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Write Scripts
To create an alternative representation for an element or connector, you write a Shape Script that defines the size, shape, orientation and color of the representation. A Shape Script contains a number of sections for defining different aspects of the shape; for an element these include:
| · | Main object |
| · | Labels |
| · | Decoration (for example, a Document element might contain an icon depicting a document) |
For a connector the sections include:
| · | Main object |
| · | Shape Source |
| · | Shape Target |
| · | Labels |
Shape Scripts operate on the basis that the default (UML) representation is used unless the script contains an alternative definition. That is:
| · | If you have a Shape Script containing just a decoration, this decoration is added on top of the normally-drawn object |
| · | If you have an empty shape routine, it overrides the default; so, a blank 'shape label' prevents the creation of the normal floating text label for elements that have them |
You can also comment your scripts using C-style comments; for example:
// C Style Single Line comment
/* Multi Line
comment supported */
Scripting is not case-sensitive: 'Shape' is the same as 'shape'.
Script Structure
Layout |
Description |
See also |
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Example of Element Script Layout |
{ // draw the object }
shape label { // draw a floating text label }
decoration <identifier> { // draw a 16x16 decoration inside the object }
The <identifier> string is an alphanumeric word.
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Example of Connector Script Layout |
{ // draw the line }
shape target { // draw the shape at the target end }
shape source { // draw the shape at the source end }
label <positionLabel> { // define the text for the label } The <positionLabel> string can be any of:
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Sub-shapes |
A shape can have Sub-shapes, which must be declared after the main Shape Script, but called from the Method commands. This is an example of the ordering for declarations:
shape main { // Initialisation Attributes - these must be noshadow = "true"; h_align = "center";
//drawing commands (Methods) rectangle(0,0,100,100); println("foo bar");
// call the sub-shape addsubshape("red", 20, 70);
// definition of a sub-shape shape red { setfillcolor(200, 50, 100); rectangle(50,50,100,100); } }
//definition of a label shape label { setOrigin("SW",0,0); println("Object: #NAME#"); }
//definition of a Decoration decoration triangle {
// Draw a triangle for the decoration startpath(); moveto(0,30); lineto(50,100); lineto(100,0);
endpath(); setfillcolor(153,204,255); fillandstrokepath();
}
The shape resulting from this script is:
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Order of declaration |
Shapes can consist of Attribute declarations, Command calls and Sub-shape definitions, which must appear in that order; that is, Attribute declarations must appear before all Command calls and Sub-shape definitions must appear last.
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Learning Center topics
| · | (Alt+F1) | Enterprise Architect | Modeling Languages | Defining Shapes | Defining an Element Shape |
