Why should I use EG projects if I'm just using code?

[erwint]

Hey,

I am starting to seriously use Enterprise Guide and I have never liked projects-I made some mistakes with them when I first started EG and lost code by not saving the whole project, so I stopped using them altogether. Is there a benefit to using them if I'm just using code files?

Also, are projects metadata objects? Can I export/import them with package files, and if so, are the code files bundled up in that package with them?

Thanks!

[Reeza]

Only ever used in similar method - but being able to chain together a set of programs to run as a process is one nice feature.

[Kurt_Bremser]

I'v been a pure code writer also. Project files helped me to keep stuff related to a task in one single basket.

[SASKiwi]

You don't have to use projects when just coding programs in EG. I rarely use projects. Just use the File / File Save As to save your programs directly to a storage folder. If you want to change manage these files then use tools like git to do this.

EG projects are stored in a proprietary format that can only be maintained by EG, they have nothing to do with SAS metadata. If you look at an EGP file with Winzip you will discover they are zip folders, with your SAS programs stored in them as text files.  

[erwint]

Neat, I did not know about the ZIP file piece. It does look like if you save a project to metadata, you can package it and export it, however. Not sure if that's useful but it is interesting? Thanks!

[ChrisHemedinger]

When you save your EGP to the content server (metadata), it's in your central environment (good) -- but it doesn't really participate in the metadata process (like, you can't report on the inputs and outputs, etc). Also while in the content server it's managed only there, and traditional file tools won't help you for backup/recovery -- that's all in how you manage the overall SAS environment.

[erwint]

This is also helpful. Thanks Chris. I am used to DI Studio which relies much more heavily on metadata...seems like a different approach will be better here 🙂

[SASKiwi]

I've never bothered with packaging EG projects as we just use program files. they can be better managed with git. We also use ADO DevOps for deploying SAS programs to a Production environment and we find that is pretty useful.

[ChrisHemedinger · Accepted solution]

Here's what I do (and I use EG a fair bit 😉 ).

Mostly open/create code, and save it to local folders. For important ongoing efforts I organize these folders and manage them using Git in our Gitlab instance -- gives me source history as well as a way to help with business continuity, as others can access the work too.  Much of my code ends up as jobs that run in batch (scheduled using cron) on a server.

For certain repeatable ad hoc sequences, especially those only used occasionally, I will save code references and other logic in an EG project. This gives me the recipe to  instantly "re-cook" the output that I might need only once a month or twice a year.

For more frequent projects and code, I use the Pin feature on the Recent files list to keep those items at the top so they don't roll off my recent files.

Projects do have unique properties/capabilities that can be helpful:

• Notes (sticky note style on process flow)
• Process flow view
• User-defined links between items on your flow, to enforce run sequence
• Ordered lists -- any collection of tasks/programs to run in a specified order
• Built in tasks that cannot be accomplished easily in code (ex: copy files from local to server or back again, query builder is immensely useful)

[erwint]

Thanks! This is how I've always used EG and I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. Big fan of the code editor, just haven't ever dived into projects 🙂