Ability
to extend the meta-model ...
Win’Design Version
5.6 provides ability to extend
the Meta-model, with the generalization of stereotypes and
extended characteristics, in association with the graphic
customization of the objects.
This allows to :
- Customize the objects according
to their context of use (mapping, BPM, UML,
…)
- Enhance the adaptation and the
opening to the different modeling formalisms and their
evolutions
- Improve the models presentation,
to make them more readable and comprehensible, to provide a better
sharing of the information and a better communication
The
graphic options
How
does it work ?
The display
options of the characteristics and style options of the objects, can be
defined :
-
As
a standard : this
standard will be applied on all the models (these options are saved in
an external file).
-
In
a model : in
each model, modifications and adaptations can be done on the standard.
They are specified for a type of object and are valid for the whole
model (including its diagrams).
-
In
a diagram : In each diagram, modifications and adaptations
of the standard can be done or specific options defined. They
are specified for a type of object and are valid for the current
diagram only.
-
On
the object : graphical
options and specific style can be applied on each graphic
representation of the object, as an exception to the options of
the model, diagram or standard.
Display
options
These
options concern the characteristics of the type of object that will be
graphically displayed.
Three
kinds of characteristics :
-
Shared by all the objects : name, alias, description, stereotype
-
Specific to the object : ex : data type for an
attribute, organizational mode for a task, visibility for an
operation, …
-
Some marker as the icons : ex : showing the
existence of an annotation, a notepad, associated files,
…
Particular points
The display
options of the attibutes in the CDM, columns in the LDM and Class
Diagram are defined in the object in which they are contained :
entity, table, class, …
Style
options
These
options affect the appearence and the presentation of the graphic symbol
-
Text : font,
number of display lines
-
Line :
style and color
-
Background :
color and motif
-
Shape :
Pre-defined standard shape used by default or replaced by an image
or a custimized shape (list)
-
Graphic
behaviour : size (keep the size or adapt it to the length of the
text within), associated icon, container (every object placed on the
surface of the container, will be moved with it)
Applying
conditions
By
default
The display and style options are applied on the object type.
On
criterion
Some options can have a conditionnal activation, defined on the
checking of an expession.
This expression is based on the values of some characteristics of the objects (Ex :
required column, non implemented foreign key, abstract class,
…).
On
stereotype
Specific display and style options can be applied on each stereotype.
Defining
the options
To
define or modify a standard profile (set of general options for
the whole model), use the function « Options – Standard Profile »
in the « Options » menu, then choose in the list the type
of models on which the options will be applied, and then press the
« Graphic options » button.
Menu for defining the
options of the model
To
define or modify options of the model,
diagram or selection, use
the function « Graphic options – Selection – Diagram – Model »
of the « Options » menu.
Menu for defining the graphic
options of
the selection, diagram or model
For
each object, the options are displayed in the pop up, in the
"Display" and "Style" tabs.
Most of the style options
are also available in the
« Style » tool bar, when objects are selected.
Defining
a graphic option
Use the "Options"
menu.
The "Graphic
options" dialog displays in its left part the list of all the types
of objects available in selected type of model.
"Graphic options" dialog (LDM)
To define an option,
choose a type of object (by example : table).
In the right part of the
dialog, the display and style options are displayed in 2 tabs :
Display
tab
This tab displays in a 3
columns table :
-
« Display
filter » : display the list of the characteritics of the objects
that can be displayed in the graphic.
-
« Display » :
chek box, showing if the characteristic is displayed or not
-
« Defined »
: show the level of the option creation or modification
(standard, model, diagram, selection).
"Display" tab
for the "Table" in LDM
Particular
options
Icon, annotation and
associated files
This option allows to
display mini icons beside the graphic representation of the object,
showing that an annotation, a notepad or files have been associated to
this object.
Selection of the display
option of mini icons as markers for annotation, note pad
or associated files
The relevant icons are
the only ones that are displayed.
These 2 icones indicate
that
a notepad and an annotation have been created for thi table
Benefits
of this disposal
-
Allows
to view at once the objects having these characteristics
-
When the
cursor is on one of these icons, the text is displayed in a bubble
-
A doucle
clic on the icon displays the dialog (text or associated files)
-
Same
graphic behaviour in the intranet documentation site.
Bubble
"Annotation"
Other
icons
According
to the objects, a mini icon prefixes the name of the object to mark its
particular kind.
Icons display options
For example :
a key in front of the primary key of a table, a ring in front the
foreign key, a padlock in front of a protected column of a class,
…
 
Illustration of a table
an a class with icons displayed
Particular
case of contained objects
This
concern the dataitems of entities and relationships in the CDM,
the columns in the LDM and Class Diagram.
The
display options of these objects are defined from their container (entity,
relationship, table and class).
Display options of the
culumns, keys and index defined from the container (in this case : a table)
The
presentation of the characteristics of these objects is specific and
allows, for example, to display on the same line, for each column of a
table, its name, alias, type and possibly letters marking some
particular characteristics (calculated, stable, ...).
Style
tab
This tab
displays a 3 columns list :
"Style" tab
-
« Display
style » : displays the list of all the styles available for the
object (font, appearence, shape, ….)
-
"Value" :
The values are defined one by one by unfolding the style columns.
For each style item the value can be entered directly in the
"Value" column or in the dialog, displayed with a click on
« … ». The dialog groups several items allowing to
affect several values at once.
-
« Defined »
: indicates where the option has been defined or modified (standard, model,
diagram, selection).
To apply an option, double
click on "..." in the concerned column, to display the
dialog (font, color,
motif, ...), or unfold the node by clicking on "+" to display
all the available options.
Style tab - Font
Specific
options of font can be applied (type, size, color, style, ...) on :
stereotype, name, alias and descriptions.
Applying a style of font on
the name display
The other
items share the same style, defined in « Other fonts ».
For some
items (name, alias, ...), the text can be displayed on 1, 2 or 3
lines.
Display of the name on 2
lines
Style
tab - Graphic
This
concerns the background of the object (style, motif, color), the line (style,
color), highlight & shading.
Selection of a background
color
Customized
symbol
Each
kind of object has a pre-defined graphic shape, corresponding to the
standard of the formalism.
The
« Customized symbol » option allows to change this graphic
shape.
The
customized symbol can be an image or another geometrical shape choosen
in a list.
Association of a
customized symbol, in this case : a pre-defined geometrical shape
As
the choice of the shape has been done, its size, the positioning of the
text and the variation or the size according to the text can also be
specified.
Benefits
This is particularly interesting for all the polyvalent objects
(comment, constraint, free object, …), and also as a complement to the
style options to bright out objects meeting a criterion (Cf.
changing of the shape according to the stereotype or to the
characteristics of the objects), and allows an adpatation to the
evolution of the formalism associated
to the modeling methods.
Example of polyvalent
objects on which style
and display options have been applied
Example on the objects
of the Class Diagram
Style
tab - Graphic
behaviour
This
group of options allows to :
-
Associate
an icon to the graphic symbol.
-
To
specify if the size of the graphic symbol is calculated on the lengh
of the inner text
-
To
say if the symbol can be a container : the objects contained
are moved with the container.
Options ceoncerning
the graphic behaviour of the object
Defining
a graphic option on a criterion
By
default, the style and display otpions are applied on the type of the
object.
Some
options can have a conditionnal activation, defined on the checking of
an expession.
This expression is based on values of some characteristics of the
objects (Ex : required column, non implemented foreign key,
abstract class, …).
Creating
a new option
Select at
first a type of object (required column) and click on « + ».
A wizard allows to name the new graphic option (ex. required column) and
to define the expression, that will condition the applying of this
option.
Adding a graphic
option - Meta-model wizard
The
meta-model wizard displays :
-
The
language items that can be used in the expression (operator,
constant, function). This language has already been used in Win’Design
in the UML module, to generate target languages.
-
The
list of all the characteristics of the selected type of object.
-
The
global characteristics : that means all the characteristics
shared by all the objects (name, alias, description, …)
-
Possibly,
specific characteristics (data type, length, default value, …)
-
The extended
characteristics.
The
expression can be built by double clic on the characteristics, operators
and functions or by direct keying.
If the
characteristics have a list of pre-determined values, these values can
be edited and selected for the expression evaluation.
As the
option has been defined, specify the display and style options, to
customize the graphic appearence of the objects matching these
criterions.
Defining the expression,
and applying display and style options
Defining
a graphic option on stereotype
The
stereotypes that have been defined are displayed below the corresponding
type of object.
By default,
the graphic options are those of the type of object. Specific options
can be applied on each stereotype.
Nota :
options on criterion can be associated to the stereotypes. These options
will be applied on all the objects of a same stereotype, matching the
defined criterion.
Extended
characteristics
The
meta-model of Win'Design contains the description of all the types of
objects that can be used for the different modelings.
Each
kind of model (CDM, LDM, Processing models, Class diagrams,
...) contains :
-
Some
specific type of objects (ex: entity in CDM, table in LDM, process
in a Processing Model, class in a Class Diagram)
-
Some
objects shared by several models (comment, constraint, free object, ....).
Each
type of object is defined by a set of characteristics :
-
Shared
by all the objects (name, alias, description, annotation text,
notepad, associated files, …)
-
Specific
to the object: ex : data type for a column, organizational mode
for a task, visibility for an operation,
…
Win’Design
offers now the ability to extend the definition of the type of objects
of the meta-model, by adding new characteristics called "Extended
characteristics".
For
example : adding calculating or quantification items in the
Processing models, adding specific characteristics to the interface in
the data models, and of course, to customize the description of free
objects (those having the definition shared by all the objects by
default).
Creating
extended characteristics for an object
The
creation of the extended characteristics is done in the standard profile
(« Options » menu), for a type of model and a selected type
of object.
Selection of a type
of model, and then a type of object
To
create the extended characteristics, use the right part of the dialog.
It
can be created directetly in the table or with a wizard (« + »
button), allowing to name and describe the characteristic, to insert it
in a group, to specify its type (boolean or string), and then to specify
its constraints of values (list of the available values, required,
facultative, default value).
Wizard for the
creaton or modification of extended characteristics
Those
characteristics can be grouped (one depth level) to organize their
presentation by nature or theme.
The
extended characteristics can be defined at the object type level or at
each stereotype level. In this case, the stereotype inherits the
characteristics defined for the object.
Using
extended characteristics
The
"Extended characteristics" tab has been added in the pop up
dialog of each object represented in a model. It displays the list of
all the characterists (including the inherited characteristics).
The
« Value » column displays, according to the type : a
check box for a boolean type, a field for the strings, and a pulling
list in case of a list of values.
The
values are possibly filled with the default value.
Stereotypes
What
is a stereotype ?
A
stereotype allows to create categories of a type of object : (ex :
"Decision process" is a stereotype of "Process", "System
table" is a stereotype of "Table", ...). It inherits the
behaviour and all the characteristics of the type of the object.
One
can also associate to it :
-
Specific
characteristics, called " extended characteristics ", that
will be usable only for the category represented by the stereotype
-
Specific
display and style graphic options.
Creating
a stereotype almost means defining a new type of object in the
meta-model.
Creating
a stereotype
To
create stereotypes, select "Standard profile" in the
"Options" menu, then the type of model an a type of object.
Creating
a new stereotype for the "Constraint" object
The
stereotype is defined by a name and a description. It is displayed under
its « sur-type » in the list.
Stereotypes
of stereotype can also be created
(no level limit) to create groups of objects.
Group
of stereotype "Hardware" - Stereotype of stereotype "Printer,
computer, ..."
Specific
characteristics can be definied for each stereotype. It will also
inherit the extended characteristics defined for the type of object or
for the upper stereotypes.
Adding
extended characteristics for the stereotype "Business rule"
Particular
display
and style options can also been applied on the stereotype.
Using
stereotypes
In
the pop up dialog of each object, a stereotype can be added or selected.
The
selection of a stereotype will possibly change the graphic
representation of the object.
Harmonization
of the pop up dialogs
In
the Database module, all the properties dialogs of the
objects (pop up dialogs) have been harmonized with the dialogs of the Procedure
et Object modules :
Pop up of a table - "Style"
Tab
New
languages available
In
the Object module, classes can now be decribed in the
following languages :
C#,
C++, Delphi, Java, PHP 4.0, VBNet, XML-DTD, XML Schéma
Selection of the target
language
Call of the language
configuration dialog
Target language
configuration
New
options available to customize the presentation of the intranet
documentation
More
options to customize your intranet documentation :
- Insertion of a Header and footer
- Themes of presentation library.
The user can also create its personal theme of presentation
- Language used for the
presentation of the intranet documentation on option
- Some blocks of informations can be
generated or not in the descriptive sheet of the object (administration
block, volume)
Choosing the blocks of information
Choosing theme
Choosing the language used
to generate
of presentation for
the intranet documentation
|
Version 5.6
