Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:
In Workday Prism Analytics, the TO_DATE function in a calculated field is used to convert a string or compatible data type into a date. However, in this scenario, the field from Workday is numeric, and the TO_DATE function typically requires a string input (e.g., a numeric value like 20230101 needs to be converted to a string like "20230101" before applying TO_DATE). According to the official Workday Prism Analytics study path documents, to prepare the numeric field for use with the TO_DATE function, you must first use a Manage Fields stage to change the field’s Output Type to Text. The Manage Fields stage allows you to modify the field’s properties, and changing the Output Type from Numeric to Text converts the numeric values into a string format that the TO_DATE function can then process (e.g., TO_DATE([Field_Name], "YYYYMMDD")).
The other options are not relevant:
B. Output Name: Changing the Output Name renames the field but does not address the field type compatibility required for the TO_DATE function.
C. Input Type: The Manage Fields stage does not modify an "Input Type"; it adjusts the Output Type to transform the field as it moves through the pipeline.
D. Input Name: There is no "Input Name" property in the Manage Fields stage; this option is not applicable.
By changing the Output Type to Text in the Manage Fields stage, the numeric field is converted to a string, making it compatible with the TO_DATE function for creating a date field in the calculated field.
[References:, Workday Prism Analytics Study Path Documents, Section: Data Prep and Transformation, Topic: Field Type Transformations for Calculated Fields, Workday Prism Analytics Training Guide, Module: Data Prep and Transformation, Subtopic: Using Manage Fields for Data Type Conversions, , ]
