Drag and Drop

The Tool Menu

Tools are grouped in the tool menu based on common functionality. These groupings include import, clean, transform, merge, visualize, publish, code, direct, predict, and dynamic workflows.

When dropped onto the canvas, a tool’s color is defined by the functional group it came from to easily interpret different functions within workflows.

Drag and Drop Tools

Drag and drop a tool from the tool menu onto the canvas to start building your workflow.

To add a subsequent tool, drag and drop another tool from the tool menu onto the canvas.

Tool Configuration

The tool configuration allows users to customize the settings of each tool.

The wrench icon indicates when a tool requires configuration before being incorporated into a workflow. To open the tool configuration, simply click on it once. To modify a tool that has already been configured, or if the tool does not need to be configured, double click on it.

Alternatively, you can select ‘Configure Tool’ from the data-preview panel.

Once you have finished customizing the tool, save your changes by pressing the ‘Save’ button. If you wish to discard your changes made to the tool configuration, press ‘Cancel’ and confirm your decision by selecting ‘Abandon’.

Data Preview

Gaining insight into the data processing of your workflow is effortless and straightforward with the data-preview panel. Simply click on any tool to inspect the data output, and hover over a column header for profiling. This enables users to quickly survey the structure of their data and identify any patterns or anomalies.

Rename Tools

Renaming tools is an awesome way to document your workflow. It not only creates a system for organization, but also enables users to remember actions taken and why. Renaming tools provides a straightforward way to quickly identify where certain steps in your data logic occur, and aids in maintenance and transparency.

You can rename a tool either from the data-preview panel or a tool configuration.

Annotations

Annotations in Cascade are essential for any collaborative effort and make workflows easier to understand, remember, and manage. Not only do they provide clarity and context, but they also alert users to any risks or issues associated with the workflow - making them a critical part of the collaborative process! So, if you're looking to build well documented workflows, annotations are the way to go.

Right-click anywhere on your canvas to add an annotation. The color picker, duplicate, and save buttons provide you with the resources to customize your annotations with ease and record your entire workflow effortlessly.

Tool Groups

Grouping tools together within a workflow can be a great way to improve organization, readability, and the overall understanding of the workflow from start to finish. It allows users to swiftly identify and troubleshoot any potential issues, while also decreasing the chances of errors due to the improved clarity and accessibility of the tools. By putting the pieces together in a logical manner, one can quickly comprehend the order of operations and the purpose of each component.

To group multiple tools together…

1. …hold down the shift key while selecting the desired tools.

2. Once highlighted, right-click on one of the tools, and

3. …select ‘Group Selected’.

This will bind the tools in a cluster, allowing you to move them together as one unit. Reposition the tools within the group to attain your preferred aesthetic.

Ungroup

If you wish to ungroup the tools, select the tool group and use the popup toolbar to ungroup the tools. Alternatively, you can right-click on the tool group and select ‘Ungroup’. This will separate the tools and free them from the cluster.