About Categories

You can use categories to group objects that span multiple folders. As you organize your work space, you might notice that several applications rely on a single component. Rather than create multiple copies of the component or group multiple applications in one folder, you can create an easy-to-manage solution with categories.

Category Characteristics

• Components, plans, and comparisons can be assigned to categories.

• An object can belong to more than one category.

• Write permission on the object's folder is necessary to manipulate categories.

• A component or plan's version number is not affected by adding or removing a category.

How to Create a Category

This procedure describes how to create a category by using the browser interface. You can also create categories by using the following command.

• cat.add – Adds a new category.

Steps

1. In the navigation menu under the Administrative section, click Categories.

2. In the top row of the categories table, type the name of the new category and a description.

3. Click Create.

How to Associate a Category With an Object

You can associate categories with components, plans, and comparisons in several ways.

• Add one or more categories to one or more components or plans.

• Replace an existing set of categories with a new set.

This procedure describes how to associate a category with a component, plan, or comparison by using the browser interface. You can also associate categories by using the following commands.

• cdb.c.sc – Associates a component with a category.

• pdb.p.sc – Associates a plan with a category.

• cmp.ds.sc – Associates comparison settings with a category.

Before You Begin

To apply a category to a component or plan, you must have write permissions on the folder that contains the component or plan. For example, if you plan to apply a category to a component, you must have write permissions on the folder that contains the component.

To apply a category to a comparison, you must have write permissions on the comparison.

Steps

1. View the Details page of the component, plan, or comparison that you plan to associate with a category.

2. In the Category row, click Apply Categories.

   A window is displayed listing the existing categories. If the component or plan belongs to a category, that category's checkbox is selected.

3. Associate the object with the category.

   • If the category exists, check the category and click Apply Categories.

   • If you need to associate the object with a new category, perform the following steps.

     1. Type the new category name and description and click Create.

     2. When the category's name displays in the table, click Save.

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        Note –

        If you do not click Save before you apply categories or enter another category name, the first category name is deleted.

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     3. If the object is associated with other categories, indicate whether you want the new category to be added to the list of categories or to replace the existing list of associated categories.

4. Click Apply Categories.

   The window closes. You can now select the desired category from the pull-down category menu and view all objects that are listed in the category.

How to View Categories

Step

In the navigation menu under the Administrative section, click Categories.

The browser interface displays the Categories page.

How to Filter Objects by Category

After you have categories set up and objects assigned to different categories, you can easily filter across folders.

This procedure describes how to sort objects by category by using the browser interface. You can also sort objects by using the following commands.

• pdb.p.la -cat CategoryID – Lists plans from specified category.

• cdb.c.la -cat CategoryID – Lists components from specified category.

• cmp.ds.la -cat CategoryID – Lists comparisons from specified category.

Step

From the Components, Plans, or Comparisons view, select the category you need to view from the Show Category menu.

The browser interface will display the list of components or plans that are in the category that you selected.

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Note –

The list of objects is not heterogeneous. You can toggle between Plan and Component views by selecting one or the other from the Show menu.

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How to Remove a Category From an Object

This procedure describes how remove a category with a component, plan, or comparison by using the browser interface. You can also remove categories by using the following commands.

• pdb.p.la plan-ID -cat "" – Removes all categories from a plan.

• cdb.c.la component-ID -cat "" – Removes all categories from a component.

• cmp.ds.la comparison-ID -cat "" – Removes all categories comparison.

Before You Begin

To remove a category from an object, you must have write permissions on the object or the folder that contains the object. For example, if you plan to remove a category from a component, you must have write permissions on the folder that contains component.

Steps

1. View the Details page of the object from which you plan to remove a category.

2. In the Category row, click Apply Categories.

   An Apply Categories to Selected Objects window is displayed listing the categories. If the component or plan belongs to a category, that category's checkbox is selected.

3. Deselect the category that you want to remove.

4. Click Apply Categories.

   The window closes. The object is no longer associated with the category.