# DMN properties panel

As in the BPMN editor, the properties column holds what the canvas does not show: identifiers, documentation, and execution properties for engines that use them.

Documentation here is the cheapest thing you can do to make a decision model survive a handover.

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## What this is for

* Documenting why a rule exists, not just what it does.
* Setting stable ids for anything referencing the model.
* Configuring Camunda execution properties.

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## How it works

| **Action**         | **How**                                               |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| Name               | The label on the diagram and in the table header.     |
| Id                 | The stable identifier used by references and engines. |
| Documentation      | Free text stored in the DMN file.                     |
| Type reference     | The data type of an input or output.                  |
| Camunda properties | Execution settings for engines that use them.         |

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## A few things that catch people out

* Document the why. The what is already visible in the table.
* Type references are not decoration; they determine which FEEL expressions are valid.
* Ids appear in engine logs. Meaningful ones save time later.

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## Related

[Import and export DMN XMLStandard files, in and out.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/import-and-export-dmn-xml.html)

[DMN keyboard shortcutsMostly table navigation.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/dmn-keyboard-shortcuts.html)

[DMN editorBack to the editor overview.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/dmn-editor.html)

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_Draw the map before writing the rules._