Categorizing Your Data

Article
06/02/2010

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Vista

You can create, modify, and assign categories to all of your applications, computers, devices, Web sites, and updates, to create a more customized Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) compatibility report and to use for filtering purposes. By default, Microsoft provides categories for software vendor and test complexity.

Software vendor can be a useful category because you might have varying relationships with each of your vendors. Being able to generate reports and groupings by software vendor can be helpful when having discussions with that vendor and evaluating their performance with regard to your compatibility needs.
Test complexity can be useful for planning and assigning resources. Applications with higher complexity might require additional resources or help to make support decisions. For example, you might assign additional resources to a Critical application with an elevated test complexity but also remove a Nice-to-Have application with an elevated test complexity from the supported software list.
Unit of deployment is another commonly used set of categories that can include subcategories such as Division and Region. Typically, this category enables you to track the software needs of one unit of deployment so that, as the necessary software is tested and approved, that deployment unit can proceed. Your organization might choose a different naming convention for this information based on the needs of your specific situation.

Because the category option is a completely extensible multiple-selection string value, it can potentially be used for almost anything. A creative use of this option might be to create a category for signoff from multiple owners so that software can be authorized only when all categories have been selected, indicating that each group has signed off.

Creating New Categories and Subcategories

You can create new categories and subcategories from both the report and report-details screens.

Note

For this topic, we are going to use the <Operating_System> - Application Report screen and the <Application_Name> dialog box. However, the process is the same for computers, devices, updates, and Web sites.

Note

After you create a category and subcategory, they can be assigned to specific applications, computers, devices, Web sites, or updates. For more information, see Assigning Data to a Category and Subcategory.

To create a new category or subcategory

On the <Operating_System> - Application Report screen, click the application name for which you want to add a category or subcategory.
On the Actions menu, click Assign Categories.

The Assign Categories dialog box appears.
Click Category List.

The Category List dialog box appears.
In the Categories or Subcategories area of the Category List dialog box, click Add.

A new category, named NewCategory1 or NewSubcategory1, appears.
Type your new category or subcategory name, and then click outside the active text area.

Important

A category will not appear in the Assign Categories dialog box unless it has at least one subcategory.

Click OK after you have added all of your required categories and subcategories to close the Category List dialog box, and then click OK to close the Assign Categories dialog box.

Renaming Categories and Subcategories

If you want to modify the name of a category or subcategory, you can rename the item by using the Category List dialog box.

To rename a category or a subcategory

On the <Operating_System> - Application Report screen, click the application name for which you want to rename a category or subcategory.
On the Actions menu, click Assign Categories.

The Assign Categories dialog box appears.
Click Category List.

The Category List dialog box appears.
In the Categories or Subcategories area of the Category List dialog box, select the item you want to rename, and then click Rename.
Type the new name, and then click outside the active text area.
Click OK after you have renamed the selected categories and subcategories to close the Category List dialog box, and then click OK to close the Assign Categories dialog box.

Deleting Categories and Subcategories

If you no longer require a category or subcategory, you can delete the item by using the Category List dialog box.

Important

If you want to delete a category, you must first delete all of its associated subcategories. In addition, any item that is assigned to that deleted category will be returned to an uncategorized state. Finally, deleting a category or subcategory is permanent, so if you do this in error, you must recreate it by using the steps provided in the "Creating New Categories and Subcategories" section earlier in this topic.

To delete a category or a subcategory

On the <Operating_System> - Application Report screen, click the application name for which you want to delete a category or subcategory.
On the Actions menu, click Assign Categories.

The Assign Categories dialog box appears.
Click Category List.

The Category List dialog box appears.
In the Categories or Subcategories area of the Category List dialog box, select the item you want to delete, and then click Remove.
Click OK after you have deleted the selected categories and subcategories to close the Category List dialog box, and then click OK to close the Assign Categories dialog box.

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