5.3 Method integration
One of the most powerful features of MetaEdit+ is that you can
integrate methods and therefore also design information based on those methods.
Basically, the integration features allow you to link and reuse
data across different methods, maintaining a flow of information between
different methods.
By linking we mean that you can link object elements to
other graphs. Linking
of objects to graphs is
accomplished by using either decomposition structures or explosion structures
(see Sections
5.2.7 and
5.2.8 for more detail).
A typical example of decomposition can be found from most
structured methods in which a process in a Data Flow Diagram can be decomposed
into a subdiagram. Also, most of the object diagrams found in MetaEdit+ support
decomposition of objects and their relationships into new graphs.
All object-oriented methods also include an example of an
explosion structure: Classes or Objects can be exploded into a State Transition
Diagram in which the behaviour of the particular object is specified.
Another important feature is
reuse
. You can reuse
either:
 | whole
objects,
or |
 | properties. |
Reuse
of an object means that you can use the same design information stored in the
object in other graphs, even if they are in different projects. In line with the
principles of reuse, if you change the specifications of the reused object in
one graph, it automatically updates changes to other graphs even if they were
originally made with a different method. For example, a Business Process defined
in a Value Chain during a business modelling task can also be used as a process
to define information system architectures (e.g. with the BSP method).
To test reuse of objects:
1) | Open
a graph with any tool (i.e. Diagram Editor, Matrix Editor, Table
Editor) |
2) | Select
the Add Existing... command. In Diagram Editor this is done by pressing
the ‘shift’ key and at the same time clicking in the drawing area
with the left mouse button (or by selecting Add Existing Object... from
the pop-up menu of drawing area: note that all elements should be unselected).
In Matrix Editor and Table Editor select Add Existing... directly from
the object related pop-up
menu. |
3) | Select
any object from the dialog that opens. |
You
can also re-use elements from other graphs made with different methods by
selecting ‘Get an object from another graph’ or ‘Get an object
of a type legal in this graph’ from the dialog. The first allows you first
to browse available graphs and then to select from them which graph elements are
to be reused. The second lets you search for elements of a specific type, such
as to find any currently loaded Entity.
Reuse of properties allows a more detailed reuse option:
you do not need to reuse whole objects but you can instead just reuse some of
the object’s properties. For example, a message name in an object diagram
can be shared as the method name of another object.
To try out reuse of properties:
1) | Open
a dialog for any existing object or relationship in any
tool. |
2) | Move the
cursor to the field to be reused (text
field). |
3) | Open a
pop-up menu by pressing the right mouse button and select Share
Property....
|
4) | Select any
text specification to be shared from the dialog that
appears. |
After property sharing the object
refers to the shared property and therefore any changes to the property will
affect that property in every place where it is used.