Reference

Delegates extraction to another configured extractor, enabling reuse and centralization of extraction logic.

Remarks

The Reference extractor enables you to reference a pre-configured extractor, such as a Value Reader, Data Type, or Field Class, to be executed in a data extraction workflow..

This allows you to centralize and reuse extractors across multiple Data Fields or Data Elements, promoting consistency and reducing duplication.

Overview

When executed, Reference runs the referenced extractor on the input Data Instance.
You can optionally specify an 'Output Group' to extract only a specific named group from the referenced extractor's results.

Configuration Guidance

• Use Reference to share extraction logic between multiple fields or contexts.
• Select the external extractor using the 'Extractor' property. This can be any Extractor Node, such as a Data Type, Field Class, or Value Reader.
• Use the 'Output Group' property to extract only a specific named group from the referenced extractor, if needed.
• Avoid circular references; you cannot reference an extractor that would create a loop.

Usage Scenarios

• Shared Data Type:
  Define a Data Type for phone numbers, then use Reference in multiple Data Fields to extract phone numbers consistently across different forms.
• Field Class Reuse:
  Reference a Field Class extractor to apply complex extraction logic (such as label-value pairs) in multiple locations.
• Group Extraction:
  If the referenced extractor defines named groups (e.g., "AreaCode", "Number"), set 'Output Group' to extract only the desired group.

Diagnostics

When diagnostic logging is enabled, Reference records information about the referenced extractor, execution steps, and output results.

Diagnostic Artifacts

• Execution Log:
  Logs the type and display name of the referenced extractor, its path, and the number of hits found.
• Group Output Log:
  If 'Output Group' is set, logs the number of group matches returned.

These artifacts are accessible via the diagnostic interface and can be used to validate and tune your Reference configuration.

Properties

Name	Type		Description
Extractor	Extractor Node	►	Specifies the extractor to execute. EditorNode Reference Editor Requiredtrue The 'Extractor' property selects the Extractor Node to run when this Reference extractor is executed. Select any Data Type, Field Class, or Value Reader. Configuration Guidance Choose the external extractor you want to delegate extraction to. The referenced extractor will be executed on the input Data Instance. Circular references are not allowed; you cannot reference an extractor that would create a loop. If the referenced extractor is changed, review dependent fields to ensure they are still configured correctly. Impact The extraction logic defined in the referenced extractor will be applied to the input data. Changing this property can affect all fields or elements that use this Reference extractor. Example To reuse a phone number extraction pattern, select a shared Data Type extractor for phone numbers. > Use diagnostics to confirm the referenced extractor is executed as expected and to review the extraction results.
Output Group	String	►	Specifies the name of a group to be used as the output value. ConverterGroup Name Converter The 'Output Group' property allows you to extract only a specific named group from the results of the referenced extractor. This is useful when the referenced extractor produces multiple groups or sub-values, and you want to isolate a particular one. Purpose Use this property to target a specific sub-value (group) from a complex extractor, such as a named group in a Pattern Match or Field Class. Configuration Guidance Select the name of the group you want to extract. The list of available group names is determined by the referenced extractor. Leave blank to return the main output value from the referenced extractor. Impact Limits the output to only the specified group, filtering out other results. Useful for extracting subfields from complex patterns or multi-value extractors. Example If the referenced extractor defines groups "AreaCode" and "Number", set 'Output Group' to AreaCode to extract only the area code. > Use diagnostics to review which groups are available and to validate the output for the selected group.

See Also

Data TypeField ClassValue Reader

Used By

Document TypeExtract FromData ColumnData FieldLexicalRules-BasedSpell CorrectorAuto Complete SettingsParagraph MarkerMetadata OptionsOCR LayerLine Periodicity DetectorFixed WidthLabeled ValueSelect PageData TypeOCR ReaderDividerAnchorSimple