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

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Advanced Operations on Elements

You can perform a wide range of more specialized functions on an element, specific to the element type and its relationship to other modeling objects.

Access

Context Menu

Right-click on element on diagram | Advanced

Advanced Options

Option

Action

See also

Instance Classifier

(For an instance or Object element) Select this option to set the instance classifier for the element, on the 'Select <Item>' dialog.

Shortcut: Ctrl+L

Select Dialog

Parent

(For a classifier element that can be generalized) Select this option to set the element's parent.

Shortcut: Ctrl+I

Set Element Parent

Show element classifier

Shows or hides the classifier names on Port elements.

Classifier Properties

(For an instance or Object element) Select this option to open the 'Properties' dialog for the classifier of the selected element.

Shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+Enter

Properties Dialog

Change to State (Value) Lifeline

(For a State Lifeline or Value Lifeline element) Select this option to switch one type of Lifeline element to the other.

Value Lifeline State Lifeline

Set Property Type

(For a Part element) Select this option to browse for and select the element that defines the Part type, using the 'Select <Item>' dialog.

Part

Multiplicity

Select this option to define the multiplicity for the element, using the format defined on the 'Cardinality Values' tab of the 'UML Types' dialog ('Configure > Reference Data > UML Types').

This is the number of instances of the element that can exist in a set; the value displays on the element in a diagram, in the 'Name' compartment.

Cardinality

Port Size Customizable

(For a Port element) Select this option to allow users to resize the Port from the default size. If the option is not set, the element size cannot be changed.

Port

Show Element Type

(For a Port or Part element) Select this option to toggle between displaying and hiding the element type, as set using the 'Set Property Type' option or on the 'Property' tab of the element's 'Properties' dialog.

Part Port The Property Tab and Redefined/Subsetted Tab

Set Property Values

(For a Part element) Select this option to set the property value for the Part, using the 'Set Property Values' dialog.

Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+R

Add Property Value

Edit Extension Points

(For a Use Case element) Select this option to display the 'Use Case Extension Points' dialog, which you use to insert the point at which the behavior should be inserted.

Use Case Extension Points

Association Class

(For a Class element) Select this option to connect the Class to a new Association.

Connect New Class to Existing Association

Use Rectangle (Circle, Actor) Notation

(For an element that uses non-rectangular notation) Select this option to apply rectangle notation to the element (and switch back again).

Rectangle Notation

Partition Activity

(For an Activity element) Select this option to define an Activity Partition in the element.

Activity Partition

Set Object State

(For an Object or instance element) Select this option to set the state of the element based on the child states of its classifier.

Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+S

Object State

Override Attribute Initializers

(For a Class element with attributes) Select this option to pre-define initial values for attributes that can be used to override existing defaults.

Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+R

Display Inherited Attributes

Convert to Instance (Property/Invocation)

Select this option to convert a classifier to an instance, property or invocation, depending on the type of classifier selected (for example, SysML classifiers are always converted to properties).

Classifiers and Instances

Convert Linked Element To Local Copy

Select this option to convert the occurrence of the element on the current diagram from a link to the original element to a local copy of the element. A copy of the element is also added to the diagram's parent Package in the Browser window.

Make Sender/Receiver

(For Send and Receive Event elements) Select this option to toggle the element from a sender to a receiver and vice versa.

Receive Send

Accept Time Event

(For a Receive element) Select this option to change the notation from an Accept Event action to an Accept Time Event action.

Receive

Define Concurrent Substates

(For a State element) Select this option to define the set of substates that can be held simultaneously within that composite State.

Regions

Use State Label Notation

(For a State object) Select this option to switch to State Label Notation (the element name is displayed on a box on top of the element rather than inside it).

Deep History

(For a History pseudo-State) Select this option to change the type of a shallow History pseudo-state to a deep History pseudo-state.

History

Transform

Select this option to transform the selected element from one domain to another.

Shortcut: Ctrl+H

Transform Elements

Set Attached Links

(For a Note element) Select this option to attach the element to a connector, or several connectors on the diagram.

Add a Note to a Connector

Link to Connector Constraints

(For a Note element) Select this option to display the connector type and to list the constraints of the associated connector in the Note element.

Link to Connector Notes

(For a Note element) Select this option to display or hide the text assigned to a connector's 'Notes' field.

Link to Connector Tagged Values

(For a Note element) Select this option to display the connector type and to list the Tagged Values of the associated connector in the Note element.

Link to Diagram Notes

(For a Note element) Select this option to display the diagram notes as the text of the Note element.

Any current text is deleted and the Note is blocked from being edited other than through the 'Notes' field in the diagram 'Properties' dialog.

Link Note to Internal Documentation

Hide (Show) attached links

(For a 'Memo' style or 'Memo2' style Note element) Select this option to hide or show the Notelink connectors to the elements to which the Note refers.

Create Notes and Text

Vertical Partition

(For an Activity Partition element) Select this option to switch a horizontal Partition to a vertical Partition.

Partition

Notes

  • Context menus vary between element types, and few of the menu options shown here are present on all element context menus; 'Tagged Value' is often the only option available
  • If an element appearance is overridden by a Shape Script, several of the appearance options are disabled; for example, 'Use Rectangle (Circle) Notation'

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