Data360 Analyze Beginners Guide: the composite node

A node is a visual representation of an operation being done., and a Composite node allows you to group other nodes together as one, in a single container / node.  This makes the dataflow easier to use and read.

Use case: if you have several nodes that are collectively required to perform one analytical task, you can group them into a single Composite.

How to create a composite node: 

1. Select the nodes you wish to group 
2. In the Tool Bar at the top, click the “Group Nodes” icon. The nodes disappear and are replaced by a Composite node.

3. In the Properties Panel, rename the composite node to “Filter &Sort”.

4. Double click on the composite to go into it. You will see the nodes are lower down on the canvas than where you probably want them and far away from the input.  Move the nodes around by selecting clicking and dragging them to positions that make more sense together and more between the input and outputs.  Move the input and outputs as well.  Fine tune the position by selecting the node and using the arrow keys.

5. Per the below screenshot, notice the “bread crumbs” at the top which show the path to the current composite we are in. It is currently “Sample Dataflow > Filter and Sort”.  Click on “Sample Dataflow” to move up or out of the “Filter & Sort” composite node.

How to add an output pin to a composite node:

1. Double Click on the “Filter & Sort” composite to go back into it.

2. With no nodes selected, the panel on the right shows the Composite node properties. Click on the Define tab and go down to the bottom.

3. Under Outputs, assign a name to the output pin and hit Enter. A new output appears and in this case we've assigned it the name Primary.

4. In the Properties Panel, click the “Configure” to get back to the normal view.

5. Connect the new output to the input pin of another node

6. Use the “breadcrumbs” to go back up out of the Composite by clicking “Sample Dataflow"

7. Hover the mouse pointer over the second output pin that has appeared on this “Filter & Sort” Composite and see that its name, Primary, appears.

For more advanced tasks, like creating clocks & run dependencies inside of composites, see the help section here

Defining composite node properties:

It is also possible to set properties at composite node level if you want them to apply to all nodes contained within the composite node.

1. Select the composite node on the canvas.
2. From the Properties panel, choose the Define tab to show all of the property definitions for the selected node. Node properties are organized into groups.
3. Click Create property group to create a new group to add properties into.
4. Add a new property to the group by typing a name for the property and pressing Enter.
5. Choose a type for the property, see Property types.

Please note: property group names and property names must be unique within the node.