This page is for data modellers who are new to using PhixFlow. It provides an introduction to using the modelling window.

Opening a

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Model Window

PhixFlow opens a modelling model window when you:

• add a new model.
    In the repository, right-click on Analysis Models and select 

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• display an existing model.
  In  In the repository, double-click on an analysis model's name to open its properties.
  In the properties toolbar, click the 

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   button to display its modelling model window in the workspace.

The modelling model window shows a picture of either all or part of an analysis model.

Model Properties

In addition to the Common Properties, analysis models have a Name; see Analysis Model. They do not have any other properties, as all their content is in the model itself.

Modelling Objects

You can drag any object from the menu bar of a model view onto the modelling pane. This will create a new object of this type. See the list of object types under 2168684909.

Models are made up of modelling objects. They can includeThe toolbar at the top of a model window includes icons for the different objects that you can add to the model. The types of modelling object are:

• data connectors, to load or export data
  • datasourcesDatasource
  • database collectors
  • database exportersDatabase Collector
  • Database Exporter
  • FTP sitesSite
  • file collectors
  • file exportersFile Collector
  • File Exporter
  • HTTP datasourcesDatasource
  • HTTP collectorsCollector
  • HTTP exportersExporter
• Stream to process the data is processed in streams
• objects are connected by pipes.

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Model 

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Add new objects

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• Pipe to connect the objects

Drag an object from the toolbar into the model to add new object of this type. See For information about the list of object types under 2168684909.

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object icons, see Modelling Window Toolbar Icons, below.

You can also drag objects that have already been created onto a model=in existing modelling objects from the repository. For example, if you want to include a stream, open the list of streams in the repository, select the stream and drag it onto the model. Similarly, objects can be added from the list of datasources, file collectors, database collectors, file exporters, database exporters and FTP sites.

When you drag an object onto an model view in this way, if this it linked (via one or more pipes) to other objects on the view, PhixFlow will draw in the links.

If an object dragged onto a model view is not from the same application as the analysis model a small application icon will be visible on to add an existing stream:

1. Open the repository → Streams branch and find the stream.
2. Drag the stream into the model.

Objects in models must be connected by pipes. Hover your mouse pointer over an object to display the popup toolbar and add a 

Usually you add modelling objects that belong to the same application. However, PhixFlow can share modelling objects between applications. When you drag in a modelling object from a different application, PhixFlow adds a small application icon to the top left of the object's icon. AnchormodelViewFormIconsmodelViewFormIcons

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When you make changes to a model, remember to save your changes by clicking the 

Model Window Toolbar Icons

	The default mode for the cursor in the modelling model window is select. Pressing this button sets the mode to drag. Alternatively, while in select mode, keep the Ctrl key pressed on your keyboard, and with the left mouse button pressed move the pointer.
	If you are in drag mode, pressing this button puts you back into select mode (the default mode when you open a new modelling model window). While in select mode, keeping the left mouse button pressed and dragging over an area of the window, you can select several items in the model. Press the Alt key on your keyboard to include Pipes in the selection.
	Organise selected objects in a grid.
	Align all selected objects left.
	Align all selected objects right.
	Align all selected objects to top.
	Align all selected objects to bottom.
	Distribute all selected objects horizontally.
	Distribute all selected objects vertically.
Object Types
	Add a new Datasource to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new FTP Site to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new HTTP Datasource to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new Database Collector to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new File Collector to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new HTTP Collector to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new Database Exporter to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new File Exporter to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new HTTP Exporter to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new Stream with function Aggregate to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new Stream with function Calculate to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new Stream with function Calculate By Set to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new Stream with function Cartesian to the Analysis Model.
	Add a new Stream with function Merge to the Analysis Model.
	Show model details

Modelling Object Pop-

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up Toolbar

In the model, hover your mouse pointer over any object to display a pop-up toolbar. The pop-up toolbar some of the same buttons that appear in the menu bar, described above. It also provides the following buttons:

	Make this object static.
/	Disable/ enable this object.
	Bring up a list of attributes for the object. Attributes can be selected from this list and dragged into an attribute list window for another object, so this is useful when building new objects in the model.
	Show the list of views configured on this object.
	Show the list of Stream Sets for this object. This brings up the Stream Set viewer.
	Bring into the model all objects in the model that are inputs to this object.
	Bring into the model all objects in the model that are outputs of this object.
	Run the Analysis Engine analysis process on this object. All objects required to build the object selected will be run, but only these objects; so this may . This means PhixFlow may: run analysis on objects that are not in the model , and analysis may not be run analysis on some of the objects that are in the model.
	Erase this object from the model. This object still exists in the repository, and it's data is available to any other object that refers to it.

Modelling Object Context Menu

Right-click on a modelling object to display its context menu. This includes many of the same options as in the menu bar or the hover menu. A few pop-up toolbar. Some addition options are also available:

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Model Window Context Menu

Right-click anywhere on the modelling model window to display the context menu:

• Rollback Selected Objects: Rollback the data in the currently selected Streams
• Copy Selected Objects: Create copies of the currently selected objects
• Delete Selected Objects: Delete selected objects
• Enable Selected Objects: Enable selected objects
• Disable Selected Objects: Disable selected objects
• Switch The Static Flag On In The Selected Objects: Switch the 'static' flag on in the currently selected Streams and Pipes
• Switch The Static Flag Off In The Selected Objects: Switch the 'static' flag off in the currently selected Streams and Pipes

Moving a Model

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If some objects are not visible on the Model Pane (i.e. are positioned outside the currently displayed area), arrows will be displayed. Arrows indicate that there are objects outside the display area and allow the user to quickly move the Model Pane and display those objects.

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Window

As models get bigger, you may find that model window only shows part of the model. If part of the model is off-screen, PhixFlow will display arrows:

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Use the arrows to move the model window to show different parts of the model. Alternatively, you can drag the model around in the model window.

Keyboard support

If you are in select mode Image Added, there are keyboard commands available:

• Ctrl: Switch
  • either switch to drag mode (move the pointer with the left mouse button pressed)
  / Select
  • or select multiple items (click left mouse button on items).
• Alt: Include pipes in selection.

See Also

• Forms