Code Generation - Manipulating Export Files

[gsherry1]

I was wondering if people have any experience on manipulating column information and parameters in the dsx and xml export files in order to achieve some flexiblity that cannot be gained in through the GUI interface.

My understanding is that after altering the export file, you would then have to import to repository, then compile before running.

Is this considered acceptable practice to do in production environment?
Are there any issues that people have had with performing such activities?

[Sainath.Srinivasan]

Code in the production environment must not be altered.

Your actions also imply that you are not sure of the change. So doing that in production adds more risk.

You may be better-off doing the change in some test env and ensuring the change works before migrating to prod.

[ArndW]

gsherry1,

manually modifying contents of .dsx or .xml export files might be complicated, but it can be done. Of course, making an error will result in the job either not importing, or not compiling/running after import. If you create a simple job wth few stages and even fewer columns, export it and go through it section by section you will get a feel for the format and realize it is not as daunting as it may first seem.

Modifying .dsx files is most definately not something to be done when loading into production, as Sainath has already stated.