A library node is a node that is available to select from the Nodes panel that may contain predefined properties for reuse.
You can create a new library node from scratch, or you can convert existing nodes to a library node.
Creating library nodes
- From the Create menu in the Directory, select Library Node.
- In the Create Library Node dialog, choose an existing library node to inherit from. Click the drop-down list to select a node from your current library paths, or click the folder icon to browse to any node that you have access to.
Your new library node will inherit all properties and contained nodes from the existing library node.
Depending on the node that you choose to inherit from, if it is a composite type node, you can add new nodes and make property changes, or if it is a leaf node you are limited to adding and modifying properties of the library node that you are inheriting. Some of the nodes that you can inherit from are not composed of contained nodes, but are just a single node themselves, composed only of properties. Such nodes are technically known as leaf nodes, based on a tree analogy, being a node at the end of all branches, which has no contained nodes.
- In the Summary section of the Configure panel, configure the following properties:
- Category - Type the name of an existing category or type a new category name to determine where the node will be displayed within the Nodes panel.
- Color - Select a color for the node.
- Icon - Select an icon for the node.
- Documentation - Type a description of the node. This text will be displayed as a tooltip when a user hovers over the node in the Nodes panel.
- Save your library node.
- Type a Name for the node and choose the Folder where you want to save it. Select Public Documents if you want to make the node available to all users. If you are not ready to share the library node with other users, you can move the library node from My Documents to Public Documents at any time.
Converting nodes to a library node
This topic describes how to convert existing nodes to a library node.
If you have one or more nodes in a data flow that you want to make available for use in other data flows, you can convert them to a library node.
- Select the node or nodes that you want to convert to a library node, then right-click and select Convert to Library Node.
The Convert to Library Node dialog appears.
- Configure the library node properties as follows:
- Name - Enter a new name for your library node. You cannot duplicate a name that already exists within the same workspace.
- Workspace - Choose where to save your library node by selecting a workspace. Select Public Documents if you want to make the node available to all users. If you are not ready to share the library node with other users, you can move the library node from My Documents to Public Documents at any time.
- Category - Type the name of an existing category or type a new category name to determine where the node will be displayed within the Nodes panel.
- Color - Select a color for the node.
- Icon - Select an icon for the node.
- Click Save.
A new library node is created, and the selected nodes are replaced by an instance of the new library node. If multiple nodes are selected, they are placed into a new composite-derived library node. If a single node is selected, the new library node is derived from the selected node.
Deleting library nodes
- From the Directory, select one or more library nodes that you want to delete. You can select multiple items by holding down the Ctrl key while selecting items. Hold down the Shift key to select a range of items.
- From the menu in the Details panel on the right side of the screen, select Delete.