Inserting an image into the KNIME workflow to help document the flow

[jmyers]

Is there currently a way to insert an image into the KNIME workflow like an annotation? I can give several use cases where this could be helpful:

1. Add a a screenshot of a high level business process flow that helps explain the end-to-end process into which a node you have built fits. This is especially helpful when building a set of nodes for a multi-step real life process where the user runs part of a flow, takes the results and does something that needs user interaction then runs a second flow (or the rest of the flow) using their work as input.

2. (Current use case for me right now) I am documenting a solution to a problem with a flow we have where the input files are bad, and have duplicate keys. I have written a simple analysis that can be done on the input file to catch the problem at an appropriate point. By including this analysis as part of our over all process, we can catch this problem and prevent it happening. Now I am looking for where to plug the analysis into my flow, and have found several viable options.

• Option A. Before the first process in the flow is run (high level of end user control)
• Option B. Inside the first process at a specific spot in a loop (catch the problem, but less end user control)
• Option C. At the end of the first process (Database writes only happen in the 2nd process, but then also need to add the check to the process 2 flow as users might not deal with the problem).

I want to grab a screenshot of the current flow to show where I am thinking for option 2 rather than have to open up the node in front of the business who really don’t care about the technical details. Putting an image into the flow for discussion and potential communication to the development team once a decision is made would be really helpful,

PS: I already have proper database transaction handling in my flow, so it doesn’t crash, justthinking about where best to solve this specific problem and give a report to the end users

PPS: I think this pose is related to / asking the same as the below link. I Wish this was still open as it seems relevant, and I would have liked to add my voice there.

Adding an image to my knime platform process?

Hello, thanks for the help. I’m curious if there is a way to add an image to the knime platform process, similar to adding comments or annotations? [Screen Shot 2020-03-25 at 5.49.03 PM] Example, i’d like to add a screenshot of the SCOPE setting to avoid having to open the tool. Best,T

[Tyler]

I second this notion. It would be a big benefit to have images within annotation blurb (squares).

Also, to further examples. There’s more people in this world that will frown when i show them ETL products than get excited. The most excited ive ever seen anyone was when i used an ETL product that had the image of their “baby” which is a report or dashboard, and my ETL built on it.

Within 5 minutes i explained 4 hours of data warehousing 9 data sources (9 excel spreadsheets and CSVs, 1 api, 1 database connection) into 1 data source. I could show them this visually and was able to connect with them on a different level, business users need that visual, and i was able to connect them to the ETL product, all due to that screenshot.

Imagine we have a screenshot of a dashboard.

[profit] [hours] [invoice#]

3 major KPI values. side by side…

I add that screenshot of 3 kpi values into knime.

those 3 kpi’s have 3 data sources. (i can make prototype all of this if necessary)

I can now elaborate VISUALLY that data warehouse and the image of the dashboard being “reverse engineered” and dumped into another screenshot, a single source, in another screenshot of the same 3 kpi. This would show data warehousing in the same workflow.

screenshot1… (far left of screen)
3 data sources querying 3 databases overlay the KPI that is relevant, THE ETL in the middle.

screenshot2… (far right of previous screenshot)
1 data source is sitting on this screenshot, with 3 kpi values…

Now i can explain “frontend product limitations” when data warehousing isn’t present.

I can now dive into WHY it’s complex because I just showed the how and what, without alt tabbing between before and after reporting items.

best, t

ps. since it’s open source, i guess we could just figure it out ourself?

[ScottF]

Hi folks -

This is a good idea and seems like a natural fit for a visual platform like KNIME. We do have a ticket for this in our system (Internal: AP-13987) and I will add another +1 to it. I’ll also ask one of our devs to take a look.

[jmyers]

@ScottF

AP-13987

Thanks @ScottF
Is it possible to share some of the stats for AP-13987 (perhaps even link it to this flow so that we can refer back from time to time to understand from your perspective what the value of adding this feature is, and see where in the product backlog the story for this might be at any point)?

[ScottF]

Currently no, we don’t make that part of our ticketing system public at the moment. I can assure you someone will look at it, but I don’t have an ETA on when it might be added. Sorry that I can’t be more specific - but if there are updates we’ll post here.