If you look at my desk, my addiction will present itself to you clearly.  I love sticky notes – any kind, color, or shape. My bottom desk drawer is full of notepads – some never used because I think they are too pretty to write on. The best Christmas gift I ever received you ask?  A box of 15 sticky notepads with my name on each sheet – it was paradise.

The reason I love my note pads – especially the sticky ones – is because I can record a quick thought or even a complete list and then attach it somewhere.  Super important notes find their way to my monitor.  If I’m reading a technical document, it probably has all kinds of sticky notes hanging on it. Some are ideas I want to remember and maybe one to just keep my place.

I am only making this confession so you understand why I love the SAS Enterprise Guide Note feature so much.

Get Your Own Virtual Notepad

To add a Note to your project, just select File > New > Note. The Note appears next to the object you had selected.  So if you had the Process Flow selected (or there is nothing else in the project) the Note attaches there.  If you  had a program file or task selected, it attaches there.   You can rename the note so it makes more sense.

3 Ways to Use the Feature

Here’s three ways I use this feature to help myself be more productive.

1 – Task Tracking

Usually I need to remember to do something the next time I open the project.  In a past job, each week the code would kick out orders that the auditor would think the code should have approved.  The note would keep the orders with the code. This may seem trivial but in this case I needed special code to  link to where the data was kept. The linking information changed weekly, so I would create a project to hold the information.

2 – Planning

When you begin to write some code, ideally you have a plan.  Use the Note area as a way to plan the code along with any tasks that you have to do.  For instance, you may need to call another developer for help or follow up on some information.  The note gives you a way to keep everything organized and in one place.

3 – Communication

If you need to hand off the project, then use the note as a way to communicate.  You can add details about how to access a server or what to do if something goes wrong.  There may be some follow up tasks you want the other person to complete – so it is a way to communicate the current status of the code.

Your Ideas

Do you use this feature in an interesting way?  Or do you have some other ideas – tell me in the comments!

Tags: Coding Tips, Enterprise Guide