Update & Concatenate: source script collision

[hogi]

☐ cool new feature
☑ could help many users!

☑ removes a „bug“

☐ nice to have

☐ nobody needs it

#myTop10_2023

we have a workaround -> I don't need it anymore.

What inspired this wish list request? 
Short:
Tables/Update and Tables/Concatenate destroys my source scripts.
STOP THEM !!!

Long:

Many of the Platforms in the Tables menu provide the option Save Script to Source Table.

Is is an elegant way to save the command with all the settings as a Table Script Platform_Name Script.

There is even an auto-increment function which prevents Jmp from overwriting previous Table Script with the same name.

But there are two exceptions: Update and Concatenate.

As all the other functions, Concatenate saves the command script as a Table Script (name: source) to the output table.

Exception: If the option Append to first table is enabled, the main table is the output table - and NO script is saved (perhaps to prevent Jmp from over-writing an existing source Table script?)

For Update the main table is always used as output table. This function saves a table script with the current settings (name: source) to the main table and thereby: overwrites any existing source table script (!).

Table / Update - source script collision 

What is the improvement you would like to see? 

Concatenate and Update should follow the naming scheme of the other Table platforms.

i.e. save a script with the current settings to a Table Script with name Concatenate Script or Update Script.

An auto-increment feature should be used to prevent Jmp from overwriting existing scripts.

Why is this idea important?

The auto-generation of JSL source code is a great feature.

But over-writing an existing source code is more ham than good .

Fixing the issue will save users from losing their table source script.

The naming convention separates source scripts (name: source;  was used to generate the data table) from Platform Scripts (name: Script; can be used to act on the current data table)

[Sarah-Sylvestre]

Hi @hogi, thank you for taking the time to submit this idea! We will review your request and keep you updated on its status. 

[hogi]

I asked Jmp Support if the current behavior *) can be treated as a bug: 00035426

*) Tables/Update and Tables/Concatenate overwrite source Scripts. No undo available.

the answer is: No

"For almost all data table manipulations, a Source script is written to the table.  If one is already there, it is overwritten.  This is how it has worked for many years.  It is not a bug, it is intentional behavior.  ..."

Am I the only Jmp user who uses Source Scripts? - the only one who lost a source script by a Tables/Update of the data table?

[hogi]

but even if it is not interpreted as a bug ...
and if I am the ONLY Jmp user who enjoys the automatically generated source script ...

(alternative: I I am the only jmp user who uses Tables/Update AND Source scripts)

pleaaaase: fix it
With every destroyed source script: it hurts so much!

[hogi]

@PatrickGiuliano 

[hogi]

• If a new table is generated and a table with the same name exists, a “ 2” is added – or the counter is increased by one.
• If a new column is generated and a column with the same name exists, a “ 2” is added – or the counter is increased by one.
• In JMP18 - if a new Update Script *) is generated and a script with the same name exists, a “ 2” is added – or the counter is increased by one.

• If a table is updated via concatenate or update, the existing Source script is overwritten with the auto-generated one.

*) Update Script after Excel import:
thanks for implementing this feature in Jmp18.

[hogi]

Ah, this is a very interesting plot!  - let's use the Source script of the data set to find out where the data comes from ....

hm ...

[hogi]

@Sarah-Sylvestre 
For our company we fixed the behavior of Tables/Update and Tables/Concatenate.
-> wish can be closed.

if somebody needs the bugfix, please send me a PN.

[hogi]

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