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MapForce® 2012 includes the ability to generate mapping documentation and analysis reports in HTML, Microsoft® Word, RTF, and other formats. It provides basic documentation generation as well as custom analysis reports via StyleVision integration, both of which are detailed below.

Basic Documentation Generation

MapForce is often used in a team environment by developers and non-technical subject matter experts to map wide varieties of complex data to and from XML, databases, flat files, EDI, Excel 2007+, XBRL, and Web services. In these situations, the ability to generate human-readable data mapping documentation for quality control purposes and review is an extremely beneficial feature.

MapForce lets you generate detailed documentation of your data mappings, enabling designers and data integration specialists to share and confirm the accuracy of their mappings with other departments and/or customers.

The generated documentation gives an overview of all mapping inputs and outputs, including details on connections made and functions and filters that have been applied.

This is an invaluable feature for complex data integration and conversion projects, where the intricacies of all of the formats being mapped are often not known to quality assurance teams, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders.

Adding Annotations to Connections

To further simplify your data mapping documentation, MapForce lets you add annotations to any mapping connection(s). Simple double-click the connecting line to access the Connection Settings menu, and then type your annotation into the Description field.

Your text will now appear in your mapping design to help you retrace your steps, add clarification for other members of your project team, or even add that layer of transparency that is becoming more and more necessary in data integration implementations.

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Custom Analysis Reports

If you have StyleVision installed on your machine, you can generate a custom documentation report for in-depth analysis of your mapping project. This allows all project stakeholders and auditors to see exactly what the mapping does, and allows them to analyze and validate any or all steps. The degree to which you customize the analysis report depends on your team's requirements. One simple example would be to generate a report that lists all elements in the data source, with a warning message displayed next to any unmapped element.

MapForce ships with four ready-to-use reports, which you may customize further using StyleVision:

• OverallDocumentation - Shows all nodes, connections, function and target nodes. This option outputs the maximum detail and is identical to the built-in fixed design output.
• FunctionCallGraph - Shows the call graph of the main mapping and any user-defined functions.
• FunctionsUsedBy - Lists every source and target node and the route taken, via various functions, from the source to the target node.
• Impact Analysis - Lists all pairs of input and output nodes in a single table with the functions used to connect them. This approach is especially useful for further impact analysis with modeling tools.

FunctionsUsedBy documentation

See how MapForce® 2012 will enable you to share and analyze complex mappings with other team members and stakeholders. Download a free 30-day trial of MapForce.