Element Context Menu Operations

Extensions

Select this option to access a submenu of enabled Technologies on the system (for example, ArcGIS or TOGAF), each of which provides options for performing technology-specific operations on the element.

This option is available in the Professional, Corporate and all Extended editions of  Enterprise Architect.

Properties

Select this option to open the 'Properties' dialog for the selected element.

For State Lifeline and Value Lifeline elements, the 'Configure Timeline' dialog displays.

For a Required Interface element, the 'Exposed Interface' dialog displays.

Shortcut: Alt+Enter

Properties Page

Select this option to display a list of the common pages of the 'Properties' dialog.

Click on one of the page names to open the element 'Properties' dialog with that page exposed.

Other Properties

For State Lifeline, Value Lifeline and Required Interface elements, select this option to display the 'Properties' dialog for the selected element.

Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+G

Advanced

Select this option to open the 'Advanced' sub-menu, which provides options for performing more complex or specialized operations on the element.

New Child Element

Select this option to attach:

• One of a number of types of structural element, such as a Port, Part or Activity Parameter, to the selected element, or

• A text element to the selected element, documenting a Note, Constraint, Rationale or Problem

New Child Diagram

Select this option to display a submenu, listing - in order:

• Individual types of child diagram (often technology-specific) that you might usually create for this type of element
• For classifier elements, options to create Activity, Interaction, State Machine or Rule Flow elements that encompass the appropriate type of child diagram
• Options for creating and displaying the child diagram for a Composite element
• An option to display the 'New Diagram' dialog to add any other type of diagram as the child diagram of this element

Features and Properties

Select this option to add attributes and/or operations to the element, through the 'Attributes' (F9) or 'Operations' (F10) pages of the 'Features' dialog, or to override any inherited attribute (Ctrl+Shift+R) values set on the element.  

For an Object or State element you can add a new instance variable to the element using the 'Define Run State' dialog.

For elements that can have interfaces, you can also select to show realized and/or dependent interfaces (Ctrl+Shift+Y).

You also have the option of opening the 'Feature and Compartment Visibility' dialog to define which features and feature properties to display on the element, and which element compartments.

Structural Elements

Select this option to display the 'Structural Elements' dialog, for managing the structural elements (such as Provided Interfaces, Ports and Activity Parameters) attached to the selected element.

Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+B

Insert Related Elements

Select this option to display the 'Insert Related Elements' dialog, to add elements related to the selected element to the current diagram.

Decision Table

For a selected Activity or Action element, select this option to display, set up and edit the Decision Table for the element.

Draw as Decision Table (Rules as Columns)

For a selected Activity or Action, replace the element shape on the diagram with its Decision Table, showing the decision rules as columns.

The element is automatically sized to display the rule text; you cannot change the element size manually.

Draw as Decision Table (Rules as Rows)

For a selected Activity or Action, replace the element shape on the diagram with its Decision Table, showing the decision rules as rows.

The element is automatically sized to display the rule text; you cannot change the element size manually.

Draw as Activity
Draw as Action

Where an element is rendered as a Decision Table on the diagram, replace it with the normal element shape.

Rule Composer

For a Rule Task element, select this option to invoke the Rule Composer in Business Rule Modeling.

Create (or Edit) Linked Document

(Corporate, Business and Software Engineering, Systems Engineering and Ultimate editions) Select this option to create a document linked to the element.

Shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+D

Delete Linked Document

Select this option to delete an existing linked document for the element.

Generate Documentation

Select this option to generate a range of reports and other documents on the element.

Shortcut: F8

Create Document to Artifact

(On an Artifact element linked to a Report Package or Model Document element). Select this option to generate a virtual document as the linked document of the Artifact element.

Find

Select this option to display the 'Find' submenu, which provides options for:

• Locating the selected element in other diagrams and in the Project Browser, and
• Setting up cross references (Custom References) to other elements

Appearance

Select this option to display a short menu of options to change and reproduce the appearance of the element.

Code Engineering

Select this option to display a submenu showing options to:

• Generate source code for the selected element (forward engineer),  (Shortcut: F11)
• Generate DDL for a Table, Procedure or View Class
• Reverse engineer source code for the selected element, (Shortcut: F7)

You can also synchronize Class elements from the source code via the Project Browser, and reverse engineer or forward engineer model Packages and code to synchronize them and incorporate changes made in one but not in the other.

• View source code in the source code editor, on an element for which it has been generated, (Shortcut: F12)
• On a Class for which code has been generated, prepare the Class for Execution Analysis by (Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+J):

- Creating workbench variables from the selected Class

- Marking up a process for the Class or

- Marking up the Class for recording

Lock Element

Select this option to lock the element so it can't be edited; to unlock the element, select 'Lock Element' again.

This does not apply in the Corporate, Business and Software Engineering, Systems Engineering and Ultimate editions when security is enabled; in that situation, use the 'Lock' option for model elements.

Printable

Defaults to selected, so that the element is depicted in any diagrams in reports generated on its parent Package.

If you click on the option to deselect it, the element and its connectors will not be visible in any diagrams in reports. You can, however, deselect a report option for an instance of a report to force the display of non-printable elements.

Deselecting this option also hides the element and its connectors in the 'Print Diagrams', 'Print to PDF' and 'Save Diagram as Image' operations.

Selectable

Select or deselect this option to toggle whether the element is selectable or not:

• If an element is selectable, you can move it around the diagram and perform right-click context menu operations
• If an element is unselectable, you cannot move it around the diagram and the only right-click operation available is to make the element selectable

This option has no effect on double-click operations on the element, such as displaying child diagrams or 'Properties' dialogs.

An element on a locked diagram is also unselectable - if you click on it, the element outline displays in red.

In a diagram, you can filter the display to show selectable or non-selectable elements only.

Dockable

Select this option to align and join two elements either vertically or horizontally, on the current diagram only.

Both elements must have the 'Dockable' option selected, and must have the joining edges parallel.

As the distance between the elements narrows, the moving element snaps to the edge of the other element.

For Activity Partitions, the option is selected by default.

Deselecting the 'Dockable' option does not separate the elements; if necessary, you can simply move the elements apart again.

Z-Order

Select this option to display a short submenu providing options to:

• Move the element further back in the diagram
• Move the element further forward in the diagram
• Put the element at the back of the diagram
• Put the element at the front of the diagram

UML Help

Select this option to display the Help topic describing the type of element you have selected.

Delete <element name>

Select this option to delete the element from the diagram. The element still exists within the model and can be accessed from the Project Browser.

Shortcut: Ctrl+D