Type identifier Type name
<< Qualifier >>
The Type Viewer shows SDL-92 types and type instances in the current system and how they relate to each other.
This chapter contains a reference manual to the Type Viewer; the functionality it provides, its menus, windows and symbols.
An object in the Type Viewer is either a type or an instance of a type. Both of these may be referred to as a type in the Type Viewer and in this chapter. For each type object, the following attributes can be presented:
You can hide or show each of the last three text items. By default, the type identifier and the type name is shown.
You can open an SDL Editor by double clicking on a symbol in the Type Viewer. If a type symbol is double clicked, an SDL Editor is opened with that type diagram. If an instance symbol is double clicked, an SDL Editor is opened with the diagram that contains the instance.
The Type Viewer has two windows, the main window and the Tree window, which present the type information in the system in two different ways. The main window lists the type objects without showing inheritance or redefinition relations between them, whereas the Tree window shows such relations for a type object in a tree form. Both windows can display all of the object attributes above, but in somewhat different ways.
The Main window is opened when the Type Viewer is started, whereas the Tree window is not opened initially. The general characteristics of these windows are described in User Interface and Basic Operations.
When the Type Viewer is started, it automatically reads in the type information of the current system. If, for any reason, there are problems reading the type information, you are warned in a dialog and details can be found in the Organizer log window. You may update the Type Viewer at any time, with the Update command.
The Type Viewer obtains the information about what types are defined in the SDL scope from the SDT Information Server. The Information Server updates its contents each time an SDL diagram is saved. When the diagram is saved, the Analyzer is invoked and produces a mirrored image which is an SDL-PR description of the SDL-GR diagram. That information is then loaded into the Information Server which serves the Type Viewer with information upon request. All of this is done automatically without the user having to bother about performing any actions.
Any errors are appended to the Organizer log window. For a reference to error messages that may be produced by the Information Server, see Information Server Error Messages.
The main window's drawing area contains a simple line-oriented list of all types in the current SDL system. No inheritance or redefinition relations are shown. The object attributes are listed in the following way (see Figure 416):
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Type identifier Type name |
The qualifier is displayed within double angle brackets on a single text line, with slashes separating the path items.
In the list, the type objects are sorted alphabetically according to the diagram type, object type and type name, i.e. all objects of the same diagram type are grouped together.
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When you select a type or instance in the main window, the Tree window is updated and displays the relation trees that contain the selected type/instance. If the Tree window has not been opened earlier in the same Type Viewer session, the Tree window is opened automatically.
The File menu contains the following menu choices:
Updates the type list in the main window and the type trees in the Tree window, according to the possibly changed SDL diagrams (see Updating the Type Viewer).
This command should be used whenever changes that might have an impact on the type inheritance are applied to any of the SDL diagrams contained in the diagram structure.
The View menu contains the following menu choices:
Sets options for which parts of the main window to show. The dialog controls whether to show the tool bar and the status bar.
Sets options for which symbols to include in the list in the main window. The dialog controls whether to show Instance symbols (type symbols are always shown).
Sets options for which attributes to show for each type object in the list in the main window. The dialog controls whether to show the Qualifier, the Type identifier, and the Name of the types and instances.
Issues a dialog where the scale for the main window may be set.
The Tools menu contains the following menu choices:
Searches for a visible text in the type list shown in the Main window.
Figure 417 : The Search dialog
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If the search reaches the end of the list, you are asked whether to continue the search from the top of the list or not.
If the text cannot be found among the visible information, you are informed in a confirmation dialog.
Searches again for the same text as in the latest search. The behavior is the same as described in Search.
Shows the selected type or instance in an SDL Editor. If a type symbol is selected, an SDL Editor is opened with that type diagram. If an instance symbol is selected, an SDL Editor is opened with the diagram that contains the instance.
Opens or raises the Tree window. The type or instance selected in the Main window becomes selected in the Tree window.
The following tables lists the menu choices in the Main window popup menus and a reference to the corresponding menu choice in the menu bar.
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Search |
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Search Again |
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Show Type Trees |
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Search |
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Search Again |
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Show in Editor |
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Show Type Trees |
Apart from the general keyboard accelerators, the following accelerator can be used in the main window:
| Accelerator | Reference to corresponding command |
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Ctrl+E |
The Tree window's drawing area visualizes inheritance and redefinition relations between types by presenting the types and instances in a tree form. There are two types of trees displayed in the Tree window:
The two trees for a certain type are often, but not always, identical. The Type Viewer supports you by checking if they are identical; if so, they are shown as one tree. When the Inheritance and Redefinition trees are different, both are shown separately. Each tree has a header identifying which type of tree it is.
The object attributes are listed vertically in the trees in the following way (see Figure 418):
The qualifier is displayed in italics in a multi-line form, with each path item on a separate line. No angle brackets or slashes are used.
In the tree, the type objects with the same parent are placed from left to right alphabetically according to the diagram type and object type. The exact placing is based on the type name, as well as the appearance of the objects' substructure.
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The Tree window is updated when the selection in the Main window is changed. The Tree window is updated to show the Inheritance and Redefinition trees in the system that contain the type/instance that is selected in the Main window. The first occurrence of that type/instance also becomes selected in the Tree window.
It is possible to view all Inheritance and Redefinition trees in the current system at once in the Tree window (see Show All Trees). The trees are lined up vertically in the same drawing area.
The File menu contains the following menu choices:
The View menu contains the following menu choices:
Expands the selected object one level down.
Expands the selected object as much as possible.
Expands all visible trees as much as possible.
Collapses the selected object, i.e. hides all child objects. If there is no selected object, the menu choice is named Collapse All. Collapse All collapses all trees in the window.
Sets options for which parts of the Tree window to show. The dialog controls whether to show the tool bar and the status bar.
Sets options for which symbols to include in the trees in the Tree window. The dialog controls whether to show instance symbols (Type symbols are always shown).
Sets options for which attributes to show for each symbol in the trees in the Tree window. The dialog controls whether to show the Qualifier, the Type identifier, and the Name of the types and instances.
Shows type trees for all types in the system.
Issues a dialog where the scale for the Tree window may be set.
The Tools menu contains the following menu choices:
Searches for a text in the type trees shown in the Tree window.
Figure 419 : The Search dialog
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If the search reaches the end of the trees, you are asked whether to continue the search from the first tree.
If the text cannot be found, you are informed in a confirmation dialog.
Searches again for the same text as in the latest search. The behavior is the same as described in Search.
Shows the selected type or instance in an SDL Editor. If a type symbol is selected, an SDL Editor is opened with that type diagram. If an instance symbol is selected, an SDL Editor is opened with the diagram that contains the instance.
Raises the Type Viewer's Main window.
The following tables lists the menu choices in the Tree window popup menus and a reference to the corresponding menu choice in the menu bar.
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Search |
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Search Again |
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Show All Trees |
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Show Type Viewer |
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Expand All |
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Collapse All |
Collapse all top objects in all trees. |
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Search |
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Search Again |
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Show in Editor |
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Show All Trees |
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Show Type Viewer |
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Expand |
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Expand Substructure |
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Collapse |
Apart from the general keyboard accelerators, the following accelerator can be used in the Tree window:
| Accelerator | Reference to corresponding command |
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Ctrl+E |