Repository Guide

10.5.1
- 10.5.7
- 10.5.6
- 10.5.4
- 10.5
- 10.4.0

Back Next

Shortcuts Versus Copies

One of the primary advantages of using a shortcut is maintenance. If you need to change all instances of an object, you can edit the original repository object. All shortcuts accessing the object inherit the changes. In contrast, if you have multiple copies of an object, you need to edit each copy of the object, or recopy the object, to obtain the same results.

However, some changes can invalidate mappings and sessions. For example, if you use a shortcut to a reusable transformation and then change a port datatype, you can invalidate all mappings with shortcuts to the transformation and all sessions using those mappings.

Therefore, if you want the object to inherit changes immediately, create a shortcut. Otherwise, create a copy.

Shortcuts have the following advantages over copied repository objects:

You can maintain a common repository object in a single location. If you need to edit the object, all shortcuts immediately inherit the changes you make.

You can restrict users to a set of predefined metadata by asking users to incorporate the shortcuts into their work instead of developing repository objects independently.

You can develop complex mappings, mapplets, or reusable transformations and then reuse them easily in other folders.

You can save space in the repository by keeping a single repository object and using shortcuts to that object, instead of creating copies of the object in multiple folders or multiple repositories.

Rename Saved Search

Table of Contents

Repository Guide

Repository Guide

Shortcuts Versus Copies

Shortcuts Versus Copies