This feature is now available across all boards (System, Integration, Explorer, and Report boards).

⚙️ Accessing the Configuration

To start visualizing, open any board and click the Gear Icon ⚙️ in the top-left corner. This opens the View Configuration panel.

When you click + Create View Rule, you unlock a powerful logic engine designed to give you granular control over your architecture visualization.

1. Define the Scope

The first section of the rule builder determines what will be formatted:

• Rule Name: Give it a clear name (e.g., "Need Encryption" or "High Priority").

• Target Element: Select which element receives the styling. Depending on the board you are on, you can target Systems, Objects, Attributes, or Relation Items.

• Visual Preview: As you configure, the preview box on the right updates to show you exactly how the styling will look.

• Include Connected Paths: A powerful checkbox often overlooked—if checked, the formatting will extend to the lines (paths) connected to the element, not just the element itself.

2. The Logic Engine (Formatting Rules)

This is the core of the feature: "Define when and how elements should be styled."

You build logic using a sentence-structure row:

1. Element: Choose what data to check (e.g., Attribute).

2. Property: Select the property to evaluate. This defaults to "Name," but you can also select Custom Properties you have created (e.g., Security_Level or Data_Owner).

   • Haven't set up Custom Properties yet? Check out our guide on how to upload and manage them here.

3. Operator: Choose your logic (e.g., Contains, Equals, Start With, Is Empty).

4. Value: Enter the text or number to check for (e.g., "email" or "confidential").

5. Extra Conditions: You can make rules more specific by clicking + Add Extra Condition, which acts as an "AND" operator. The element must match all conditions in the row to trigger the style.

3. Applying the Style (Global Schemes)

The final dropdown in the condition row selects the visual style.

• Defaults: We provide three out-of-the-box schemes.

• Custom Schemes: Need a specific brand color or a universal "Warning" style? You can create Global View Configurations.

  • Go to Organization Settings > Global View Configurations.

  • Styles created here become available globally to all users, ensuring your entire organization uses the same visual language.

4. The Priority System (Sort to Overwrite)

What happens if an item matches two different rules? Priority is key.

• Drag & Drop: You will see a drag handle on the left side of every Condition row and every Rule block.

• Top Wins: The engine processes rules from top to bottom. If an element matches multiple conditions, the one highest on the list will take priority and overwrite the others.

• Simply drag your most critical rules (like "Critical Error") to the top of the list to ensure they are never hidden.

Step 1: Navigating the Explorer Board

• Open the Explorer: Navigate to the Explorer Board tab. This view provides a high-level visual representation of your entire organization, displaying all systems and how they connect.

• Understand the Landscape:

  • Systems: Represented by their logos/icons.

  • Paths: The lines connecting the systems represent the integration paths.

• View Integrations (Optional): If you click on a connection path (the line between two systems), a sidebar will open displaying the collection of integrations included in that specific path.

Step 2: Selecting System Data

• Open System Details: Click directly on a System Logo in the Explorer map.

• View Attributes: A sidebar will open on the right, listing all the Objects and Attributes contained within that system.

• Select Data for Report: Check the boxes next to the attributes you want to analyze.

  • Pro Tip: To create a full system report, you can select all attributes in the list at once.

Step 3: Generating the Report

• Initiate Creation: Once your attributes are selected, click the "Create Report" button located at the top of the sidebar.

• Processing: You will see a loading spinner while the system processes the request. This may take a moment depending on the complexity of the data.

• Automatic Redirection: Upon completion, you will be automatically redirected to a new Attributes Report Board.

Step 4: Analyzing the Report Board

• Review the Visualization: The new board is automatically populated with:

  • The specific Attributes you selected.

  • All Related Systems that interact with these attributes.

  • The specific Relations connecting them.

• Contextual View: Unlike a static list, this board provides a fully interactive map, showing exactly how the selected data interacts with the rest of your architecture.

Step 1: Initiating a New Integration

• Navigate to the Integrations Overview: Go to the main Home tab and locate the Integrations overview.

• Create the First Integration: If no integrations exist, click the Plus button in the top right corner to create a new one.

• Fill out the Modal: A modal view will appear. Fill in the following required fields:

  • Integration Name

  • Ref (3-5 characters)

  • Source System

  • Target System

• Submit and Navigate: Click Submit. You will see the new integration in the table. Click on the Integration Name (which is a link) to navigate to the Integration Workspace.

Step 2: Setting Up the Integration Workspace

• Analyze the Workspace: The Integration Workspace tab is distinct, often featuring a gray background and color-coded headers (left to right, source to target) matching your systems.

• Identify Board Containers: You will see three empty containers on the board: the Source System container, the Target System container, and the Integration container (for the interface items).

• Open Systems in Split View: To easily drag attributes, you need to open your Source and Target Systems on the opposite side of the screen. Right-click (context menu) on a system name and select "Open on other side" to split the screen.

Step 3: Adding Entities to the Board

• Navigate to Attributes: In the system panel you just opened (on the right side of the split screen), navigate to the Attributes page of the Object you need.

• Add Attributes to the Board: Select all the necessary attributes and click the arrow icon button next to the create new attribute button (top right of the attributes table).

  • Automatic Addition: When you add an Attribute, the associated Object container is automatically added to the board as well.

• Repeat for Both Systems: Use the same method to add all necessary attributes and objects from both the Source and Target systems to the Integration Board.

Step 4: Creating the Integration Relationships

• Draw the Connection: On the board, locate the attribute you want to create the relationship from (Source Attribute). Click and drag the circular connection point from the Source Attribute to the target attribute in the Target System container.

• Integration Item Creation: As soon as you complete the connection, a relation item is automatically created in the Integration container (the interface container).

• Continue Creating Relations: Repeat this process for all required data flow relationships.

Pro Tip: Organizing the Board

• Sort Entities: To keep your workspace clean and organized, you can sort the Object and Attribute containers on the board by dragging them up and down.

Step 5: Verification

• Check the Relationships Table: The new relation item you created is saved and can be found in the Integration Relationships table if you navigate to it within the Integration Workspace.

Step 1: Setting Up the System Board

The System Board is your canvas for visualizing architecture and defining relationships.

• Navigate to the Boards Tab: In the system view (e.g., the "shop" system), click on the Boards tab. If no board exists, you will see a prompt.

• Create a New Board: Click the "Create your first System Board here" button (or "Create System Board").

• Name the Board: A modal window will appear. Enter a descriptive name for your board (e.g., "Demo Board") and click Submit.

• Open the Empty Board: The new board will open automatically, ready for customization.

Step 2: Adding Entities to the Board

To efficiently add Objects and Attributes to the board, use the Split View feature.

• Activate Split View: Locate the Split View button (usually two overlapping squares/rectangles, top-right near the Share button) and click it. This divides your screen into two working areas.

• Open the Entities on the Right Screen: In the new right-screen navigate to the Objects tab and open the Attributes page for the object(s) you need (e.g., Web Customer and Web Order).

• Add Attributes to the Board: You have a few options to transfer entities to the board:

  • Drag & Drop: Click and hold an Attribute Name and drag it directly onto the board.

  • Quick Add Button: Use the arrow button next to the Create New Attribute button in the top right of the attributes table. This button will add the selected attributes to the board.

  • Important Note: When you add an Attribute, the associated Object (the box containing the attribute) is automatically added to the board as well.

• Continue Adding Entities: Add the key attributes you need to link from objects like Web Customer, Web Order, and Store Product.

• Close Split View (Optional): Once your necessary entities are on the board, you can close the split view to work on a single full-screen canvas.

Step 3: Creating the System Relation

Now that your Objects and Attributes are visually laid out, you can establish the relationship.

• Zoom and Locate Attributes: Zoom in on the objects on your board (e.g., Web Customer and Web Order) to clearly see the Attributes.

• Identify Connection Points: Each Attribute has two small circular connection points—one on the left and one on the right.

• Draw the Relation:

  • Click and drag the connection circle from the Source Attribute (e.g., full_name under Web Customer).

  • Drag the connecting line to the connection circle of the Target Attribute (e.g., customer_ref_id under Web Order).

• Visualize the Relation: A clear, visual arrow now links the two attributes, defining the System Relation on your board.

Step 4: Verification

To confirm the relationship was created successfully, you can:

• Check the Relationships Tab: Navigate back to the main Relationships tab within your system (e.g., "shop"). You will find the new relationship listed in the table, showing the Source Object, Source Attribute, Target Object, and Target Attribute.

Data Architecture isn't just about connecting "System A" to "System B." It's about seeing the health and risk of those connections at a glance. Is the data sensitive? Is it low quality? Is the transformation logic risky?

Until now, that information was buried in property panels. Now, you can bring it to the surface dynamically.

 Standardize Your Visual Language

 We know that consistency is key for large teams. You don't want one architect using Red for "Error" and another using Red for "Important."

That’s why we added Global View Configurations in your Organization Settings. You can now create central Styling Schemes (e.g., "Risk Scheme," "Quality Scheme") that every user can apply to their boards. This ensures your entire organization speaks the same visual language.

Here are 4 real-world examples of how we are using these rules today: 

1. Spotting "Technical Debt" (Complex Transformations)

 Some integrations are simple copies; others require heavy scripting. We need to see where the complexity lies.

• The Rule: If Transformation Complexity > 7.

• The Visual: Bold Purple Text with a Dotted Purple Border.

• Why it matters: This style makes complex relation items pop out immediately, signaling to developers that this connection requires extra testing.

2. Flagging Sensitive Data (PII)

 You should never accidentally map a user's personal email to a public field. We use a "High Alert" style here.

• The Rule: If Name contains "email" OR Name contains "password".

• The Visual: Red Background with a Dashed Black Border.

• Why it matters: It acts as a distinct "Hazard Sign" for architects, ensuring encryption protocols are applied before mapping. 

3. Visualizing Data Quality (The "Dirty Data" Warning)

 Not all data is reliable. We wanted to warn users when a specific field is known to have missing values or poor formatting.

• The Rule: If Quality_Score < 60 AND Name contains "phone".

• The Visual: Pink Background, Light Pink Text, and a Red Outline (Shadow).

• Why it matters: We used the new AND operator to target this specific case. The "glowing" red outline ensures you can't miss these risky fields even when zoomed out.

4. Managing Deprecated Fields

 Systems change. Old fields (like "Fax Number") often stick around in databases but should be ignored.

• The Rule: If Lifecycle_Status equals "Deprecated".

• The Visual: Line-through Text and 50% Opacity.

• Why it matters: By dropping the opacity, these fields fade into the background. They are still there if you need them, but they don't clutter your view or distract from active data.

Try it out

These features are available now. Head to your Global View Configurations to set up your organization's standard styles, or jump right into a board to experiment with the new operators!

No release is complete without exciting new features—here’s what’s fresh in this update:

• Conditional Formatting: Easily set up rules to automatically colour and style elements based on their data properties.

• Custom Properties Upload: You can now use Custom Properties to save additional information for each Object, Attribute and Relation

• Improved System Import/Upload: The System Upload has been configured to also support custom properties and more file formats. In addition to Excel, you can now upload Swagger API definitions or an exported database schema as an SQL script from MYSQL, PostgreSQL, DB2 or Oracle

• Systems Export: You can download a single Excel file containing separate sheets for Objects, Attributes and Relations.  These exports are fully compatible with the import feature for easy reloading.

That’s why we allow you to create Custom Properties. These allow you to add your own columns to Objects, Attributes, or Relations, giving you full flexibility to capture the data that matters to you.

Here is a quick guide on how to set them up. 

Step 1: Create the Property 

1. Go to Settings.

2. Select Organization Settings.

3. Scroll down to the Custom Properties section.

4. Click the + (Plus) button in the top-right corner of the section.

5. A modal will appear. Enter a Name for your property and select the Type (e.g., Text, Number, Email, Date).

6. Click Submit.

Step 2: Assign to Entities

 Once created, the property appears in your list, but you need to tell the system where it belongs.

1. Find your new property in the table.

2. Look for the Entities Type column.

3. Use the dropdown to select where this property should apply. You can choose:

   • Objects (e.g., for assigning owners to tables)

   • Attributes (e.g., for flagging PII fields)

   • All Relations (e.g., for tracking mapping status)

 Step 3: Verify and Use

 Now that your property is live, you can start using it immediately.

In this example, if you assigned a property to Attributes:

1. Open any System and navigate to Objects tab.

2. Open any Attribute in the object tab.

3. Scroll horizontally to the right side of the table.

4. You will see your new Custom Property appears as a new column, ready for data entry!

Pro Tip: These custom properties aren't just for documentation—they can power your Conditional Formatting rules on the Integration Board! (See our previous post on Visualizing Data Health).

The methodology behind this feature lets you export the data linked to an object, including its attributes and relations in a structured Excel file.

You can share this data via Excel to others. They can make updates directly in the file and then the file is imported back into Codoflow. Thus allowing dataflow collaboration across your organisation.

• Choose an organisation from your home page, navigate to a system and select objects. The Objects Tab will appear.

• On the upper right hand side next to the plus button are two new icons. 1 for exporting and 1 for importing.

• When you export this data, it will automatically download to excel with the system name as the file name. The file will have sorted your data into 3 sheets for Objects, Attributes and Relations

Exporting Data via AG Grid

In any table of contents, whether that is a merge task tab or objects tab, you can export your data. Simply right mouse click anywhere in the table and then choose export with the choice of either CSV or Excel.

Exporting Data from your Account Settings

If you require the data from your Users or Organisations, you can also download this information.

Navigate to your account settings. Simply right mouse click in anywhere in the table(s) and the choose export with the choice or either CSV or Excel

Exporting Data from your Organisation Settings

Here you can export Custom Property data via the organisation settings. Again, right mouse click in the table and choose the export format.

Uploading data into Codoflow is simple and structured. Follow these steps to get started:

1. Check your Data first
   Before uploading your data, you can check your file formatting by downloading the example template provided by Codoflow either in the import dialog box or using the download link. >> DOWNLOAD

2. Use our Template if required

   • Objects: List all data objects you want to include under a system.

   • Attributes: Add attribute details for each object. Use the object ID to link attributes to objects.

3. Match Data Types
   Ensure the values in the data type column match the available data types defined in the system you’re uploading to.

4. Open the System in Codoflow
   Navigate to the system where you want to upload the data and go to the Objects tab.

5. Upload the File
   Click the upload icon on the right. Or in the dialog, you can use drag and drop option. After you have uploaded the file, you can see how many objects and attributes you have. (as per the example; 4 objects, 17 attributes).

6. Merge Name

   The Merge Name format is defaulted to 'Merge' and the date MM.DD. followed by a random available number sequence. Here you can edit the Merge Name to your own reference.

   

7. Validate Entries
   Click "Validate All" to check if your entries comply with Codoflow’s data standards. This will already create a Merge Task in background.

8. Import the Data
   Once validation is complete, click "Open Merge Task".

9. Review and Approve
   Invite existing reviewers or add a new reviewer to check the data. Each reviewer must click "Approve".

   

10. Merge the Data
    Once approved, the "Merge" button becomes visible. Click it to apply the changes to your data architecture.

11. View Merge Task
    The merge task will be closed but remains available for future reference. Navigate to the Merge Task tab within the system. From here you can view the status of the SQL file upload.

Uploading data into Codoflow is simple and structured. Follow these steps to get started:

1. Check your Data first
   Before uploading your data, you can check your file formatting by downloading the example template provided by Codoflow either in the import dialog box or using the download link. >> DOWNLOAD

2. Use our Template if required
   Objects: List all data objects you want to include under a system.
   Attributes: Add attribute details for each object. Use the object ID to link attributes to objects.

3. Match Data Types
   Ensure the values in the data type column match the available data types defined in the system you’re uploading to.

4. Open the System in Codoflow
   Navigate to the system where you want to upload the data and go to the Objects tab.

5. Upload the File
   Click the upload icon on the right. Or in the dialog, you can use drag and drop option. After you have uploaded the file, you can see how many objects and attributes you have. (as per the example; 4 objects, 14 attributes).

6. Merge Name
   The Merge Name format is defaulted to "Merge" and the date MM.DD. followed by a random available number sequence. Here you can edit the Merge Name to your own reference.

   

7. Validate Entries
   Click "Validate All" to check if your entries comply with Codoflow’s data standards. This will already create a Merge Task in background.

8. Import the Data
   Once validation is complete, click "Open Merge Task".

   • Review and Approve
     Invite reviewers to check the data. Each reviewer must click "Approve".

   

9. Merge the Data
   Once approved, the "Merge" button becomes active. Click it to apply the changes to your data architecture.

10. View Merge Task
    The merge task will be closed but remains available for future reference. Navigate to the Merge Task tab within the system. From here you can view the status of the swagger file upload. Merged status is indicated by the color green.