What's new in Dataflow 16.5
Release 16.5 Update 31 (version 16.5.31)
Dataflow Reporting
Report outputs are now generated with respect to the Access Control permissions that have been set in the document template (i.e., if the current user has been allowed/denied access for each template element).
Release 16.5 Update 24 (version 16.5.24)
New API endpoint for report generation
The added API endpoint 'PlanningSpaceDataflow/api/v1/report' can be used to start the generation of reports (Document or Multi-dataset) and to retrieve the report contents.
Release 16.5 Update 22 (version 16.5.22)
Security permissions for the Economics and Financials loaders
Separate permissions controls on batch import settings and mapping templates have been added to the data loader tools Load from Economics and Load from Financials.
Load from Excel data loader
Improved the selection, copy and paste actions in the File root folder input field.
Global price decks: Security permissions for folders in Price Management
Security permissions have been added to folders in the Price Management interface.
Folder permissions are inherited. The permissions of a parent folder will be applied to new child nodes (folder or Price Deck) that are added to the folder. You can use this feature to set default permission settings which new Price Decks will automatically inherit.
Unlock documents
Document Lock Management: The list of locked documents is now filtered according to the access permissions of the current user for each locked document; the user will not be able to view documents for which they are not granted 'Read' access. This means that the 'Documents - Unlock' role can be safely granted to users who have restricted access to the document hierarchy.
See Unlock Dataflow documents.
Release 16.5 Update 17 (version 16.5.17)
Global price decks: Security permissions for decks and price groups
Security permissions can be applied to individual global price decks, and separate permissions can be applied to the price groups within decks. These permissions will control how price deck information can be viewed and used in Dataflow. See Permissions for price decks and price groups.
Revision tags
In earlier versions users with 'Read-only' permission for a version were allowed to add or remove revision tags to a document within the version. The permission level has increased to 'Full Access' permission to be required to modify revision tags.
Load from Database tool
Server Side Load option: Added functionality for Windows authentication (see Server Side Load authentication).
When the 'Destination Dataflow Hierarchy Node' selection screen is opened, the version selector now defaults to the version that is active.
Load from Enersight tool
Added the ability to create and/or apply a scenario tag with the same name as the named scenario.
Enersight outcome names are now used as scenario names by default, when importing into named scenarios.
Load from Economics tool
The price deck name used in a Result Set calculation can now be mapped by the loader.
A validation check has been added that will warn the user when the currency deck used in the load does not match the currency deck set in the destination document.
Load from Excel tool
When the 'Destination Dataflow Hierarchy Node' selection screen is opened, the version selector now defaults to the version that is active.
Release 16.5 Update 14 (version 16.5.14)
Load from Database tool
Added the batch Document Scenario option Create scenario tags from named scenarios which will create (if it does not exist) and apply a scenario tag that matches the named scenario which is being used for the import. The automatic creation and application of scenario tags streamlines the number of manual steps that are required to set up data for linking to Economics.
Release 16.5 Update 13 (version 16.5.13)
Security permission enhancements
Permissions for read/update/assign/delete, based on individual workgroups or user accounts, have been added in the following areas:
- Load from Database tool: batch import settings and mapping templates
- Data Utility: presets (replaces the previous 'Access Control' functions, and the security role 'Data Utility Manage Public Presets' has been removed)
- Data Batching hierarchy tool: batch presets
- Lists: permissions specific to each list
Load from Database tool
Added the ability to load source data into multiple documents: the option Update document using identifier will update all documents that match with a specified identifier.
Load from Economics tool
Batch import settings can now be copied from one batch to another. (Also applies to the Load from Financials tool.)
Change for import end date: When the option Economics Project Economic Limit is selected, the last value date will be used as the end date, instead of the economic limit date. This ensures that any variable information that is not truncated at the economic limit, such as abandonment costs, will be loaded from Economics. This change makes the behavior consistent with reporting in the Economics application when the 'project economic limit' option is chosen.
Document Change Record dialog
Change Record dialog: Added a removable reminder alert about using revision tags to mark documents for inclusion in Dataflow-Economics linking in the case that no revision tags are added. It also presents a link to the relevant Help documentation topic.
See Save a document.
Expression Editor function changes
An optional default parameter has been added to the GETSCENARIODATABYTAG and GETSCENARIODATA expression functions. If a tag or scenario referenced by the expression doesn't exist in a document, then the default value will be returned. See Expression Editor
Report Template editor
Error messaging has been strengthened for the case where a template references a variable name that no longer exists in Dataflow. Note that the report generator will not be able to generate a report based on such a template and it records an error in the log.
Release 16.5 Update 12 (version 16.5.12)
'Load from ...' loaders log data
Improved the error messages in loader logs for the case of a locked destination document; the message now includes the datetime of the locking and the user account responsible.
Release 16.5 Update 11 (version 16.5.11)
Load from Economics/Load from Financials
The Project Grouping function (which was added in Update 7) has been improved so that the Project Grouping setting and the hierarchy project selections are retained in the UI if the Result Set Run selection is changed to a Run in the same Result Set; also a warning alert is triggered if the new Run selection does not have all of the variables that are used in the Project Grouping.
Changes in PlanningSpace Data Connector
The logging mechanism has been improved so that logs are automatically written to a worksheet rather than being held in memory; this fixes Excel memory issues that were affecting large PDC operations. The new mechanism requires at least the Office 2016 version of Excel with latest updates installed, or Office 365. In case of incompatible Excel versions this will be automatically-detected by the PDC code and the tool will not be usable.
See PlanningSpace Data Connector.
Release 16.5 Update 10 (version 16.5.10)
Scenario Designer hierarchy tool
Modified the tool's behavior so that scenario tags can be bulk-edited in documents without affecting the scenario cases (previously, non-selected cases would be reset to Default). See Scenario Designer.
Release 16.5 Update 7 (version 16.5.7)
Load from Economics and Load from Financials tools: Aggregate and transform source data
Added functions to aggregate and transform source data based on scalar variables. See Economics Batch Import and Financials Batch Import.
Configuration: Currency Management and Price Management
Added the function to create folders (and nested folders) which can be used to organize the global currency decks and price decks. See Currencies and Prices.
Update Currency Settings hierarchy tool
Added an option for the selection of individual variables to be updated. See Update Currency Settings.
Hierarchy Permissions editor: change in default behavior
The default selection for Apply changes to has been changed to This node only. See Manage document permissions.
Unique ID for documents
Documents now have a system-wide Unique ID, where the same ID applies across all versions.
KNOWN ISSUE: Load from Excel tool
This update fixes an issue that was causing failure to import a zero value if it was formatted as a dash symbol ('-') in the Excel source file. There is a known issue in earlier versions which prevents the dash symbol to be interpreted correctly. Note that other conventional spreadsheet symbols for zero are not supported by the loader, in any version. See Create an Excel mapping template.
Release 16.5 Update 6 (version 16.5.6)
Load from Database tool: Added 'Load All Items' option
New Load All Items option in the loader batch settings. See Database Batch Import.
Release 16.5 Update 1 (version 16.5.1)
Document templates: Unit System and Unit Scale defaults can be set independently for each variable
Added the ability to set Unit System and Unit Scale defaults for each variable separately. See Create a new template.
Release 16.5 (version 16.5.0)
Data loader for Aucerna Enersight
Data can be loaded using connections to live Enersight servers. See Load from Enersight.
Load from Database
Periodic data containing a single period can now be loaded.
Allowed file types for document attachments
Uploading of attachments is now controlled by a configurable whitelist for allowed file types, and file contents are scanned for invalid or potentially malicious content during uploading.
See Attachments.
Document Units and Scale settings are persistent
Units and Scale settings are stored in documents and they will persist when a document is closed and re-opened.
Dashboard Map: the maximum number of displayed objects is configurable
IPS Administrators can configure the application tenant setting ‘Maximum Dashboard MapItems To Display’ with a default value of 500 objects and an upper limit of 10000 objects. See Dashboard Map.
Update Currency Settings hierarchy tool
This tool now runs as a background server job, so that the user's session is not locked-up for the duration of the job. See Update Currency Settings.
Variable Alias for OData
The Variables manager now includes each variable’s Alias value, which is used to reference the variable in OData API requests ('Tall' and 'Wide' data tables). The Alias value can be edited; this is useful for meaningful naming, or for shortening API request strings. See Variables.
Economics integration: Variables with Custom units can be mapped between Dataflow and Economics
Variables with Custom units can be mapped between Dataflow and Economics in the template Economics Configuration editor. The Custom units must be defined with identical attributes. See Economics configuration.
The change also applies to Dataflow-Financials integration (see Financials configuration).
PlanningSpace Data Connector improvements
There are various improvements to the user interface, particularly: (1) the behavior of the interface in a browser (i.e., when using Excel for Office 365 web) where the PDC interface has a fixed width; and (2) improvements in the workflows for Extract and Update operations.