Assette Data Blocks are the foundation for importing and processing data within the Assette platform. They provide a low-code solution for integrating your organization’s data into Assette, allowing for efficient data management and transformation. This article offers a high-level overview of what Data Blocks are and how they work within the system.

Data Blocks are created, edited, and maintained in the Data Block Editor section of the Developer Tools. The Data Block Editor offers an intuitive, low-code environment where developers and technical users can efficiently manage data integrations. Within the Developer Tools, you can define new Data Blocks, modify existing ones, and establish dependencies between Data Blocks to build modular and reusable data processing pipelines. This environment supports both standard configurations and Python scripting for advanced data manipulation, allowing you to tailor Data Blocks to your organization’s specific needs.

Low-Code Data Integration

Assette Data Blocks provide a robust low-code solution for integrating your organization’s data into the Assette platform. They enable users to connect to various data sources—including databases, APIs, and even Excel files—without the need for extensive coding or scripting. By leveraging predefined templates and configurations, Data Blocks simplify the process of data retrieval, allowing you to define data connections, specify queries or API calls, and import data efficiently. This low-code approach accelerates the integration process, making it accessible to both technical and non-technical users, and reduces the potential for errors associated with manual coding.

Data Processing and Transformation

Data Blocks play a critical role in processing and transforming this data to meet specific business needs. Data Blocks are also responsible for manipulating imported data through operations such as filtering, sorting, grouping, and aggregation. Additionally, Data Blocks can apply calculations, create derived columns, and perform data cleansing tasks to ensure the data is accurate and formatted correctly— allowing organizations to tailor the data to fit the exact requirements of their reports and presentations.

Once the data has been processed, it is passed on to Data Objects, which implement business logic and presentation formatting. Data Objects utilize the transformed data to generate meaningful insights and visuals for end-users. By handling data processing within Data Blocks, Assette ensures a modular workflow where data retrieval, transformation, and presentation are managed efficiently and effectively.

Reusability and Dependencies

Assette Data Blocks are inherently designed for reusability and modularity, allowing you to build complex data workflows efficiently. By creating Data Blocks as reusable components, you can define data retrieval and transformation logic once and then utilize it across multiple Data Objects or other Data Blocks. This approach minimizes duplication of effort and ensures consistency in how data is processed and presented throughout the organization. For instance, a Transformation Data Block that calculates key performance indicators can be reused in various reports and dashboards, guaranteeing that all stakeholders are referencing the same metrics derived from the same logic.

Dependencies between Data Blocks enable you to construct layered data processing pipelines. A Data Block can consume the output of another Data Block, allowing you to build upon existing data transformations. This hierarchical structuring facilitates complex data manipulations by breaking them down into manageable, reusable steps. For example, an Interface Data Block might fetch raw data from an external system, which is then pre-processed by a Transformation Data Block. This transformed data can further be utilized by other dependent blocks to apply business-specific rules or formatting. Leveraging dependencies not only streamlines the data flow but also makes it easier to manage, update, and troubleshoot your data integration processes within Assette.