Descriptions and annotations are a convenient way to add comments to objects and workspace diagrams.
This can be helpful if you need to share the project designing or if you just want to have a clear idea of what each object is here for and give you a means of checking you achieved your goal.
Depending on what you are explaining and on where you want the explanation to appear, you can add either descriptions or annotations.
- Descriptions are linked to a specific object and can appear in diagrams where the object is displayed but also in the Local Object Library.
- Annotations are just independent sticky notes that only appear in diagrams.
Using Descriptions with Objects
A description is associated with a particular object. You can enter it by displaying the object properties dialog.
It will appear in the Local Object Library list.
When a repository object is imported and exported, the description is also imported or exported.
A data flow designer determines when to show object descriptions on the diagrams based on a system-level setting and an object-level setting. Both settings need to be activated to view the description for a particular object.
Note
The system-level setting is unique to the setup.
Requirements for Displaying Descriptions in Diagrams
- A description has been entered into the properties of the object
- The description is enabled on the properties of that object
- The global View Enabled Object Descriptions option is enabled
Note
The Enabled Descriptions option is only available when there is at least one object presented in the workspace.Using Annotations in diagrams
An annotation is a sticky-note-like object in the workspace. An annotation is associated with the object diagram where it appears.
When a job, work flow, or data flow is imported or exported, and includes annotations, the associated annotations are also imported or exported.
Let me show you how to add descriptions and annotations:
