Auto Arrange Off, as default

[JohnH]

Is there a way to turn off Auto Arrange as my default for the Process Flow Window? I always find it annoying when I want to move the icons around.

[seanrez]

I wish I had an answer to this question.  My situation is even more annoying.  I often have large process flows, organized just the way I like them, and then "Auto Arrange" somehow gets turned on.  This has happened 3-5 times in SAS Enterprise Guide version 7.13 HF4, and it's extremely annoying.  I then have to disable Auto Arrange and reorganize all my programs and tables.  I wish I could permanently disable Auto Arrange.  

[ChrisHemedinger]

Auto Arrange is a per project option, not an overall application preference.  That means that when you turn it off in a project and save the project, it should stay off -- for that project.  If you disable Auto Arrange in one flow but then re-enable in another flow within the same project, it re-engages the setting for the entire project (not ideal -- there is a suggestion in the works to address that and a number of other ideas, I think).

As this is a per-project option, there isn't a way to control the "default" as we can with application preferences.

[seanrez]

Thanks a lot for the reply, Chris.  That seems to be related to my problem.  When I create a new process flow, Auto Arrange is indeed turned on by default, even though all my other process flows have it turned off.  That by itself wouldn't be so bad, although I wish there were a global default I could set to force it off forever.  The main problem is the bug that inexplicably sometimes switches Auto Arrange on for existing process flows that previously had Auto Arrange disabled.  This bug then rearranges all my programs and datasets in a strange diagonal manner, and I have to spend the next 15 minutes rearranging them after I've once again disabled Auto Arrange.  Therefore I'm delighted to hear that this issue may be fixed in the future.  Thanks again.  -Sean

[seanrez]

Just as an update, I found another bug.  When I moved a few programs from one process flow to another, it auto-arranged the process flow to which I was moving the files.  Now I have to spend valuable, annoying time trying to reverse the damage.  I've attached a screenshot of the mess Auto Arrange created.  Please fix this bug ASAP.  Thanks.  

[ChrisHemedinger]

Here's the idea in the SASWare Ballot that tracks the suggested improvements.  It's on the list, but I can't speak to the time frame.

[EHittner]

I definitely share everyone's frustration with this.  In my experience, whenever I use the "Program Maintenance" function to change settings in a process flow (which are rather large with my projects as well), the auto-arrange setting flips back on -- annoyingly scattering my programs and results around the grid.  And you're right on with the point about valuable time.  I spend much of my time putting things back in order after this.  

[shoin]

Is there any update for EG 8.x?

-S