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Adding comments and annotations to SPSS Modeler flows

Adding comments and annotations

You may need to describe a flow to others in your organization. To help you do this, you can attach explanatory comments to nodes, and model nuggets.

Others can then view these comments on-screen, or you might even print out an image of the flow that includes the comments. You can also add notes in the form of text annotations to nodes and model nuggets by means of the Annotations tab in a node's properties. These annotations are visible only when the Annotations tab is open.

Comments

Comments take the form of text boxes in which you can enter any amount of text, and you can add as many comments as you like. A comment can be freestanding (not attached to any flow objects), or it can be connected to one or more nodes or model nuggets in your flow. Freestanding comments are typically used to describe the overall purpose of the flow; connected comments describe the specific node or nugget to which they are attached. Nodes and nuggets can have more than one comment attached, and the flow can have any number of freestanding comments.

To create a comment:
  1. Right-click your flow canvas and select New comment.
  2. Move the comment around the canvas to the desired location.
  3. Double-click the comment to enter text.

The appearance of the text box changes to indicate the current mode of the comment, as the following table shows.

Table 1. Comment and annotation text box modes
Comment text box Mode Indicates Obtained by...
Comment text box in edit mode
Edit Comment is open for editing. Creating a new comment or double-clicking an existing one.
Comment text box in last selected mode
Last selected Comment can be moved, resized, or deleted. Clicking the flow canvas background after editing, or single-clicking an existing comment.
Comment text box in view mode
View Editing is complete. Clicking another node or comment after editing.
Tips:
  • If desired, you can connect a comment to one or more nodes or model nuggets. Drag from the small circle of the comment box.
  • If you select one or more nodes first and then add a comment, the comment will connect to the nodes automatically.
  • To delete a connection from a node to a comment, hover over the dashed connection line, right-click, and select Delete.

Annotations

Nodes and model nuggets can be annotated in a number of ways. You can add descriptive annotations and specify a custom name for the node. Annotations are stored in the node properties. These options are useful if you want to help distinguish between similar nodes on the flow canvas, but you don't want comment text boxes visible on the canvas itself.

To create an annotation:
  1. Double-click the node for which you want to add an annotation. The node properties pane opens..
  2. Open the Annotations tab and type a custom name for the node, if desired. This shows up as a hover tool-tip for the node on the canvas.
  3. In the Annotation field, type the desired annotation text.
Figure 1. Annotation
Annotation
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