3.2.5 Graph Manager
The Graph Manager is a tool for inspecting links between
graphs and graph elements, deleting graphs and for exporting graphs into an
external file. To open the Graph Manager either press the
Export button
on the Launcher toolbar or select
Browsers | Graph Manager.
Figure 3–31 shows a Graph Manager
window.
Figure 3–31. Graph Manager
The Graph Manager has two
lists. The left-hand list shows the graphs of projects that are currently open
in the MetaEdit+ client. By default the graphs are ordered alphabetically, with
no hierarchy. You may change the ordering from the pull-down list above the
graphs list. Graphs can be ordered according to the hierarchy of explosion
and/or decomposition links. The right-hand list shows all currently loaded
graphs and objects.
Both lists have pop-up menus that allow you to edit the
properties of the element (
Properties... or
Edit Element...), open
it in an editor (
Open Graph or
Open Element...), and ask
information about the usage of the current design element with Info Tool
(
Graph Info or
Element Info).
Inspecting element users
Graph Manager allows you to inspect the usage of individual
elements: to see the design elements that refer to the selected element. To
inspect element users:
1) | Open
projects containing the elements to be inspected: both the used element and
possible using elements.
|
2) | Open
Graph
Manager. |
3) | Select
graphs from the left-hand list. Normally you should select all graphs (press the
Select All
button). |
4) | Press
the arrow button between the lists. This updates the right-hand list by
selecting the elements that are included into the selected graphs. It also
updates the cached list of using elements for each of the elements in the
right-hand
list. |
5) | Select
the element to be inspected by clicking it in the right-hand
list. |
6) | Choose
Show Element Users... from the pop-up menu attached to the selected
element. |
A list dialog opens showing all
elements that refer to the selected element.
Figure 3–32 shows the element usage
window for the ‘stopwatch’ Icon.
Figure 3–32. Inspecting usage of element ‘TASTW’.
From
the list you can select one or more referring elements to inspect which elements
in turn use them, or open the elements by holding
Shift down while
pressing
OK.
Deleting graphs
To delete the graphs selected in the Graph Selection list,
press the
Delete Selected button. Use this operation if you need to
delete multiple graphs at once.
Exporting graphs
The Graph Manager allows you to export the selected graphs and
their elements, along with the necessary metamodel information, either as binary
or XML format. For detailed information about MetaEdit+ export and import
capabilities, please refer to Section
5.3.