Building Process Flow Diagrams

Cloning a Node

You may want to clone a node if you plan to use the node repeatedly in a project. For example, assume that you have defined an input data set in an Input Data Source node. If you want to use the same input data set in the current diagram or in another diagram of the project, then you can clone the existing Input Data Source node. When you clone a node, it is added as a new node on the Tools Palette in the Custom section. When you want to use the node, you simply drag it from the Tools Palette onto the Diagram Workspace. The information that is contained in the original (parent) node is included in the cloned node; for example, the target variable, the roles and measurement levels for other variables and for the metadata sample are the same. You can also redefine the attributes of the cloned node.

If you did not clone the node, you would have to add a new Input Data Source node to the Diagram Workspace, set the node options, and create the metadata sample. If you are going to use the same data set often in the project, then cloning an existing node will save time.

Note: If you are going to use the same data set in several projects or diagrams, you can use the SAS/Warehouse Administrator to set up the data sets, and use the Enterprise Miner add-in tools for applying whatever measurement levels and roles you want in your data. Any users who use this data will pick up the metadata sample, along with the roles and measurement levels that are already assigned. [cautionend]

To clone multiple nodes, condense the nodes into a subdiagram node (see Subdiagrams) and then clone the subdiagram node.

To clone a node:

Select the node that you want to clone (the parent node) in the Diagram Workspace.
Right-click the node and select the Clone pop-menu item.

The Clone Current Node window opens.

The Clone Current Node window lists the selected node and the following new tool (node) information:
- Cloned data -- the SAS entry that contains the new node information.
- Cloned class -- the catalog entry that identifies the parent node.
- Description -- the name of the cloned node. By default, the description is set to Clone of node-name. You can type a new description in the entry field if you want.
- Image -- the icon that is used for the cloned node on the Tools Palette, Tools Bar, and the Diagram Workspace. By default, the parent node icon is used as the clone node icon. To change the icon image, select the arrow and then select an icon from the list.
Type a node description. This example uses the default description Clone of SAMPSIO.DMAGECR.
Select the Image arrow and then select a new icon.
Select OK to return to the Diagram Workspace.

The node is added as Clone of SAMPSIO.DMAGECR under the folder named Custom in the Tools Palette of the Project Navigator.

[Node listing that shows a Custom folder with an entry titled Clone of SAMPSIO.DMAGECR]

The cloned node (for this example, SAMPSIO.DMAGECR) can be used just like any other node on the Tools Palette. It can be redefined and/or connected to other nodes in a process flow, deleted, copied to the Tools Bar, and used in other process flow diagrams of the project.

Note: If you are working in a shared project environment, you should periodically refresh the Tools Palette in order to see and use clones that might have been created by other users. [cautionend]

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