Designer Tasks - Informatica

You can complete the following tasks in each Designer tool:

• Add a repository.
• Print the workspace.
• View date and time an object was last saved.
• Open and close a folder.
• Create shortcuts.
• Check out and in repository objects.
• Search for repository objects.
• Enter descriptions for repository objects.
• View older versions of objects inthe workspace.
• Revert to a previously saved object version.
• Copy objects.
• Export and import repository objects.
• Work with multiple objects, ports, or columns.
• Rename ports.
• Use shortcut keys.

You can also view object dependencies in the Designer.

Adding a Repository

To edit a repository object, first add a repository in the Navigator so you can access the repository object. To add a repository in the Navigator, click Repository > Add. Use the Add Repositories dialog box to add the repository.

Printing the Workspace

To print the workspace:

• Click Repository > Print.

You can also right-click the workspace and choose Print.

Setting up the Workspace Printout

To specify a header and a footer for the workspace print out:

• Click Repository > Page Setup.

Previewing the Workspace Print Out

To preview the workspace before you print:

• Click Repository > Print Preview.

Viewing the Last Saved Date/Time

You can view the date and time an object was last saved in the repository. To view the “Last Saved” date and time, select the object in the Navigator and click View > Properties.

Note:Sources do not have a “Last Saved” date and time.

For Windows, use the Regional Settings in the Control Panel to configure the “Last Saved ” date and time format.

Opening and Closing a Folder

Double-click a folder to open a folder and tool at the same time. When you double-click the folder, the Designer opens the folder in the Navigator and displays the last tool that was active within the folder.

You can also select a folder and then choose a tool to open a workspace. If you select the Reload Tables/ Mappings When Opening a Folder option, the Designer also displays the las objects open when using that tool.

For example, if you close a folder with the Source Analyzer active, the next time you open the folder using the Open Folder button, the Designer displays the Source Analyzer.

To close a folder:

• Select the folder in the Navigator and click the Disconnect button. To close all open folders and tools, click Repository > Close All Tools.

Creating Shortcuts

To create a shortcut to an object in a shared folder, drag the object into the destination folder or into the mapping. For example, to create a shortcut to a source, drag the source from the shared folder into the mapping you have open in the workspace. You can also create a shortcut by dropping the source into the destination folder. To use the new shortcut, drag it into the workspace.

You can create a shortcut to a shared folder in the same repository. You can also create a shortcut in a local repository that points to a shared folder in the global repository, as long as both repositories are in the same domain.

As with copying objects, the destination folder must be open.

Note:You cannot create shortcuts to objects in non-shared folders.

Checking Out and In Versioned Objects

When you work with versioned objects, you must check out an object to modify it, and save it to commit changes to the repository. Checking in an object adds a new version to the object history. You must check in the object to allow other users to make changes to it.

Searching for Objects

Use an object query to search for objects in the repository that meet specified conditions. When you run a query, the repository returns results based on those conditions. You may want to create an object query to complete the following tasks:

• Track repository objects during development. You can add Label, User, Last saved,
  or Comments parameters to queries to track objects during development.
• Associate a query with a deployment group. When you create a dynamic deployment group, you can associate an object query with it.

To create an object query, click Tools > Queries to open the Query Browser.

From the Query Browser, you can create, edit, and delete queries. You can also configure permissions for each query from the Query Browser. You can run any query for which you have read permissions from the Query Browser.

Entering Descriptions for Repository Objects

You can enter descriptions and comments for each repository object. You can enter a maximum number of characters equal to 2,000 bytes/K. K is the maximum number of bytes a character contains in the selected repository code page. For example, if the repository code page is a Japanese code page where K=2, each description and comment field lets you enter up to 1,000 characters.

Viewing and Comparing Versioned Repository Objects

You can view and compare versions of objects. If an object has multiple versions, you can find the versions of the object in the View History window. In addition to comparing versions of an object in a window, you can view the various versions of an object in the workspace to graphically compare them.

Rules and Guidelines for Viewing and Comparing Versioned Repository Objects

Use the following rules and guidelines when you view older versions of objects in the workspace:

• You cannot simultaneously view multiple versions of composite objects, such as mappings and mapplets.
• Older versions of composite objects might not include the child objects that were used when the composite object was checked in. If you open a composite object that includes a child object version that is purged from the repository, the preceding version of the child object appears in the workspace as part of the composite object. For example, you want to view version 5 of a mapping that originally included version 3 of a source definition, but version 3 of the source definition is purged from the repository. When you view version 5 of the mapping, version 2 of the source definition appears as part of the mapping.
• Shortcut objects are not updated when you modify the objects they reference. When you open a shortcut object, you view the same version of the object that the shortcut originally referenced, even if subsequent versions exist.

Viewing an Older Version of a Repository Object

To open an older version of an object in the workspace:

1. In the workspace or Navigator, select the object and click Versioning > View History.
2. Select the version you want to view in the workspace and click Tools > Open in Workspace.

Note:An older version of an object is read-only, and the version number appears as a
prefix before the object name. You can simultaneously view multiple versions of a non- composite object in the workspace.

Comparing Versions of a Repository Object

To compare two versions of an object:

1. In the workspace or Navigator, select an object and click Versioning > View History.
2. Select the versions you want to compare, and then click Compare > Selected Versions.

To compare a version of the object with the previous version, select a version and click Compare > Previous Version.

A window appears where you can view detailed information about both versions of the object.

Note:You can also access the View History window from the Query Results window
when you execute a query.

Reverting to a Previous Object Version

When you edit an object in the Designer, you can revert to a previously saved version, undoing changes you entered since the last save. You can revert to the previously saved versions of multiple objects at the same time.

To revert to a previously saved version of an object:

1. Open the object in the workspace.
2. Select the object and click Edit > Revert to Saved.
3. Click Yes. If you selected more than one object, click Yes to All.

The Designer removes all changes entered since the last time you saved the object.

Copying Designer Objects

You can copy Designer objects within the same folder, to a different folder, or to a different repository. You can copy any of the Designer objects such as sources, targets, mappings, mapplets, transformations, and dimensions. You must open the target folder before you can copy objects to it.

Use the Copy Wizard in the Designer to copy objects. The Copy Wizard checks for conflicts in the target folder and provides choices to resolve the conflicts. For example, if an item already exists in the target folder, a description of the problem displays in the screen. The Copy Wizard displays possible resolutions. For a duplicate object, you can rename, reuse, replace, or skip copying the object.

To configure display settings and functions of the Copy Wizard, click Tools > Options in the Designer.

You can import objects from an XML file through the Import Wizard in the Designer.

The Import Wizard provides the same options to resolve conflicts as the Copy Wizard.

Copying Mapping Segments

You can copy segments of mappings and mapplets when you want to reuse a portion of the mapping logic. A segment consists of one of more objects in a mapping or mapplet. The objects can be sources, targets, shortcuts, transformations, and mapplets. To copy mapping segments, select and copy the segments from one mapping and paste them into a target mapping. You can paste segments of mappings or mapplets into an empty mapping or mapplet workspace. You can also copy segments across folders or repositories.

To copy a segment of a mapping or mapplet:

1. Open a mapping or mapplet.
2. Select a segment by highlighting each object you want to copy.

You can select multiple objects. You can also select segments by dragging the pointer in a rectangle around objects in the workspace.

3. Copy the segment to the clipboard.
4. Open a target mapping or mapplet.
Optionally, you can open an empty mapping or mapplet workspace.

5. Click Edit > Paste or press Ctrl+V.
The Copy Wizard opens if you have copy conflicts.

Copying Objects as an Image

In the Designer workspace, you can copy an image of objects such as mappings or transformations to the Clipboard. You can then paste the image file into the workspace of any application that uses graphics.

To copy objects in the Designer workspace as an image:

1. In the Designer, open the tool associated with the object you want to copy.
For example, open the Mapping Designer if you want to copy a mapping as an image.
2. Open the object you want to copy.

If you choose to show iconized mappings, the copied image does not show mapping links. You can copy the mapping links by selecting them manually.

3. Drag the pointer to create a rectangle around the objects you want to select.

You can also Ctrl-click to select individual objects. However, if you use this method to select objects, the copied image does not show mapping links.

4. Press Alt+Ctrl+C or click Edit > Copy As Image.
You can copy one image to the Clipboard at a time.

5. Paste the image into the workspace of any application that uses graphic files.

For example, you can paste the image into a Microsoft Word document.

Exporting and Importing Objects

To export an object to an XML file, right-click the object and choose Export Objects in the Designer. The Designer saves all necessary information to import that object back into a repository.

To import an object from an XML file in the Designer, click Repository > Import Objects.

Working with Multiple Ports or Columns

In all Designer tools, you can move or delete multiple ports or columns at the same time.

To select consecutive ports or columns:

1. Double-click the source, target, or transformation.
2. In the Edit Tables dialog box, choose the Ports or Columns tab.
3. Select the first port or column using the row header number in the transformation.
4. To select a range to move or delete, hold down the Shift key as you click the last port or column in the range.

To select individual ports or columns, hold down the Ctrl key and click each port or column using the row header number you want to move or delete.

Note:When you select multiple ports or columns, the Designer disables add, copy, and paste.

5. Click Delete.

Renaming Ports

You can rename ports in sources, targets, and transformations. To rename a port in a source, target, or transformation, double-click the port, and type in the new name. The Designer propagates the new name to the mappings and mapplets that use this source, target, or transformation. You can rename ports in the following Designer tools:

• Source Analyzer. To rename a port in a source.
• Target Designer. To rename a port in a target.
• Transformation Developer. To rename a port in a reusable transformation.
• Mapplet Designer and Mapping Designer. To rename a port in a non-reusable transformation. You can propagate the new name to other non-reusable transformations that access this port through the Designer.

Using Shortcut Keys

When editing a repository object, use shortcuts on the Ports or Columns tab.

The following table lists the Designer shortcuts: