta Community
More details about type inference can be found in our product documentation