---
title: Source
description: A Source describes an object of a source system, such as a table, view or file, with its terms and data types.
---

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# Source

**Applies to**  
Platform: Microsoft SQL Server · Snowflake · Snowflake dbt · Databricks · Databricks dbt · Fabric Lakehouse · Fabric Warehouse · Oracle  
Architecture: Stage · Data Store · Data Vault · Dimensional

A Source describes an object of a source system, such as a table, view or file, with its terms and data types. Use it as the input of a [Stage](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-stage?hsLang=en), which reads the source object and loads it into the Stage layer. A Source generates no database objects of its own.

Data Mart projects have no Sources; they read linked objects of other projects.

### Create a Source

- From a Discovery of the source system: see [Create Source Objects from a Discovery](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-source-objects-from-a-discovery?hsLang=en).
- Manually: [create a model object](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-model-object?hsLang=en) of type Source in the Source layer and add its terms with their data types.

A Source has no dataflow and no relationships. To create a Stage from it, open the menu of the Source, choose **Automate** and then **Create Stage**.

### Properties

A Source has properties only in the Stage generators that read files or use OpenQuery:

- Microsoft SQL Server Stage Files: [File Extension](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/file-extension-model-object?hsLang=en), [File Group Pattern](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/file-group-pattern-model-object?hsLang=en), [Column Collation](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/column-collation-model-object?hsLang=en), [Column Delimiter](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/column-delimiter-model-object?hsLang=en), [Row Delimiter](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/row-delimiter-model-object?hsLang=en), [Batch Size](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/batch-size-model-object?hsLang=en), [Code Page](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/code-page-model-object?hsLang=en), [Field Quote](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/field-quote-model-object?hsLang=en) and [First Data Row](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/first-data-row-model-object?hsLang=en).
- Databricks and Fabric Lakehouse Stage Files: [Column Delimiter](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/column-delimiter-model-object?hsLang=en), [Row Delimiter](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/row-delimiter-model-object?hsLang=en), [Field Quote](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/field-quote-model-object?hsLang=en) and the [CSV options](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/csv-options-model-object?hsLang=en).
- Snowflake Stage Files: [File Name Pattern](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/file-name-pattern-model-object?hsLang=en), and the term property Partition Order that the same article describes.
- Microsoft SQL Server OpenQuery: [Native Expression](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/native-expression-term?hsLang=en) on terms.

A Source that you create from a Discovery of files gets the column delimiter that the Discovery detected.

### Default Terms

A Source has no Default Terms. The Stage that reads it adds them, for example `BG_LoadTimestamp`.

### Generated objects

The generator creates no object for a Source. The source view of the Stage reads the source object directly. On Microsoft SQL Server Stage Files, the Stage first loads the file into a raw-data table.

### Example

The Source `CUSTOMER` describes the table `CUSTOMER` of a source system. On Microsoft SQL Server, the Stage `customer` reads it in this view, shown with its two Default Terms and four of the ten source terms:

```
CREATE VIEW [stg].[STG_ST_customer_Source]
AS
SELECT
     CAST(NULL AS DATETIMEOFFSET) AS [BG_LoadTimestamp]
    ,CAST(NULL AS NVARCHAR(255)) COLLATE DATABASE_DEFAULT
        AS [BG_SourceSystem]
    ,[s1].[CUSTOMER_ID] AS [CUSTOMER_ID]
    ,[s1].[CUSTOMER] COLLATE DATABASE_DEFAULT AS [CUSTOMER]
    ,[s1].[CUSTOMER_TYPE] COLLATE DATABASE_DEFAULT AS [CUSTOMER_TYPE]
    ,[s1].[CUSTOMER_SINCE] AS [CUSTOMER_SINCE]
FROM [<source database name>].[<source schema name>].[CUSTOMER] AS [s1]
```

`<source database name>` and `<source schema name>` are the placeholder values of the source system that you set before deployment. `stg` is the Stage schema of the example. The Stage loader fills `BG_LoadTimestamp` with the load timestamp. `BG_SourceSystem` stays empty, because it is not mapped in this Stage.

### Related articles

- Next: [Stage](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-stage?hsLang=en)
- Reference: [CSV options (Model Object)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/csv-options-model-object?hsLang=en), [File Name Pattern (Model Object)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/file-name-pattern-model-object?hsLang=en), [Native Expression (Term)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/native-expression-term?hsLang=en), [Column Delimiter (Model Object)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/column-delimiter-model-object?hsLang=en), [Batch Size (Model Object)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/batch-size-model-object?hsLang=en)
- See also: [Create Source Objects from a Discovery](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-source-objects-from-a-discovery?hsLang=en), [Update Source Model Objects from a new Import Version](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/update-source-model-objects-from-a-new-import-version?hsLang=en), [Create a Model Object](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-model-object?hsLang=en), [Model a Stage Solution](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/model-a-stage-solution?hsLang=en)

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