What are Snapshot Codes and Groups?

Snapshot Codes

A snapshot code transforms a smart code into a regular code. This code preserves the current state of a smart code at the moment of its creation, like taking a photograph that captures the moment, and creates direct links to all quotations.

  • A snapshot code is displayed in the margin area.
  • A snapshot code can be used for coding.

You can create a snapshot code from a smart code. This can be useful for data analysis when you build queries.

Another application is to use this option for fixing code systems when code groups have been used as categories. This often leads to underdeveloped code systems, long list of codes and limited use of the further analysis tools. To fix this, you first need to turn all code groups into smart codes using the query tool. Then you create snapshot codes from these smart codes, transforming the code groups into regular codes. In the next step, the members of the code groups can be turned into sub codes by adding prefixes and merged as appropriate. See Building a Code System.

Snapshot Groups

A snapshot group transforms a smart group into a regular group. This group preserves the current state of a smart group at the moment of its creation, like taking a photograph that captures the moment, and creates direct links to all members.

Application: It can for example be useful if you want to remove documents from a project that are part of a smart group. As long as they are part of the smart group, this is not possible. In order not to lose the combination of documents as defined by the smart group, you can turn it into a snapshot group, delete the smart group and then delete the document(s) that you no longer want from the project.