Many improvements in the Database Module...
The main evolutions of this Version
concern the Database module, providing many
improvements in the Logical Data Models. More
...
A new Diagram
available in the Object Module ...
The Diagram of collaboration is
now available in the Object
Module (UML). More
...
And for all the
modules ...
The "subscription" function,
that was only available in the conceptual and logical data models, has
been replaced by another function providing the ability to create
shortcuts between objects, to manage a single defintion of an
object that is present in several models More
...
[Patch 5.8.1]
A new
object : the free link is now available. It
enables to define every link between every kind of object, in addition
to the formalism used in each type of diagram. This
link provides a meta-model relationships extension, as the free object
provides a meta-model objects extension. More
...
[Patch 5.82]
Setting
in conformity of the CDM with the LDM : this new function enables
to impact in the conceptual data model some of the modifications
directly done in the logical data model. More
...
Database
Module
Besides a complete review of the
drivers, the following additions or improvements have been made in this
module :
New functions
Execution
of a SQL query for ODBC
Management
of the chronological account of deleted objects
Naming agreement
Impact
analysis [Patch
5.81]
Setting in
confomity of the CDM [Patch 5.82]
Improvements
Wizard
for the creation of a foreign key
Storage/Tablespace
dialog
Data types management
CDM
: check functions
Execution
of a SQL query for ODBC
This
function provides the ability to acceed to a database via ODBC, from
queries described in SQL2, , and to extract values of the columns of the
tables or to obtain the physical description of the table.
Requirement
: to have the ODBC driver of the SGBD (not supplied with Win'Design).
It is not necessary for the logical data model to square with the
database.
Activation
of the function
To activate this function, select "Database
- Execution of SQL query for ODBC" or in the pop up menu of the
table, select the function "Execution of a SQL query" for pre-défined
queries to obtain :
- The
physical description of the table : this query gives the
specification of the table and of each its columns (same
informations as thoses of a reverse engineering for the table)
- The
number of occurrences of the table : this query returns the
numbers of recordings of the table in the data base.
- The
extraction of all the occurrences of the table : this query
extracts all the occurrences of the table, with the avalue of each
column of the table (corresponding to a request as :
SELECT* for a table)
Creating
new queries
The user can create its own queries, by using the SQL language. These
queries can be saved in files, having .SQL as extension.
Results
of a query
The results of the query are displayed in a board, in the lower part of
the dialog. Each column of the board is corresponding to a column of the
selected table(s). Each line is corresponding to an occurrence of the
extraction.
Display of the query and
its results
Export of the results of
the query
The results of the query can be exported in .txt to be re-used out of Win'Design.
Wizard
for the creation of a foreign key from the graphic
Access
Select the icon "Link".
Select the table in which the foreign key must be created, then select
the table referencing the foreing key.
If
the "child" table has at least one column having the same name
as the columns of the primary key of the "parent" table, a
dialog is displayed, allowing to modify the joints on the columns of the
parent and child tables. The pre-existing column(s) having the same name
are proposed as candidates for the joint.
In
case of incomplete joint
- If
another column exists (with
a different name) in the "child" table, that can be used
for the joint, click in the column
"columns of the daughter table" to display the list of the
columns, and then select one of them.
- If
there is no column of the child table that can be used to create the
joint, a new one can be created manually. Enter its name in the
column "column of the child table" in the line of the
joint that will be created.
In
every case
- A
column of the child table can be created as a joint is created. Edit
the column "Column of the child table" and enter its name.
Management
of the chronological account of deleted objects (CDM/LDM
tranformation)
This
functions concerns exclusively the management of deleted objects in a
LDM generated from a CDM.
If one or
more objects are deleted in the LDM generated from a CMD, as this LDM is
generated again, in the same model, the deleted objects will not be
regenerated.
The function
"History of deleted objects" in the "Model" menu
displays the list of these objects, indicating the date of their
generation, deletion, author, ...
Dialog displaying the list of deleted
objects for a LDM generated from a CDM
If you want
to generate some of the deleted objects again, select them in the list
and activate the "Delete into history" button.
Modification
in the storage/tablespace dialog
The
access to the function "Create Storage/Tablespace"
is now available in the "Database" Menu (previously available
in the "Model" menu).
This
function is also available in the pop up menu of the table.
From
this dialog, you can :
-
Create
a new storage ( « Create » button) that will be directly
associated to the table.
-
Modify
an existing storage ( « Modify » button)
-
Dissociate
a storage from the table ( « Dissociate » button)
-
Associate
a new storage to the table ( « Storage » button)
Same
functionning to create or associate a tablespace.
Associate tables
to the storages or tablespaces
From
the dialog « Storage/Tablespace », select the storage or the tablespace
in the list, and then activate the
« Associate » button to display the list of the tables.
Select
the table(s) on which the storage will be applied.
Same functionning for a tablespace.
Nota :
the tables to which the storage or tablespace has been associated are
displayed in bold in the list.
Nota : to view the storages or tablespace associated to a
table, use the « Storage » button of the pop up dialog of
the table.
Options
Select
the storage or the tablespace, and then activate the « Options »
button to display the dialog « Add one option or more to the
storage ». Check
the values.
A
value different from the default one can also been created. Edit the
line in the "Values" column, and enter this value in the
corresponding field.
To validate the options, activate the "OK" button.
Nota
: The list of the options parameters and their default values are
depending on the DBMS and are defined in the driver -
"Storage" tab - "Options" button.
Datatypes
management
The new
management of the datatypes provides the ability to take into account
the datatypes of the DBMS at the creation of the LDM. Previously, the
default datatypes were those of Win'Design.
As a new LDM
is created, a dialog is displayed to choose the current DBMS. This
choice is optional.
The dialog
of options for the model has been modified, to allow the default choice
of the used datatypes, either those of Win'Design (as previously),
or those of the current DBMS.
To display this dialog, activate the
" Options - Preferences - Model ..." function -
"Types" tab.
New dialog
to select the datatype
To specify the datatype of an attribute, activate the
"Type" button from its pop up box. The dialog
"Datatype selection" is selected.
Selection
of an existing datatype
In the "Selection of the datatype" group, check the
corresponding type ( DBMS, Win'Design or User type), and then make your
choice in the liste to affect a value.
Selection
of another type
To use a datatype, different from the proposed ones, check "Other
type", and then enter its value.
Naming
agreement
This
new function provides the ability to precise the composition of the keys
and index names.
-
Primary,
foreign keys and index
This function concerns the automatic generation of the name, in
CDM transformation, or according to the links between the tables.
-
Alternative
keys and simple index
This function concerns the creation of the name as it is keyed.
Configuration
of the names composition
The configuration of the names composition is done in the Standard
profile - "Options Menu - Standard profile" ...".
Select
the "LDM" type, and then activate the
"Stereotypes/Extended characteristics" button to display the
dialog.
Select
one of the keys types in the list, and then click on the
"Naming" tab.
A
name can be composed of 3 groups of elements :
-
A
keyed prefix (ex : PK, FK, ...)
-
A
body : including one or more characteristic(s) of the meta-model
of Win'Design (ex : table name), with a possible application
of functions of the language on the meta-model (ex :
take the 4 first characters of the table = §f:Left(§c:nom_table§,4)§
). The body can contain several lines, possibily expressing several
combined functions.
A keyed sufix (ex: the database name, ...)
For
the primaray and foreign keys, the index on primary and foreign key,
the naming agreement is automatically applied as they are created.
For
the alternative keys and the simple index, its is applied as the
name is keyed, in the "Description of table"
dialog.
Nota : according to the configuration, the name of the keys which
has been composed like this, can change according to the modifications
of the values of the elements which composed them.
Impact
analysis
[Patch 5.8.1]
This
function concerns the attributes
of the CDM and the columns in the LDM.
It provides the ability through the direct or indirect links between
the elementary datas and the other objects, to help to the evaluation
of the impact of a modification or deletion of these datas.
Some
of these links are already available in the crossed references.
They are the direct links with :
-
The
container object (entity, relation, table, SQL view)
-
The
rules, in which the data is used
-
The
groups of datas or the external views in which the datas are present
-
The
constraints and comments linked to these datas
For
the LDM
Several
other indirect links are also existing in Win'Design providing
the ability to refer to a data in other objects.
Some
objects which are indirectly refered to in processing models :
-
Messages from the external views (containing elementary datas)
-
Processing from :
Messages,
containing external views
Rules used in processing (rule containing datas)
Data views on which a process is acting (entity, relation or table
refered)
Activation
of the function
This function is activated by the selection of a data (attribute or
column), and then the choice of the type of object to reach for this
analysis (choice among the list of objects having a direct or indirect
link with this data).
The
results of this analysis provides the ability to reach the different
objects in the diagram, and to create a printable report.
Using
extended characteristics
To
configure a driver
If
extended characteristics have been defined for some objects of the LDM (table,
column, key, ...), or for stereotypes (Cf. "Standard profile"
in the "Options" Menu -
"Stereotypes/Extended characteristics" function), they can
be used in the configuration of the driver, in complement with the
variables already existing in Win'Design.
The
insertion of these extended characteristics is done according to the
following syntax :
wd:"name of the
characteristic"
This
ability is interesting for the script generation, to take into account
all the specific characterics, which are not explicitely managed
by Win'Design.
Those
characteristics must be created in the standard profile as extended
characteristics for the concerned types of objects or for their
stereotypes.
In
the query system
The ability to use the extended
characteristics of all the types of objects and of their stereotypes
has been added in the queries on Win'Design repository,
The syntax to insert these variables is :
object name."name of the
extented characteristic"
Example : COMMENT."graphical
form"
CDM
: check functions
Some
of the checks on the CDM have been "released".
Until
now, the absence of identifier of the entity was considered as an error
and made the CDM/LDM transformation impossible. This check was not
modifiable.
In
the Version 5.8, it is now released as following :
Entities
having the following criteria can have no identifier :
In
the checks confirguration, the criteria :
"entity without identifier (facultative identifier)" has been
added, and its alert graduation can been modified and set as warning and
not as error.
The
other criteria "entity without identifier (required identifier)"
remains not modifiable, and set as error.
Collaboration
Diagram
The
Collaboration Diagram has been integrated in the Object
Module.
As
the Sequence Diagram, the Collaboration diagram is a diagram of
interaction. It describes the exchanges between messages and objects, in
a particular functionning of the system.
The Collaboration diagram is used to model the system context. The
Sequence diagram will then be used to develop in analysis, using
scenarii of the system.
Collaboration diagram :
example
Collaboration
diagram basic functions
The
Collaboration diagram provides all the basic functions to design and
document, as the models already managed by
Win'Design.
Main
notions : actor, object and message (send, create, procedure call, return,
asynchroneous, destroy, self destroy).
The
interactions between objects or between objects and actors are
materialized by a link, called "collaboration". This link
carry messages.
The
description of message, objects and actors is the same as in the
sequence diagram.
The collaboration link is possibly associated to a sequence diagram and
to an association of the class diagram.
The
messages are represented on the collaboration link with the icon
corresponding to the message type. Display options are available to
change the presentation.
Numbering
function
A
numbering wizard has been added for the messages in the sequence diagram.
This function provides the ability of relative and absolute numeric or
textual numbering of the messages, (examples :
1,1.1, 1.1.2, 2.1a, check.1.2, ....).
Creating
a sequence diagram from a collaboration (or vice versa)
A sequence diagram can be automatically created from a collaboration
link.
To
do so, copy the collaboration link and then past it in the sequence
diagram. The diagram is automatically drawn.
Example : sequence diagram
automatically created by pasting a collaboration link
A
collaboration diagram can also been automatically generated from a
sequence diagram by the same way.
Shortcut (Maniging
a single definition of a multi-model object)
Functionning
The shortcut
process means create a reference for an object to another one in another
model.
The referent object is written to memory in one model only. The objects
that refer to it (shortcuts) are present in other models.
Each modification on the referent object will be impacted on the
shortcuts.
The shortcut cannot be modified. Its appearence only (style and display)
can be customized.
The
creation of the shorcut can be done :
Consequences
of shortcut
creation
-
The
shortcut is pasted and takes the specific style defined to represent
the shorten objects ( "Options menu
- Display options ...").
-
An
arrow is displayed in the left upper corner of the shorten object.
-
In
the dictionary list, the shortcut is displayed with 
to express the dependency
-
In
the crossed references of the shorcut the link with the name of the
model containing the referent is displayed.
-
The
shortcut depends on its referent. Its description and
characteristics cannot be modified directly. Nevertheless, display
options different from those of the referent can be applied on it.
-
In
the pop up dialog of the shorcut, the
"display and style" tabs only are active.
-
To
display the model in which the referent is present, click on the
hyper link in the lower part of the dialog, or activate the "Show source"
button, or click on the arrow displayed in the left upper corner of
the shorcut.
Propagation
of
modifications of the referent
-
Automatic
updating
At the opening of the model, an automatic updating is applied on
the shortcuts according to their referents.
-
Manual
updating
If a modification is done on the referent, the icon 
becomes active in the pop up dialog of the shorten object. The
activation of this icon updates the shortcut.
The shortcut can also be updated from the pop up menu of the
shortcut.
Free
Link
[Patch 5.8.1]
The
free link enables to define every link between every kind of object, in addition
to the formalism used in each type of diagram. This
link provides a meta-model relationships extension, as the free object
provides a meta-model objects extension.
The free link has an extended
definition :
1 - A target can be associated with the link (file,
diagram, model, mail, …), as it can be done for the free object. The
link toward this target enables to browse from the link to its target.
It can be used as a splitting link.
2 - Other objects can be "carried" by the free link.
This characteristic is copied from the collaboration link of the UML
collaboration diagram, that enables the objects to exchange messages.
This free link extension concerns every kind of objects and diagrams.
It can thus express exchange between two objects, giving the list of
the exchanged elements.
Linking two objects
To draw a link between two objects, select 
. Click on the first object and then on the second one. By defautl the
link is drawn as a dotted arrowed link (depending on the profile
customization). The arrow avec un
flèche pointant vers le second objet relié. Spécifier le lien entre
les objets
Descriptive characteristics of the
link
To enter the descriptive characteristics, double click on the link to
display its pop up dialog.
Rôle : the role of the object in
the link, related to the other object, can be affected to it. Ex :
composed, component, located in, depending on, … This role will be
used in the crossed references of an object, to group the linked objects
having a same role. For example, an object will have its components list.
Roles which have been previously defined can be choosen in the
pulling-list.
To modify the arrowed link, use
the options in the "Arrows display" group to display the arrow
in the graphic.
Objects linked tab
This tab enables to create the list of the objects
"carried" by the link.
This capacity is copied on the collaboration link of the UML diagram,
that is used to support the message exchanges between two objects.
With the free link, every kind of objects can be exchanged.
Adding a linked object
To add an object in the list, click on " + ". The "
Target " dialog is displayed. Select the target type in the pulling
list, and then the object to link.
Creating a group
As an object is selected to be linked with the free link, a group
can be created to improve the presentation of the list.
Deleting
To delete an object in the list, select it and click on 
Displaying the linked objects in the
graphic
The linked objects can be displayed on the link in the graphic
(cf. "Display" tab). They are displayed as a text with a
little icon. Double click on the text to display the object linked (same
behaviour as a shortcut).
Setting
in conformity of the CDM with the LDM
(Patch
5.82)
This new function enables
to impact in the conceptual data model some of the modifications
directly done in the logical data model.
This
function is only available if the LDM on which modifications have been
made is issued from the CDM on which the conformity is done. In fact,
each object (table, column, ...) of the LDM contains an internal
identifier corresponding to the object (entity, relationship,
attributes) of the CDM from which it is issued. The matching of an
object of the LDM with an object of the CDM is done via this internal
identifier.
The
modifications can be modifications on the tables, columns, rules,
external data views and properties, applied on the name, the
descripbion and the data type.
For
instance
: the modification of a table name in the LDM will be impacted in the
CDM as the modification of the alias of the corresponding entity or
relationship.
The modification of the data type of a column in the LDM will be
impacted as the modification of the Win'Design data type of an
attribute in the CDM (the conversion between the DBMS datatypes
and the Win'Design datatypes is automatic).
Access :
from a LDM, "Model Menu - Setting in conformity of the CDM".
Back to top
|
Version
