Named Connections for databases and webservices is really useful.
It allows authors of FME Workspaces to separate sensitive information into "environment configuration" that in the case of publishing to FME Server also becomes manageble in terms of authorization.
It's often the case that the logic of an FME Workspace needs to be spread to a wider group than the sensitive information.
By physically separating these, there's less risk of the sensitive information being saved where it should not.
However, there are times when Named Connections cannot be used because they are to specialized towards specific applications.
This is where this concept would have its role.
Named Values should work in the same manner as Named Connections but be very generic on the kind of value that is managed.
Probably, the managed value should in fact only be a string value.
Access to Named Value would probably have to be implemented as some kind of macro substitution or function call.
Some keys to being useful as a concept:
- It should be available to use anywhere in a Workspace
- It should be available to use in all stages of the execution of a Workspace (before, parsetime, runtime, after...)
- It should be documented clearly how not to use it, e.g. assign as an attribute to a FME Feature.
In my opinion related ideas:
https://community.safe.com/s/idea/0874Q000000TlQqQAK/detail
https://community.safe.com/s/idea/0874Q000000TkjuQAC/detail
https://community.safe.com/s/idea/0874Q000000TlGpQAK/detail
https://community.safe.com/s/idea/0874Q000000TlBAQA0/detail