1. In a computing environment, a method of performing development activities on a data flow, the method comprising: receiving metadata about the data flow, wherein the data flow comprises information regarding a data type input data from a source device, definitions of data manipulation by the transformation component, and a data type of output data to a destination device; caching, by a transform device, the metadata to form cached metadata, the cached metadata including the type of the input data and the type of the output data; determining that the source device is not in communication with the transform device; and after determining that the source device is not in communication with the transform device: performing, by the transform device, development activities on the data flow by using the cached metadata to identify the type of at least one datum of the input data, wherein performing development activities includes altering data transform applied to the input data to form a new transform; applying, by the transform device, the new transform to form transformed data; transmitting the transformed data to the destination component; and after determining that the source component is no longer in communication with the transform device, determining that the source component is again in communication with the source device.