11. Tools for user collaboration
11.1. Concepts
Collaboration in Tale of Data is based on the following concepts:
Copy a data source to other users.
Copy flows to other users: this functionality lets the flow owner send copies of the flow to other users. The recipient becomes the owner of the copy and can alter and run the flow.
Flow sharing for collaborative review: this functionality lets the flow owner give read-only access to the flow to other users and offers the following functionalities:
Add notes: a note is a free-form, formatted (sub-set of Markdown language [4]) text that users can add to a flow or item in a flow (usually a source, sink or node), even if they are not the owner of the flow.
Add status: users can add a status (possibly with a comment) to a flow (that has been shared with them) or to an item in a flow (usually a source, sink or node), so long as they are not the owner of that flow. Status must have one of the following three values: Approved, Caution or Rejected.
Receive email notifications: these will be sent automatically to the persons concerned whenever one of the three following events occurs:
Addition/deletion of a share (collaborative review).
Addition of a note.
Addition/deletion of a status.
The latest notes added to flows shared by or shared with the user will be shown on the top right of the user’s home page (Recent Notes tab)
.
The latest statuses added to flows shared by or shared with the user will be shown on the top right of the user’s home page Recent Statuses tab)
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11.2. Data source copies
Users can send copies of their data sources to other users in the same organization.
Each recipient of a copy can connect to the copied data source immediately.
Caution
Full connection information will be sent when the data source is copied, including passwords/access codes.
To copy a data source, simply right-click it in the catalog:
Select Recipients :
If a prefix is specified , the name of the transferred data source will be prefixed by it..
11.3. Copying flows
Users can send copies of one or more of their flows to other users in the same organization. Recipients can alter and/or run those copies.
Caution
When flows are copied, the data sources used by the copied flows (via source or sink nodes) will be copied to the catalog(s) of the recipient(s).
Connection information (except passwords and access codes) will be sent when flows are copied. To run the flows received, recipients must authenticate themselves by editing in the catalog the data source(s) that were copied with the flows..
Note
If you have already sent data sources to a recipient (see « Copying a data source »), they will not be recreated when the flows are copied because the recipient will already have them. The recipient will also not need to self authenticate because the copying of the data sources sends full connection logins (including passwords and access codes).
To copy just one flow, click Share at the bottom right of the flow thumbnail:
To copy multiple flows with just one click, select them and then click Share Flows in the bar at the top :
The Share flows window will open.
Select the Send a Copy tab :
To send a copy of the selected flows to users, add them to the list on the right
.The names of the transferred flows and**data sources** will be prefixed by the specified value
.The specified sink group will be assigned to the transferred flows. If any of the flow to be transferred is already in a group, the specified sink group will be added as a prefix followed by the separator ‘/’.
.
Warning
Flow copies will be rejected if:
Any of the flows is invalid.
Any flow uses My workspace as source because this is a space on the local drive of the Tale of Data server..
Any flow contains a sink repository processor. Repositories are in theory already shared among the different members of an organization.
11.4. Sharing flows for collaborative review
11.4.1. How it works
The owner of a flow can share it with one or more Tale of Data users belonging to the same organization (i.e. to the same licensee) so that they can organize a collaborative review.
Only the owner of a flow can share it.
The beneficiary of a share can:
Open the flow.
Preview the data at node level.
Have read-only access to the configuration of each node.
Add notes and/or statuses to the entire flow or to a particular item in it.
See the notes and statuses added by other share beneficiaries and the notes added by the flow owner.
Share beneficiaries cannot:
Modify/delete the flow. They cannot therefore delete or add nodes. They also cannot change the configuration of a node.
Run the flow.
Duplicate the flow.
Share the flow.
To share a flow with other users, just click the share button in the flow thumbnail:
In the window that opens you can select users to have read-only access to the flow you want to share:
The Share Flows window will open.
Select the Collaborative Review tab :
To send or share the selected flow (collaborative review) with users, add them to the list on the right .
On the flows homepage:
The flows other users have shared with you will be shown in green
.The flows you have shared with other users will be shown in yellow
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11.4.2. Lifecycle of a flow share
When a flow is deleted, the shares, notes and statuses associated with it will also be deleted.
When a flow is duplicated, the shares, notes and statuses associated with it will not be duplicated.
All users accessing a flow will also access the list of all the users who are sharing that flow.
Flow owners can delete sharing with all or any of the users with whom they shared the flow. Neither the notes nor the statuses associated with the**flow** will be deleted.
11.4.3. Notes
A note is free text (including formatting information: bold, italic, lists, etc.) that lets you share information on a flow or an item in a flow (generally a source, sink or node).
A note is defined by:
A sink: this is the item to which the node is added (the flow**in general, or a **source, sink or node).
An author.
A creation date and time.
Free text.
Notes enable discussion between the owner of the flow and any beneficiaries of the share (e.g. on the running or purpose of the flow or any item in the flow).
Adding a note triggers email notification to everyone concerned, except the author of the note.
When you connect to Tale of Data, you will see on your homepage a list of links to the latest notes concerning the flows that:
You own and have shared with others.
Are being shared with you.
In the home page, click on the button at the top right of the link (or double-click on the link itself) to open the note in the relevant discussion thread inside the flow:
Only the owner of a flow can give a direct reply to a note by clicking the button 
:
When flow owners reply to a note added by a user with whom they have shared a flow, they will attach one of the following statuses to the reply:
In progress.
Done.
Rejected.
Note
Replies to notes can be seen by all the other users with whom the flow has been shared.
11.4.4. Status
A status is a validity status (possibly with a comment) that users can add to a flow or item in a flow (usually a source, sink or node), so long as they are not the owner of the flow and the owner has shared the flow with them.
A status is defined by:
A sink: this is the item to which the status is added (the flow**in general, or a **source, sink or node).
A status value:
Approved: this status is validation of the item to which it is given.
Caution: this status indicates reservations about the item to which it is given.
Rejected: this status indicates that the item to which it is given presents a number of problems and that the flow in question should not therefore be run during production.
An author.
A creation date and time.
Free text.
A status can only be changed by its author.
By adding or changing a status you trigger email notification to everyone concerned, except the author of the status:
Flow owner.
The other beneficiaries of the flow share.
When you connect to Tale of Data, you will see on your homepage a list of links to the latest statuses added for the flows that:
You own.
Are being shared with you.
In the home page, click on the button at the top right of the link (or double-click on the link itself) to open the relevant item in the flow and access the whole of its status:
11.4.5. Email notifications
Email notifications are automatically sent whenever one of the following events occurs:
Sharing of a flow.
Sharing of a flow is stopped.
Addition of a note.
Addition of/change to a status
When the a flow is shared (or its sharing is stopped) the recipients of the email will be the beneficiaries of the sharing (or the users with whom the flow is no longer shared).
In the case of notes and statuses the recipients of the email will be all the persons concerned, except the author of the note or status:
Flow owner.
The other beneficiaries of the flow share.
In the case of notes and statuses, the associated comment will not be included in the email for reasons of confidentiality.