How to update code from process flow's nodes keeping the shape of the process flow

[chleo]

Hi everyone,

(I'm using SAS EG 5.1) - I explain you my question. I have a process flow composed by programs/imports/reports/etc,with a particular shape because it has been done by someone who wants to keep this shape. It is possible to change some libraries from some data/proc statements (from the programs of this process flow), but without changing the shape of the process flow?

There are several changes to do, so I tried to export the code of the process flow to do the modifications but when i run the whole code with the changes I don't have the different nodes represented in the process flow as it was the original distribution of the process flow elements. Do you know if exists any method, to do the changes of code without undo the links/everything from the first process flow? Or a way to do, a lot of changes without doing a super hard work (copying all little programs twice,relinking,etc)

The changes are similar to : 

DATA TABLE_2;

     SET LIBRARY1.TABLE_1;

RUN;

updated to:

DATE TABLE_2;

   SET LIBRARY2.TABLE_1;

RUN;

The raison why i need to have everything as the original process flow (with all the nodes), is because there are SAS users that only use the process flow interface, they program with the boxes and the mouse.

I hope what I have requested is possible.

Alba

[SASKiwi · Accepted solution]

If I understand what you've done correctly, you have exported your process flow to SAS code and made some changes to the code manually.

In doing so your code no longer matches your process flow - there is no way SAS can interpret what you've done and merge your changes back into the existing process flow.

In other words process flows have to be changed "in place" otherwise the logic and linkages get broken.

[LinusH]

Can you say that you have process flows that acts as templates? And your users should be outside their comfort zone if that need to restructure the flow?

EG is an ideal to for adhoc reporting and analysis, it documents what you have done (and do). But it's not ideal for maintenance and production like tasks.

Things that you look into that <might> replace your process update needs are to use prompts.
If you care to upgrade, in later versions you can save a customized task as a template.

[CaseySmith]

If you are wanting to change every reference of one library to another library (for example, to update all your data references to that library in the project at once), you could use the Project Maintenance tool (on the Tools menu) or the MigrationWizard.exe in the EG installation directory.  They will let you map resource references to quickly swap all references to a particular resource in the project, and will preserve your process flows.