A data transformation framework. A presentation inviting commentary.

F

F.R.

Hi all,

In an effort to do some serious cleaning up of a hopelessly cluttered
working environment, I developed a modular data transformation system
that pretty much stands. I am very pleased with it. I expect huge time
savings. I would share it, if had a sense that there is an interest out
there and would appreciate comments. Here's a description. I named the
module TX:

The nucleus of the TX system is a Transformer class, a wrapper for any
kind of transformation functionality. The Transformer takes input as
calling argument and returns it transformed. This design allows the
assembly of transformation chains, either nesting calls or better, using
the class Chain, derived from 'Transformer' and 'list'. A Chain consists
of a sequence of Transformers and is functionally equivalent to an
individual Transformer. A high degree of modularity results: Chains
nest. Another consequence is that many transformation tasks can be
handled with a relatively modest library of a few basic prefabricated
Transformers from which many different Chains can be assembled on the
fly. A custom Transformer to bridge an eventual gap is quickly written
and tested, because the task likely is trivial.
A good analogy of the TX methodology is a road map with towns
scattered all over it and highways connecting them. To get from any town
to any other one is a simple matter of hopping the towns in between. The
TX equivalent of the towns are data formats, the equivalent of the
highways are TX Transformers. They are not so much thought of in terms
of what they do than in terms of the formats they take and give.
Designing a library of Transformers is essentially a matter of
establishing a collection of standard data formats. First the towns,
then the highways.
A feature of the TX Transformer is that it retains both its input
and output. This makes a Chain a breeze to build progressively, link by
link, and also makes debugging easy: If a Chain doesn't work, Chain.show
() reveals the failing link as the first one that has no output. It can
be replaced with a corrected instance, as one would replace a blown
fuse. Running the Chain again without input makes it have another try.
Parameter passing runs on a track that is completely separate from
the payload track. Parameters can be set in order to configure a Chain
prior to running it, or can be sent at runtime by individual
Transformers to its siblings and their progeny. Parameters are keyed and
get picked up by those Chain links whose set of pre-defined keys
includes the parameter's key. Unintended pick-ups with coincidentally
shared keys for unrelated parameters can be prevented by addressing
parameters to individual Translators.

Below an application example. Five custom classes at the end exemplify
the pattern. I join the post also as attachment, in case some
auto-line-wrap messes up this text.

Commentary welcome

Frederic



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An example of use: Download historic stock quotes from Yahoo Finance for
a given range of dates and a list of symbols, delete a column and add
three, insert the data in a MySQL table. Also write them to temporary
files in tabular form for verification.
"make_quotes_writer ()" returns a custom transformation tree.
"run_quotes ()" makes such a tree, sets it on a given time range and
runs it on a list of symbols.
(Since Yahoo publishes the data for downloading, I presume it's
okay to do it this way. This is a demo of TX, however, and should not be
misconstrued as an encouragement to violate any publisher's terms of
service.)


import TX, yahoo_historic_quotes as yhq

def make_quotes_writer ():

Visualizer = TX.Chain (
yhq.percent (),
TX.Table_Maker (has_header = True),
TX.Table_Writer (),
name = 'Visualizer'
)

To_DB = TX.Chain (yhq.header_stripper(), TX.DB_Writer(table_name =
'quotes'), name = 'To DB')

To_File = TX.Chain (Visualizer, TX.File_Writer (), name = 'To File')

Splitter = TX.Splitter (To_DB, To_File, name = 'Splitter')

Quotes = TX.Chain (
yhq.yahoo_quotes (),
TX.CSV_To_List (delimiter = ','),
TX.Numerizer (),
yhq.wiggle_and_trend (),
yhq.symbol (),
Splitter,
name = 'Quotes'
)

return Quotes


Quotes
Quotes[0] - Yahoo Quotes
Quotes[1] - CSV To List
Quotes[2] - Numerizer
Quotes[3] - Wiggle and Trend
Quotes[4] - Symbol
Quotes[5] - Splitter
Quotes[5][0] - To DB
Quotes[5][0][0] - Header Stripper
Quotes[5][0][1] - DB Writer
Quotes[5][1] - To File
Quotes[5][1][0] - Visualizer
Quotes[5][1][0][0] - Percent
Quotes[5][1][0][1] - Table Maker
Quotes[5][1][0][2] - Table Writer
Quotes[5][1][1] - File Writer


def run_quotes (symbols, from_date = '1970-01-01', to_date = '2099-12-31'):
'''Downloads historic stock quotes from Yahoo Finance.
Inserts data into MySQL table "quotes" relying on index to reject
repeat insertions.
Also writes the data in a table format to a temporary file, one for
each symbol.
'''
Quotes = make_quotes_writer ()
Quotes.set (from_date = from_date, to_date = to_date)
FW = Quotes [5][1][1] # File Writer
for symbol in symbols:
outfilename = '/tmp/%s' % symbol
FW.set (terminal = outfilename)
Quotes.set (symbol = symbol)
Quotes ()

Checking:
('MO','SU') and date >= 20130810;"):
print record

(datetime.date(2013, 8, 16), 'MO', 34.51, 34.63, 34.25, 34.29, 8364900L,
0.0110337, -0.00638792)
(datetime.date(2013, 8, 15), 'MO', 34.78, 34.93, 34.5, 34.57, 15144400L,
0.0123866, -0.00604926)
(datetime.date(2013, 8, 14), 'MO', 35.23, 35.25, 34.81, 35.06, 5871900L,
0.0125607, -0.00485298)
(datetime.date(2013, 8, 13), 'MO', 35.17, 35.27, 35.01, 35.22, 5919700L,
0.00739898, 0.00142288)
(datetime.date(2013, 8, 12), 'MO', 35.25, 35.28, 35.05, 35.16, 4884300L,
0.00654059, -0.00255936)
(datetime.date(2013, 8, 16), 'SU', 33.84, 34.63, 33.81, 34.18, 7396600L,
0.0239626, 0.00993571)
(datetime.date(2013, 8, 15), 'SU', 32.84, 33.99, 32.7, 33.94, 7747100L,
0.0386865, 0.0329885)
(datetime.date(2013, 8, 14), 'SU', 32.06, 32.91, 32.02, 32.72, 4690200L,
0.0274141, 0.0203296)
(datetime.date(2013, 8, 13), 'SU', 32.04, 32.18, 31.94, 32.01, 2051900L,
0.00748596, -0.000935745)
(datetime.date(2013, 8, 12), 'SU', 32.15, 32.35, 31.99, 32.15, 2870500L,
0.0111906, 0.0)

Date | Symbol | Open | High | Low | Close | Volume | Wiggle
| Trend |

2013-08-16 | SU | 33.84 | 34.63 | 33.81 | 34.18 | 7396600.00 |
2.40% | +0.99% |
2013-08-15 | SU | 32.84 | 33.99 | 32.70 | 33.94 | 7747100.00 |
3.87% | +3.30% |
2013-08-14 | SU | 32.06 | 32.91 | 32.02 | 32.72 | 4690200.00 |
2.74% | +2.03% |
2013-08-13 | SU | 32.04 | 32.18 | 31.94 | 32.01 | 2051900.00 |
0.75% | -0.09% |
2013-08-12 | SU | 32.15 | 32.35 | 31.99 | 32.15 | 2870500.00 |
1.12% | +0.00% |


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Each Transformer retains input and output, freezing the state of a
composite after each run. This makes developing step by step and
debugging a breeze. If a Chain fails, the failing link is the first one
to have no output. Chain.show () displays them all in sequence. The
deficient Transformer can be replaced with a fixed instance and the
Chain run again without input for another try.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These are the five custom classes. The decorator "setup" updates
parameters and prevents needless reruns comparing time stamps.


class wiggle_and_trend (TX.Transformer):
'''Deletes column "Adj Close" and adds columns "Wiggle" and
"Trend". The values are
ratios: (day's high - day's low) / mean, and (day's close - day's
open) / mean.
'''
name = 'Wiggle and Trend'
@TX.setup
def transform (self):
input = self.Input.data
output = []
output.append (tuple (input[0][:-1]) + ('Wiggle', 'Trend'))
for i in range (1, len (input)):
date, open, high, low, close, vol, adj = input
wiggle = high - low
mean = (high + low) / 2.0
wiggle_ratio = wiggle / mean
trend = close - open
trend_ratio = trend / mean
output.append ((date, open, high, low, close, vol,
wiggle_ratio, trend_ratio))
self.Output.take (output)


class symbol (TX.Transformer):
'Adds a column Symbol'
name = 'Symbol'
def __init__ (self):
TX.Transformer.__init__ (self, symbol = None)
@TX.setup
def transform (self):
symbol = self.get ('symbol')
if not symbol:
self.log ('No symbol!')
else:
input = self.Input.data
output = []
output.append ((input[0][0], 'Symbol') + input [0][1:])
for i in range (1, len (input)):
output.append ((input[0], symbol) + input [1:])
self.Output.take (output)


class percent (TX.Transformer):
'Converts float ratio to percent for better legibility'
name = 'Percent'
@TX.setup
def transform (self):
input = self.Input.data
output = [input [0]]
for i in range (1, len (input)):
wiggle = '%5.2f%%' % (input [7] * 100.0)
trend = '%+5.2f%%' % (input [8] * 100.0)
output.append (input [:7] + (wiggle, trend))
self.Output.take (output)


class header_stripper (TX.Transformer):
'Header names are not meant for insertion into data base table'
name = 'Header Stripper'
@TX.setup
def transform (self):
self.Output.take (self.Input.data [1:])



class yahoo_quotes (TX.WWW_Reader):

'Gets historic stock quotes from Yahoo Finance'

import urllib
name = 'Yahoo Quotes'
URL_TRUNK = 'http://ichart.finance.yahoo.com/table.csv'

def __init__ (self, from_date = '1970-01-01', to_date =
'2099-12-31', **keywords):
private_keys = {
'symbol' : None,
'from_date' : from_date,
'to_date' : to_date,
'url_trunk' : self.URL_TRUNK,
}
private_keys.update (keywords)
TX.WWW_Reader.__init__ (self, **private_keys)

def make_url (self):
fy, fm, fd = self.get ('from_date').split ('-')
ty, tm, td = self.get ('to_date').split ('-')
fm = '%0d' % (int (fm) - 1)
tm = '%0d' % (int (tm) - 1)
symbol = self.get ('symbol')
qs = (
('s',symbol),
('a',fm),('b',fd),('c',fy),
('d',tm),('e',td),('f',ty),
('g','d'),
('ignore', '.csv'),
)
self.set (url_parameters = qs)
TX.WWW_Reader.make_url (self)
 

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