The core of any iWay DQC project is a Plan file. A Plan defines the logic and rules to be applied to the input data in order to produce the desired output. Plans are created by placing steps on a canvas and connecting them. Steps can be used to read, write, transform, and analyze data, among other actions.

To create a new Plan file, select New > Plan by right-clicking a project or folder in the DQC Explorer (or use the File menu or toolbar). To start building a Plan, drag a step from the palette and drop it onto the canvas. Connect steps by dragging from the "out" endpoint of one step to the "in" endpoint of another.

You can edit properties for each step by double-clicking the step, or by right-clicking the step and clicking Edit Properties. To easily align and arrange the steps in a Plan, use the auto-layout and alignment buttons above the canvas (or select those options by right-clicking one or more steps).

You can embed Plans in other Plans in order to reuse a series of steps that have already been created. This is done by dragging the New Include object from the palette onto the canvas and selecting the Plan file to include. To connect the Included Plan to other steps in the Plan, right-click the Included Plan and click Add Step reference. Select the appropriate input or output steps from the displayed list of steps in the embedded Plan.

To use the embedded Plan, connect the steps inside the Included Plan to the steps in the containing Plan. Double-clicking the include box opens the Included Plan for editing. To return to the containing Plan, use the tabs at the bottom of the canvas.