Data flags are a powerful tool for recording the source and integrity of data in a network. Some types of version-controlled items, such as networks, support data flags for many of their data fields. InfoAsset Manager includes several standard built-in data flags. Additional user-defined flags can be added to indicate information about the data.
To access and edit user-defined flags:
This opens the User Defined Flags dialog, with columns for the Name, Display Color, and Description of each flag.
Default flags appear at the top of the list in gray. These are required by some features and are typically used to show the origin of data or to mark data for some form of automatic update. Additionally, the names of default built-in flags start with the number sign (#) to differentiate them from user-defined flags.
When starting a project, it is best practice to first define the flags to be used in the networks.
Flags should indicate the data source and may also include a numerical value to represent the accuracy or confidence level of the data. They can be assigned one at a time or in bulk, and can also be selected for automatic assignment to any changes.
Defined flags are available to everyone using the database, can be exported and imported into a different database, and can be edited at any time.
To add a user-defined flag:
To see the flag text more easily, choose lighter colors. Colors can also be designated to coincide with the confidence level in data.
To automatically apply a flag to future editing operations:
The selected flag will be applied to all changes made on the Grid windows or property sheets, including pasting from the clipboard and adjusting or replacing a block of values.
A useful example for a facility is to set up a flag for each user, as shown below, so that all changes can be easily tracked.
This allows the settings to be transferred between different databases or organizations.
