Configuring PDI UI

PDI UI configuration settings ..

Workshop - Configuring PDI

Configure Spoon before you build transformations and jobs. Set a few defaults that speed up daily work.

You will start Spoon, review the Welcome page, and update UI options.

What You'll Accomplish:

• Start Spoon and confirm your install.

• Find docs and community links from the Welcome page.

• Update General and Look & Feel options.

• Switch perspectives and understand what changes.

You will finish with a clean, predictable workspace. You will know where to change these settings later.

Prerequisites: Pentaho Data Integration installed and ready to launch

Estimated Time: 10 minutes

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Configuring PDI UI

Use Tools > Options to configure Spoon. Start with General and Look & Feel.

1. Welcome Page

Welcome page

The Welcome page has links to:

• Documentation

• Community Forum

1. Start Pentaho Data Integration.

Windows (PowerShell)

Set-Location C:\Pentaho\design-tools\data-integration
.\spoon.bat

macOS / Linux

cd ~/Pentaho/design-tools/data-integration
./spoon.sh

1. The PDI UI - Spoon will be displayed.

Welcome screen

2. Modify Look & Feel

Kettle Options

Set a few defaults once. It reduces prompts and visual noise.

1. In Spoon, click Tools > Options.

2. Open the General tab.

kettle options - general

• Uncheck the ‘Show tips at startup?’ checkbox.

• Uncheck the ‘Use database cache’ checkbox.

• Uncheck the ‘Show repository dialog at startup?’ checkbox.

• Uncheck the ‘Ask user when exiting?’ checkbox.

1. Open the Look & Feel tab.

2. Review these settings and update as needed:

   • Grid size and snap behavior.

   • Canvas look (colors, anti-aliasing).

   • Preferred language and alternative language.

Kettle options - look & feel

https://docs.pentaho.com/pdia-data-integration/get-started-with-the-pdi-client-1/customize-the-pdi-clientdocs.pentaho.com

3. Perspectives

Perspectives

Use perspectives to switch your workspace. You can move between design and scheduling views.

Switch between:

• Designing ETL jobs and transformations

• Scheduling jobs and transformations

Click the Perspective icon in the toolbar to switch.

Perspectives

You must connect to a repository to schedule jobs and transformations.

https://docs.pentaho.com/pdia-data-integration/get-started-with-the-pdi-client-1/use-the-pdi-client-perspectivesdocs.pentaho.com