Please note : This help page is not for the latest version of Enterprise Architect. The latest help can be found here.

Working with Marker Sets

Marker sets enable you to create markers as a named group, which you can reapply to a code file for specific purposes.

You can perform certain operations from the Breakpoints & Events window alone, but to understand and use markers and marker sets you should also display the appropriate code file in the Source Code Viewer (click on the Class element and press (F12)).

Access    Analyzer | Breakpoints & Events: Set Options toolbar icon

Topics

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Detail

See also

Example of Use

You might create a set of Method Auto Record markers to record the action of various functions in the code, and a set of Stack Capture markers to record the sequence of calls that cause those functions to be called.

You could then create Sequence diagrams from the recordings under each set.

 

Marker Types

Create a Marker Set

To create a marker set from the Breakpoints & Events window, click on the drop-down arrow on the Set Options icon (VEA-BPSetOptions) and select the New Set option.

The New Breakpoint Marker Set dialog displays; in the Enter New Set Name field, type a name for the set, and click on the Save button.

The set name displays in the text field to the left of the Set Options icon.

Alternatively, you can either:

Create a Class Activity marker set or
Select the Save as Set option from the Set Options drop-down, to make an exact copy of the currently-selected set, which you can then edit

 

Recording Activity for a Class

Accessing Sets

To access a marker set, click on the drop-down arrow on the text field to the left of the Set Options icon, and select the required set from the list.

The markers in the set are listed in the Breakpoints & Events window.

You would normally load a marker set prior to the point at which an action is to be captured.

For example, to record a sequence involving a particular dialog, when you begin debugging you would load the set prior to invoking the dialog; once you bring up the dialog in the application, the operations you have marked are recorded.

 

 

Add Markers to Set

To add markers to a marker set, add each required marker to the appropriate line of code in the Source Code Viewer.

The marker is immediately added to whichever set is currently listed in the Breakpoints & Events window.

Each marker listed on the dialog has a checkbox in the Enabled column; newly-added markers are automatically enabled, but you can disable and re-enable the markers quickly as you check the code.

 

Set Record Markers

Storage of Sets

When you create a marker set it is immediately saved within the model; any user using the model has access to that set.

However, the Default set, which always exists for a model, is a personal workspace, is not shared and is stored external to the model.

 

 

Delete a Marker from a Set

Right-click on the marker and select the Delete Breakpoint context menu option.

 

 

Delete a Set

If you no longer require a marker set, access it on the Breakpoints & Events window and select the Delete Selected Set option from the Set Options drop-down list.

You can also clear all user-defined  marker sets by selecting the Delete all sets option; a prompt displays to confirm the deletion.

 

 

Notes

Marker Sets are very simple and flexible but, as they are available for use by any user of the model, they can be easily corrupted; consider the following guidelines:
When naming a set, use your initials in the name and try to indicate its use, so that other model users can recognize its owner and purpose
When using a set other than Default, avoid excessive experimentation so that you don't add lots of ad-hoc markers to the set
Make sure you are aware of which marker set is exposed in the Breakpoints & Events window, as you can easily inadvertently add markers to the set that are not relevant to the code file the set was created for
In any set, if you have added markers that don't have to be kept, delete them to maintain the purpose of the set; this is especially true of the Default set, which can quickly accumulate redundant ad-hoc markers

Learning Center topics

(Alt+F1) | Execution Analysis | Recording Execution | Creating a Marker Set
(Alt+F1) | Execution Analysis | Recording Execution | Enable a Marker Set