Shape data sets for network diagrams

[dforeman]

I've checked to see if there was a posting on this and I haven't seen one: I read your book and have a datacenter that I'm trying to do layouts on. I wanted to standardize the shape data so that every Device had the same format and the data would facilitate usage.

Creating the shape data and using variable / standard list worked well.  . The first document I did I wound up with one quirk no matter what order I put the data in the dataset would organize the fields in alphabetical order. I thought OK it must just be me. 

So then on the next document I was greatly disappointed it that the list I first create I could not reuse. In effect I have to recreate this data set with every document now datasets are starting to get to the point of uselessness. So I went through the effort of recreating the dataset a second time.

Remembering that when I created the first set it organized the fields in alphabetical order I took a Device and modified those fields so that it would have all the data in the order of relevance.  Imagine my surprise when I created a data set from and existing device and it reordered the fields into alphabetical order AGAIN! 
I wasn't going to use this Method. After the first debacle (and that is what it is Microsoft assuming people would want their field names in alphabetical order). I was going to use a sharepoint list and link the data. But This shows in the drawing all the time. Can you imagine a vertical rack with 20 pieces of equipment and 30 fields per piece all showing up at the same time.