Up Previous Next Title Page Index Contents

7.6 Diagram Editor

7.6.1 Graph menu

New... lets you create a new graph with a diagram representation. It brings up a method selection dialog, where you can select the method you want to use.

Open... lets you select an existing graph and open that as a diagram.

View is a submenu that lets you open the current graph in another tool:

as Diagram
as Matrix
as Table, or to browse it with
Graph Browser.

Import Graph creates a diagram representation for all components of the opened graph. This is similar to automatically performing the ‘Add Existing’ function for all objects and relationships of the graph.

Reports is a submenu that lets you:
Run... available reports
Create new report definitions or modify existing ones in a new Report Browser.

Properties... opens a dialog for editing the properties of the graph.

Graph Info opens a tool for viewing lock information and reuse of the element among different graphs and their representations.

Print... sends the diagram shown in Diagram Editor to your default printer according to the selected view and zooming settings.

Export to is a submenu:
Clipboard as Bitmap lets you select an area of the visible diagram and export it as a bitmap to the system Clipboard.
GIF file... exports the whole diagram at the current zoom factor into a GIF file, filtering the elements if View | Selected has been chosen.
PICT file... exports the whole diagram at 100% zoom into a PICT vector graphics *.pct file, filtering the elements if View | Selected has been chosen.

Exit closes the Diagram Editor.

7.6.2 Edit menu

Most functions in the Edit menu are also available in the object pop-up menu.

Cut removes the selected elements from the diagram and places them in a buffer shared by all Diagram Editors.

Copy copies the selected elements into the buffer.

Paste adds a copy of the contents of the buffer to the current diagram. You can paste the same elements repeatedly.

Delete removes the selected element or group of elements from the diagram. If an object is deleted then all its relationships are also deleted. However, an object can not be deleted if it has a decomposition graph: you must first do Decomposition | Undo Decomposition. Note that you can set different policies for delete using the deletion options (see Section 2.1.3).

Explosions... lets you edit or follow the links from the selected element to other graphs. You can add an explosion to an existing or a new graph, open an existing explosion, or remove an explosion.

Decomposition... lets you edit or follow the links from the selected element to other graphs. You can add a new decomposition to an existing or a new graph, open an existing decomposition, or remove an decomposition.

Make into Decomposition creates a new decomposition graph to the selected elements. This is not possible function to a single element only.

Replace with Decomposition removes the decomposition graph link, copying its contents into the current graph

7.6.3 View menu

All shows all the elements with a representation in this diagram.

Selected... lets you hide or show elements of selected types from the diagram. For example, you might want to show only inheritance structures from your object diagram.

Zoom... lets you set a zoom factor for the diagram.

Zoom to Fit zooms the diagram so that it is all visible in the area of the current window.

Choose Grid... let you set the size of the grid both horizontally and vertically.

Show Grid toggles the display of the lines of the grid.

Snap to Grid forces elements to be aligned to the grid when they are created or moved.

Align to Grid aligns the elements according to the chosen grid. Note that this applies to all the elements of the diagram regardless of what is selected.

Refresh redraws the diagram.

7.6.4 Types menu

Includes a list of possible object types and relationships types. In the example figure the type menu includes the types of an OOAD Object Diagram.

Toolbar toggles the display of the object and relationship types in the toolbar.

7.6.5 Help menu

Diagram Editor opens a window showing instructions about the functions of the tool.

Method opens a window showing information about the method currently in use.

7.6.6 Drawing area pop-up menu

If none of the elements is selected from the diagram the drawing area pop-up menu will appear like this. Note that this menu like all pop-up menus can be opened with the right mouse button.

Create Object... allows you to add a new object at the selected position in the diagram.

Add Existing Object... allows you to add an existing object at the current position in the diagram.

Zoom... lets you set a zoom factor for the Diagram Editor.

Choose Grid... lets you set the size of the diagram grid both horizontally and vertically.

Paste adds a copy of the contents of the buffer to the current diagram. You can paste the same elements repeatedly.

7.6.7 Object pop-up menu

The object pop-up menu provides the basic functions for viewing, linking and deleting objects in the diagram. Most functions are also available in the Edit menu.

Properties.... lets you view and edit information about the selected object.

Connect lets you make a relationship between the selected object and another object.

Cut removes the selected element from the diagram and places it in a buffer shared by all Diagram Editors.

Copy copies the selected element into the buffer.

Delete removes the selected element from the diagram. If an object is deleted then all its relationships are also deleted. However, an object can not be deleted if it has a decomposition graph: you must first do Decomposition | Undo Decomposition. Note that you can set different policy for delete using the deletion options (see Section 2.1.3).

Explosions... lets you edit or follow the links from the selected element to other graphs. You can add an explosion to an existing or a new graph, open an existing explosion, or remove an explosion.

Decomposition... lets you edit or follow the links from the selected element to other graphs. You can add a new decomposition to an existing or a new graph, open an existing decomposition, or remove an decomposition.

Replace with Decomposition removes the decomposition graph link, copying its contents into the current graph.

Scale Symbol... allows you to change the scale factor of the selected symbol.

7.6.8 Multiple object pop-up menu

This menu is available in the drawing area when more than one element is selected.

Connect lets you make a relationship between the selected objects.

Add Existing Connection... lets you pick up a relationship that is already defined between the selected objects elsewhere in the graph and add it to this diagram representation.

Cut removes the selected elements from the diagram and places them in a buffer shared by all Diagram Editors.

Copy copies the selected elements into the buffer.

Delete removes the selected elements from the diagram. If an object is deleted then all its relationships are also deleted. However, an object can not be deleted if it has a decomposition graph: you must first do Decomposition | Undo Decomposition. Note that you can set different policies for delete using the deletion options (see Section 2.1.3).

Make into Decomposition... creates a new decomposition graph to the selected elements.

Straighten Lines removes extra points from the relationships selected, leaving a straight line between the objects.

Scale Symbols... allows you to change the scale factor of the selected symbols.

7.6.9 Relationship pop-up menu

Properties... lets you view and edit information about the selected relationship by opening a property dialog. If the relationship has no properties this has no effect.

Delete removes the selected relationship from the diagram.

Add a New Role... lets you create a new connection from the relationship to an object. Thus, with this function you can create an n-ary relationship from a binary one. Note that n-ary relationships are method dependent and thus this selection will not work with all methods.

Explosions... lets you edit or follow the links from the selected relationship to other graphs. You can add an explosion to an existing or a new graph, open an existing explosion, or remove an explosion.

Straighten Line removes extra points from the relationship selected, leaving a straight line between the objects.

Scale Symbol... allows you to change the size of the relationship symbol.

7.6.10 Role pop-up menu

Properties.... lets you view and edit information about the selected role by opening a property dialog. If the role has no properties this has no effect.

Delete removes the selected role from the relationship. For example, with this function you can create a binary relationship from an n-ary relationship.

Explosions... lets you edit or follow the links from the selected role to other graphs. You can add an explosion to an existing or a new graph, open an existing explosion, or remove an explosion.

Up Previous Next Title Page Index Contents