3.3.3 Info Tool
As models grow, the management of design elements becomes
critical. For this task MetaEdit+ contains an Info Tool that can be opened on
any element in the repository. The Info Tool provides information about the
usage of the current design element in different projects, graphs, or
representations of graphs.
An Info Tool can be opened in many ways. In a browser or
Graph Manager the Info Tool can be opened from the element’s pop-up menu.
In Property dialogs the Info Tool for the object can be opened from the
Info... button (
Figure
3–33, bottom right). In an editor, the Info Tool for the Graph can be
opened from the
Graph | Graph Info... menu item. An Info Tool can also be
opened from another Info Tool from one of its list’s pop-up menus. If an
Info Tool is opened from a dialog, it will itself be a dialog, and thus other
windows cannot be accessed while it is open. If it is opened from a normal
window, it will itself be a normal window, allowing you to switch between it and
other windows.
Two types of Info Tools are available depending whether
the design element is a graph or not. Graphs have their own Info Tool that shows
more information specific to graphs, as illustrated in
Figure 3–41.
Figure 3–41. Info Tool for graphs.
The Info Tool for
graphs provides the following information:
 | The
project that the graph belongs to. In the example figure the graph called
‘TASTW’ belongs to the ‘Digital Watch’
project. |
| Unique
Object ID of the
graph. |
| Locking
information. In the example figure the graph ‘TASTW’ is currently
not locked by
anyone. |
| The
representations that the graph has. In the example figure the graph
‘TASTW’ has only one diagram representation, made on November 2nd
2000. |
| The
elements of this graph that are also represented (re-used) in other graphs.
According to the example figure ‘AlarmClock’ is also used in graph
‘TAST’. |
| The
objects in this graph which have decompositions, and the existing
representations of those decomposition graphs. In the figure, the graph
‘TASTW’ includes five decomposed objects. Because
‘AlarmClock’ is selected, the Info Tool also shows the
representations of the target graph for the decomposition: a diagram called
‘AlarmClock’. |
| The
objects which have explosions in this graph, and the existing representations of
those explosion graphs. In the figure, the graph ‘TASTW’ does not
include any exploded objects. |
Each element in
an Info Tool has its own pop-up menu for further inspections of the properties
of that element or for opening another Info Tool on that element. Text can be
selected and copied from labels like the project, oid and user name.
Design elements other than graphs (such as objects,
relationships, roles and properties) have their own Info Tool, illustrated in
Figure 3–42 below.
Figure 3–42. Info Tool for objects etc.
This Info
Tool shows:
| The
project that the element belongs to. In the figure the state called
‘AlarmClock’ belongs to the ‘Digital Watch’
project. |
| Unique
Object ID of the
element. |
| Whether
that element itself is locked (NB elements themselves are only locked when their
decomposition graph link is changed, or properties are shared or
unshared) |
| A
Check Property Locks button which shows whether the properties of the
object are locked (editing an object locks all its properties), and allows you
to open an Info Tool for a property. (This button is not shown in the Info Tool
for a
property.) |
| A
list of representations of the element in graph representations. In the figure
‘AlarmClock’ is used in the diagram representations of two graphs.
For properties, this list shows the objects etc. that use this
property. |
