BookmarkSubscribeRSS Feed

It would be great if an Ordered List could reference existing Ordered Lists. For example, I often create Ordered Lists where I group related programs which is especially useful when it comes to testing and I only need to run one group of related programs that are all in the same Ordered List. However, when doing end to end testing I need to run several Ordered Lists. It would be great if I could create an Ordered List that could reference existing Ordered Lists.

7 Comments
PhilC
Rhodochrosite | Level 12

I would think it would be nice to be able to reference whole Process Flows, not having to worry about adding each node in the correct order.

 

 

 

 

PhilC
Rhodochrosite | Level 12

How would you gaurd against EG creating infinte loops?

paulkaefer
Lapis Lazuli | Level 10

@PhilC: While it may be nice if your interpreter/compiler can detect possible infinite loops, I'm not sure you would want the software to prevent infinite loops. How would it detect if you have a loop that had a conditional end statement embedded in it?

 

For example, maybe you want to read all files in a series of directories, or process data from a series of datasets. You may want to loop through the same code N times, but not know the value of N until runtime.

PhilC
Rhodochrosite | Level 12

@paulkaefer, we are talking about ordered lists in EG.  Your comment doesn't make real sense in this context.  EG already does not allow you to make loops by connecting program nodes and task nodes. Any new addition to EG will continue to be consistent with this or break away from this designed limitaion.  Perhaps I'm hiding my question's premise.  Is @rileyd wanting to create these type of loops in EG or not?

 

 

paulkaefer
Lapis Lazuli | Level 10

I see what you mean, @PhilC. I can see how this would be more difficult to detect, though can imagine how it might be done.

rileyd
Quartz | Level 8
I'm not trying to create these kinds of loops. I'm just looking to reference an Ordered List from another Ordered List.



For example, I have an Ordered List that runs all my core development programs and one that references all my development report programs. It would be helpful to be able to create an Ordered List that references each of those existing lists rather than having to create a third Ordered List and select all the programs that are in both of those lists. This a somewhat simplified example but the idea is I would like to create an ordered list that references multiple smaller ordered lists because at times like when doing final development runs I need to run all the programs (essentially an end-to-end run) versus preliminary testing/development runs where I may be running only one or two subsets of related programs.



Currently I have bunch of ordered lists that have variations of partial and full end to end runs. It would be less maintenance plus more flexible if I could create my partial and end-to-end run ordered lists by referencing smaller ordered lists. Basically, create a bunch of Ordered Lists at the smallest logical grouping and use them as building blocks for various partial and full end-to-end runs.



If I have 40 or so programs I might have let's say 10 ordered lists with 4 programs in each. Currently, I would also have an end-to-end ordered list that would have all 40 programs in it. If I add 1 program then it means I have to update at least 2 ordered lists. The smaller, partial list and the end-to-end list. If I could reference an ordered list then I would only have to update the smaller partial list most of the time and only the end-to-end one if I was adding/removing an ordered list or adding a standalone program not in one of the smaller ordered lists.



In my case some of my partial run ordered lists can include programs that are in another list. For example, I might have an ordered list for programs 1-4, one for 5-8, one for 1-8 plus 12, and an end to end one that has programs 1-15. If I add or remove a program I likely have to update 3 Ordered Lists.



If I could reference an ordered list then I would most likely have an ordered list for 1-4, 5-8, 9-11, 12-15, Ordered List 1-Ordered List 2 plus 12, and Ordered List 1-Ordered List 4. If I added a new program, 3A, I would only need to update Ordered List 1 since the other Ordered Lists just reference this list rather than my current situation where I would have to update Ordered List 1, Ordered List 3 (1-8 plus 12), and Ordered List 4 (1-15).


KatS_SAS
SAS Employee
Status changed to: Under Consideration

Thank you for your suggestion.  We are reviewing your suggestion.