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Format String

Enrichments

Overview

The Format String enrichment creates a new text attribute by combining values from multiple attributes using a customizable template, enabling precise control over how data is formatted and presented. Unlike simple concatenation, this enrichment uses .NET string formatting syntax, allowing you to construct URLs, create structured identifiers, build formatted messages, and generate custom labels with exact spacing and separators. The enrichment supports up to 10 attributes and can output results as either plain text or clickable URLs, making it invaluable for integrating process mining data with external systems and creating actionable links.

In process mining, the ability to format data precisely is essential for creating system integrations, generating reports, and building user interfaces that connect to source systems. The Format String enrichment uses the standard .NET composite formatting approach where placeholders like {0}, {1}, {2} represent the position of each selected attribute in the format template. This gives you complete control over the output structure, including custom separators, prefixes, suffixes, and even complex patterns like URLs with multiple parameters. The enrichment also includes optional filtering, allowing you to apply formatting only to specific subsets of cases based on business criteria.

The enrichment's URL formatting capability is particularly powerful - when you set the Format to "URL", the resulting attribute becomes clickable in the mindzie Studio interface, enabling users to jump directly to source system records, documents, or external dashboards. This transforms your process mining analysis from passive observation to active investigation, allowing analysts to quickly drill down into source system details without manual lookup.

Common Uses

  • Create clickable URLs that link to source system records (ERP, CRM, document management)
  • Generate formatted identifiers with specific patterns (SKU-2024-0001, CUST-US-12345)
  • Build structured messages combining multiple attributes with custom separators
  • Format composite keys that follow exact naming conventions
  • Create hyperlinks to external dashboards or reports with embedded parameters
  • Generate formatted display labels combining text, numbers, and dates
  • Build URLs for API calls that retrieve additional data about cases or events

Settings

Filter (Optional): Apply filters to limit which cases receive the formatted string. When filters are applied, only cases matching the filter criteria will have the new attribute created. This is useful when you want to create formatted output only for specific subsets of your data, such as open orders, specific departments, or cases within a certain time period. Cases not matching the filter criteria will have null values for the new attribute.

New Attribute Name: Specify the internal name for the new attribute that will store the formatted string. This is the attribute name used in filters, calculators, and data exports. Choose a descriptive name that clearly indicates what the formatted value represents. For example, use "NetSuite_URL" for clickable links to NetSuite records, or "Product_SKU_Formatted" for standardized product codes. The name must be unique and cannot conflict with existing attributes in your dataset.

New Attribute Display Name: Specify the user-friendly display name shown in the mindzie Studio interface, charts, and reports. This should be a clear, readable label that helps users understand the attribute's purpose. For example, use "View in NetSuite" for URLs, or "Formatted Product Code" for structured identifiers. The display name can include spaces and special characters for improved readability.

Attribute Columns: Select the attributes whose values you want to include in the formatted string. You can select up to 10 attributes of any type (string, numeric, date, boolean). The attributes are referenced by their position in the selection order using placeholders {0}, {1}, {2}, etc. in the Format String. The first attribute selected corresponds to {0}, the second to {1}, and so on. Choose attributes that contain the values needed for your formatting pattern.

Format: Select whether the output should be formatted as plain Text or as a clickable URL:

  • Text: The formatted string appears as regular text in the dataset. Use this for formatted identifiers, composite keys, structured labels, or any text-based formatting.
  • URL: The formatted string appears as a clickable hyperlink in the mindzie Studio interface. When clicked, the link opens in a new browser tab. Use this when creating links to external systems, dashboards, or documents. Ensure your Format String produces valid URL syntax (starting with http:// or https://).

Format String: Specify the template that defines how the attribute values should be combined and formatted. Use standard .NET composite formatting syntax with placeholders {0}, {1}, {2}, etc. representing each selected attribute in order. You can include any literal text, special characters, or URL patterns.

Examples:

  • URL pattern: https://system.company.com/record?id={0}&type={1}
  • Formatted ID: SKU-{0}-{1:D5}
  • Structured label: {0} - {1} ({2})
  • Multi-parameter URL: https://erp.com/order.nl?id={0}&lineId={1}&whence=

The Format String supports standard .NET format specifiers for numbers and dates when using colon notation (e.g., {0:D5} for zero-padded 5-digit numbers, {1:yyyy-MM-dd} for formatted dates).

Hidden: When enabled, the new attribute is created but not displayed in the default attribute lists in mindzie Studio. The attribute remains accessible in filters, calculators, and advanced views, but is hidden from standard dropdowns and visualizations. Use this setting when creating intermediate attributes or technical fields that support analysis but shouldn't clutter the user interface.

Examples

Scenario: In a sales order process, you need to create clickable links that allow analysts to view the complete order details in your NetSuite ERP system. Each link should navigate directly to the specific sales order and line item.

Settings:

  • Filter: None (apply to all cases)
  • New Attribute Name: NetSuite_Order_URL
  • New Attribute Display Name: View in NetSuite
  • Attribute Columns: Sales_Order_ID, Line_Item_ID
  • Format: URL
  • Format String: https://tstdrv2763156.app.netsuite.com/app/accounting/transactions/salesord.nl?id={0}&lineId={1}&whence=
  • Hidden: No

Output: Creates a new case attribute "NetSuite_Order_URL" that appears as a clickable link. For a case with:

  • Sales_Order_ID: "SO-2024-1523"
  • Line_Item_ID: "3"

The NetSuite_Order_URL would be: https://tstdrv2763156.app.netsuite.com/app/accounting/transactions/salesord.nl?id=SO-2024-1523&lineId=3&whence=

Clicking the link in mindzie Studio opens the exact sales order line in NetSuite.

Insights: This integration transforms passive process analysis into active investigation. When analysts identify bottlenecks or anomalies in the process map, they can immediately access the source system to understand the context, review documents, and take corrective action. This reduces investigation time from minutes to seconds and improves the accuracy of root cause analysis.

Example 2: Building Standardized Product SKU Codes

Scenario: In an inventory management process, you need to create standardized SKU codes that follow the pattern: Category Code-Year-5-digit sequential number, ensuring consistent product identification across all systems.

Settings:

  • Filter: None
  • New Attribute Name: Product_SKU_Standard
  • New Attribute Display Name: Standard SKU Code
  • Attribute Columns: Category_Code, Production_Year, Sequence_Number
  • Format: Text
  • Format String: SKU-{0}-{1}-{2:D5}
  • Hidden: No

Output: Creates a new case attribute "Product_SKU_Standard" with formatted SKU codes. For a case with:

  • Category_Code: "ELEC"
  • Production_Year: "2024"
  • Sequence_Number: 147

The Product_SKU_Standard would be: "SKU-ELEC-2024-00147"

Note: The {2:D5} format specifier ensures the sequence number is padded with zeros to always be 5 digits.

Insights: Standardized SKU codes improve data quality, enable accurate cross-system matching, and support warehouse automation systems that require specific identifier formats. The zero-padding prevents sorting issues and ensures consistent barcode generation.

Scenario: In a customer support process, you want to create links to an internal Power BI dashboard that shows the complete history and metrics for each customer, enabling support agents to quickly access comprehensive customer insights.

Settings:

  • Filter: Case_Status = "Open"
  • New Attribute Name: Customer_Dashboard_URL
  • New Attribute Display Name: Customer Analytics
  • Attribute Columns: Customer_ID, Account_Region
  • Format: URL
  • Format String: https://powerbi.company.com/reports/customer-360?customerId={0}&region={1}&embed=true
  • Hidden: No

Output: Creates a clickable link to the customer dashboard for open cases. For a case with:

  • Customer_ID: "CUST-458821"
  • Account_Region: "NORTH"

The Customer_Dashboard_URL would be: https://powerbi.company.com/reports/customer-360?customerId=CUST-458821&region=NORTH&embed=true

Insights: Providing one-click access to customer analytics enables support teams to make informed decisions based on complete customer history. This reduces escalations by empowering frontline staff with instant access to contextual information about customer value, preferences, and past issues.

Example 4: Generating Formatted Invoice References

Scenario: In an accounts payable process, you need to create formatted invoice references that combine vendor code, invoice date, and invoice number in a specific pattern required for regulatory reporting.

Settings:

  • Filter: Document_Type = "Invoice"
  • New Attribute Name: Invoice_Reference_Formatted
  • New Attribute Display Name: Regulatory Invoice Reference
  • Attribute Columns: Vendor_Code, Invoice_Date, Invoice_Number
  • Format: Text
  • Format String: INV/{0}/{1:yyyy-MM}/{2}
  • Hidden: No

Output: Creates formatted invoice references for invoice documents. For a case with:

  • Vendor_Code: "VND-2847"
  • Invoice_Date: "2024-03-15 10:30:00"
  • Invoice_Number: "INV-8821-A"

The Invoice_Reference_Formatted would be: "INV/VND-2847/2024-03/INV-8821-A"

Note: The {1:yyyy-MM} format specifier extracts only the year and month from the invoice date.

Insights: These formatted references meet regulatory requirements for audit trails, enable accurate cross-referencing with external reports, and provide a standardized format that tax authorities and auditors can easily parse and validate.

Scenario: In a contract approval process, you need to create direct links to PDF contracts stored in SharePoint, allowing approvers to review the full contract without searching through folder structures.

Settings:

  • Filter: Process_Type = "Contract"
  • New Attribute Name: Contract_Document_URL
  • New Attribute Display Name: View Contract PDF
  • Attribute Columns: SharePoint_Site_ID, Library_Name, Document_ID
  • Format: URL
  • Format String: https://company.sharepoint.com/sites/{0}/{1}/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id={2}&parent=/sites/{0}/{1}
  • Hidden: No

Output: Creates clickable links to SharePoint documents. For a case with:

  • SharePoint_Site_ID: "legal"
  • Library_Name: "Contracts2024"
  • Document_ID: "DOC-2024-0582"

The Contract_Document_URL would be: https://company.sharepoint.com/sites/legal/Contracts2024/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=DOC-2024-0582&parent=/sites/legal/Contracts2024

Insights: Direct document access reduces approval cycle time by eliminating the manual search process. Approvers can review contracts within seconds rather than minutes, improving both process efficiency and user satisfaction with the approval workflow.

Output

The Format String enrichment creates a single new case attribute with a data type of String. The attribute stores the formatted result according to the pattern specified in the Format String setting. When the Format is set to "URL", the attribute is marked as a URL type, causing it to render as a clickable hyperlink in the mindzie Studio interface rather than plain text.

The enrichment processes each case individually, substituting the placeholders ({0}, {1}, {2}, etc.) with the actual values from the selected attributes for that case. If an attribute value is null or missing, the placeholder is replaced with an empty string unless you specify alternative handling in your format string. The enrichment supports standard .NET composite formatting, including format specifiers for numbers (padding, decimal places) and dates (year-month-day patterns).

When filters are applied, only cases matching the filter criteria receive the formatted attribute. Cases not matching the filter will have a null value for the new attribute. This allows you to selectively apply formatting based on business rules, such as creating URLs only for active cases or formatting identifiers only for specific product categories.

The formatted attribute becomes immediately available for use in other enrichments, filters, calculators, and visualizations. When Format is set to URL, users can click the links directly from case tables, variant views, and detail panels to navigate to external systems. The Hidden setting controls visibility in the UI but does not affect the attribute's availability in filters and calculations, making it useful for creating technical fields that support other enrichments without cluttering the interface.

This documentation is part of the mindzie Studio process mining platform.

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