Planning Analytics

Hi,

To bring adoption of Workbench in my team, I connected with few developers to seek feedback on it. I got something interesting.

They prefer writing code in notepad++ and then copy/paste to TM1. Since it is offline, it is flexible with all sorts of things. On the other hand, saving rule commits immediately. It could block them from further appending it. Once rules are being applied, it is difficult to stop. They want flexibility in writing rules so that they could save their work without committing, come back and change as they want. Something like, saving without committing. I have personally used Workbench and it is tremendously helpful with color coding, ability to comment/uncomment, snippets etc. This one option to save without commit, could make it even better. 

I am seeking thoughts from other people in this. Thanks!

------------------------------
Subhash Kumar
------------------------------

Hi,

To bring adoption of Workbench in my team, I connected with few developers to seek feedback on it. I got something interesting.

They prefer writing code in notepad++ and then copy/paste to TM1. Since it is offline, it is flexible with all sorts of things. On the other hand, saving rule commits immediately. It could block them from further appending it. Once rules are being applied, it is difficult to stop. They want flexibility in writing rules so that they could save their work without committing, come back and change as they want. Something like, saving without committing. I have personally used Workbench and it is tremendously helpful with color coding, ability to comment/uncomment, snippets etc. This one option to save without commit, could make it even better. 

I am seeking thoughts from other people in this. Thanks!

Hi,

To be completely honest, I don't understand why developers would find it easier to write rules in notepad than in workbench. With syntax check, shortcuts to functions, elements and validations, I can't see that there would be an advantage in it. Writing in notepad there would be no checks, and the risk of errors with finally saving would be substantial. 

If the need is code review before rules are committed, could a solution perhaps be to work on a test instance and then use git to move to production?

The developers could also write rules in the workbench, and not save but instead copy to notepad. But again, I probably don't understand the need to work with rules over a long period of time, without saving (and validating) them.

Hi,

To bring adoption of Workbench in my team, I connected with few developers to seek feedback on it. I got something interesting.

They prefer writing code in notepad++ and then copy/paste to TM1. Since it is offline, it is flexible with all sorts of things. On the other hand, saving rule commits immediately. It could block them from further appending it. Once rules are being applied, it is difficult to stop. They want flexibility in writing rules so that they could save their work without committing, come back and change as they want. Something like, saving without committing. I have personally used Workbench and it is tremendously helpful with color coding, ability to comment/uncomment, snippets etc. This one option to save without commit, could make it even better. 

I am seeking thoughts from other people in this. Thanks!

Hi all,

I agree that Workbench should allow better code validation, 

as it was mentioned above, the whole rule script could be commented/uncommented out with the one button click, so it won't have the impact on the data movements. The old compiled rule could work with the new commented out area.

Additional bonus is that the object names from the data tree could be copy/paste into the rule script minimizing the errors with the elements carrying in the whole hierarchy expression with the correct syntax.

However, I'd like to get the ideas still in case there is something productive what could be used further.

------------------------------
Svetlana Pestsova
IBM Planning Analytics Product Manager

Original Message:
Sent: Tue September 19, 2023 10:47 AM
From: Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

Hi,

To be completely honest, I don't understand why developers would find it easier to write rules in notepad than in workbench. With syntax check, shortcuts to functions, elements and validations, I can't see that there would be an advantage in it. Writing in notepad there would be no checks, and the risk of errors with finally saving would be substantial. 

If the need is code review before rules are committed, could a solution perhaps be to work on a test instance and then use git to move to production?

The developers could also write rules in the workbench, and not save but instead copy to notepad. But again, I probably don't understand the need to work with rules over a long period of time, without saving (and validating) them.

------------------------------
Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Solution Architect
CogniTech A/S

Original Message:
Sent: Thu September 14, 2023 10:41 AM
From: Subhash Kumar
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

Hi,

To bring adoption of Workbench in my team, I connected with few developers to seek feedback on it. I got something interesting.

They prefer writing code in notepad++ and then copy/paste to TM1. Since it is offline, it is flexible with all sorts of things. On the other hand, saving rule commits immediately. It could block them from further appending it. Once rules are being applied, it is difficult to stop. They want flexibility in writing rules so that they could save their work without committing, come back and change as they want. Something like, saving without committing. I have personally used Workbench and it is tremendously helpful with color coding, ability to comment/uncomment, snippets etc. This one option to save without commit, could make it even better. 

I am seeking thoughts from other people in this. Thanks!

------------------------------
Subhash Kumar
------------------------------

@Svetlana Pestsova,

In the old rule editor there where a "Validate" button, that would validate the rules, without saving. Getting that feature in the new editor, would address the risk of committing invalid rules.

Would that be something that could be reintroduced?

------------------------------
Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Solution Architect
CogniTech A/S

Original Message:
Sent: Tue September 19, 2023 03:48 PM
From: Svetlana Pestsova
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

Hi all,

I agree that Workbench should allow better code validation, 

as it was mentioned above, the whole rule script could be commented/uncommented out with the one button click, so it won't have the impact on the data movements. The old compiled rule could work with the new commented out area.

Additional bonus is that the object names from the data tree could be copy/paste into the rule script minimizing the errors with the elements carrying in the whole hierarchy expression with the correct syntax.

However, I'd like to get the ideas still in case there is something productive what could be used further.

------------------------------
Svetlana Pestsova
IBM Planning Analytics Product Manager

Original Message:
Sent: Tue September 19, 2023 10:47 AM
From: Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

Hi,

To be completely honest, I don't understand why developers would find it easier to write rules in notepad than in workbench. With syntax check, shortcuts to functions, elements and validations, I can't see that there would be an advantage in it. Writing in notepad there would be no checks, and the risk of errors with finally saving would be substantial. 

If the need is code review before rules are committed, could a solution perhaps be to work on a test instance and then use git to move to production?

The developers could also write rules in the workbench, and not save but instead copy to notepad. But again, I probably don't understand the need to work with rules over a long period of time, without saving (and validating) them.

------------------------------
Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Solution Architect
CogniTech A/S

Original Message:
Sent: Thu September 14, 2023 10:41 AM
From: Subhash Kumar
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

Hi,

To bring adoption of Workbench in my team, I connected with few developers to seek feedback on it. I got something interesting.

They prefer writing code in notepad++ and then copy/paste to TM1. Since it is offline, it is flexible with all sorts of things. On the other hand, saving rule commits immediately. It could block them from further appending it. Once rules are being applied, it is difficult to stop. They want flexibility in writing rules so that they could save their work without committing, come back and change as they want. Something like, saving without committing. I have personally used Workbench and it is tremendously helpful with color coding, ability to comment/uncomment, snippets etc. This one option to save without commit, could make it even better. 

I am seeking thoughts from other people in this. Thanks!

------------------------------
Subhash Kumar
------------------------------

Hi Subhash, Mark, Emil!

Developers do have a point, as usual;-), I see that they want.

We'd investigate how we could implement something like "rule reservation" and keep it as some tentative rule file as a blob probably before tm1 executes it.

P.S. With the "Validate" button we just were checking for errors in rule and notify the developer on the error and its line. Now the "Save" button is doing the same check/notification. 

@Svetlana Pestsova,

In the old rule editor there where a "Validate" button, that would validate the rules, without saving. Getting that feature in the new editor, would address the risk of committing invalid rules.

Would that be something that could be reintroduced?

------------------------------
Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Solution Architect
CogniTech A/S

Original Message:
Sent: Tue September 19, 2023 03:48 PM
From: Svetlana Pestsova
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

Hi all,

I agree that Workbench should allow better code validation, 

as it was mentioned above, the whole rule script could be commented/uncommented out with the one button click, so it won't have the impact on the data movements. The old compiled rule could work with the new commented out area.

Additional bonus is that the object names from the data tree could be copy/paste into the rule script minimizing the errors with the elements carrying in the whole hierarchy expression with the correct syntax.

However, I'd like to get the ideas still in case there is something productive what could be used further.

------------------------------
Svetlana Pestsova
IBM Planning Analytics Product Manager

Original Message:
Sent: Tue September 19, 2023 10:47 AM
From: Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

Hi,

To be completely honest, I don't understand why developers would find it easier to write rules in notepad than in workbench. With syntax check, shortcuts to functions, elements and validations, I can't see that there would be an advantage in it. Writing in notepad there would be no checks, and the risk of errors with finally saving would be substantial. 

If the need is code review before rules are committed, could a solution perhaps be to work on a test instance and then use git to move to production?

The developers could also write rules in the workbench, and not save but instead copy to notepad. But again, I probably don't understand the need to work with rules over a long period of time, without saving (and validating) them.

------------------------------
Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Solution Architect
CogniTech A/S

Original Message:
Sent: Thu September 14, 2023 10:41 AM
From: Subhash Kumar
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

Hi,

To bring adoption of Workbench in my team, I connected with few developers to seek feedback on it. I got something interesting.

They prefer writing code in notepad++ and then copy/paste to TM1. Since it is offline, it is flexible with all sorts of things. On the other hand, saving rule commits immediately. It could block them from further appending it. Once rules are being applied, it is difficult to stop. They want flexibility in writing rules so that they could save their work without committing, come back and change as they want. Something like, saving without committing. I have personally used Workbench and it is tremendously helpful with color coding, ability to comment/uncomment, snippets etc. This one option to save without commit, could make it even better. 

I am seeking thoughts from other people in this. Thanks!

------------------------------
Subhash Kumar
------------------------------

@Svetlana Pestsova the issue with validation being integrated int the save button, is that the invalid rules are saved, meaning at all rule calculations will be deactivated until the error is fixed. With "Validate" one could check for errors - > correct them -> validate again -> the save valid rules.

It would be nice to get back :-)

It could also be a "Error in rules, continue saving?" prompt, if errors was detected. Then you could abort saving the rules, correct and save again.

------------------------------
Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Solution Architect
CogniTech A/S

Original Message:
Sent: Wed September 20, 2023 02:35 PM
From: Svetlana Pestsova
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

Hi Subhash, Mark, Emil!

Developers do have a point, as usual;-), I see that they want.

We'd investigate how we could implement something like "rule reservation" and keep it as some tentative rule file as a blob probably before tm1 executes it.

P.S. With the "Validate" button we just were checking for errors in rule and notify the developer on the error and its line. Now the "Save" button is doing the same check/notification. 

------------------------------
Svetlana Pestsova
IBM Planning Analytics Product Manager

Original Message:
Sent: Wed September 20, 2023 07:44 AM
From: Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

@Svetlana Pestsova,

In the old rule editor there where a "Validate" button, that would validate the rules, without saving. Getting that feature in the new editor, would address the risk of committing invalid rules.

Would that be something that could be reintroduced?

------------------------------
Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Solution Architect
CogniTech A/S

Original Message:
Sent: Tue September 19, 2023 03:48 PM
From: Svetlana Pestsova
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

Hi all,

I agree that Workbench should allow better code validation, 

as it was mentioned above, the whole rule script could be commented/uncommented out with the one button click, so it won't have the impact on the data movements. The old compiled rule could work with the new commented out area.

Additional bonus is that the object names from the data tree could be copy/paste into the rule script minimizing the errors with the elements carrying in the whole hierarchy expression with the correct syntax.

However, I'd like to get the ideas still in case there is something productive what could be used further.

------------------------------
Svetlana Pestsova
IBM Planning Analytics Product Manager

Original Message:
Sent: Tue September 19, 2023 10:47 AM
From: Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

Hi,

To be completely honest, I don't understand why developers would find it easier to write rules in notepad than in workbench. With syntax check, shortcuts to functions, elements and validations, I can't see that there would be an advantage in it. Writing in notepad there would be no checks, and the risk of errors with finally saving would be substantial. 

If the need is code review before rules are committed, could a solution perhaps be to work on a test instance and then use git to move to production?

The developers could also write rules in the workbench, and not save but instead copy to notepad. But again, I probably don't understand the need to work with rules over a long period of time, without saving (and validating) them.

------------------------------
Emil Malmberg Fosdal
Solution Architect
CogniTech A/S

Original Message:
Sent: Thu September 14, 2023 10:41 AM
From: Subhash Kumar
Subject: PAW Workbench: Saving rule without committing it

Hi,

To bring adoption of Workbench in my team, I connected with few developers to seek feedback on it. I got something interesting.

They prefer writing code in notepad++ and then copy/paste to TM1. Since it is offline, it is flexible with all sorts of things. On the other hand, saving rule commits immediately. It could block them from further appending it. Once rules are being applied, it is difficult to stop. They want flexibility in writing rules so that they could save their work without committing, come back and change as they want. Something like, saving without committing. I have personally used Workbench and it is tremendously helpful with color coding, ability to comment/uncomment, snippets etc. This one option to save without commit, could make it even better. 

I am seeking thoughts from other people in this. Thanks!

------------------------------
Subhash Kumar
------------------------------