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User Interface
The Enterprise Architect application workspace (or user interface) provides a powerful and flexible analysis, modeling, design and construction environment. The workspace is built from familiar components, such as toolbars, docking windows, dialogs and menus. Together these elements provide a rich set of tools for working with models, UML, diagrams, source code, executing applications (debugging and visualization), rich text documents, collaborative tools, extension technologies and much more.
The Enterprise Architect user interface is highly customizable both in functionality and in appearance. Visual styles are available based on the popular Microsoft Office and Visual Studio, from the classic look and feel of the Windows XP era right up to the latest Office and Visual Studio incarnations. Dark and light styles are further enhanced with the ability to automatically display source code and diagrams in dark or normal styles.
Customization of toolbars, menus, workspace layouts, Perspectives and shortcuts helps you get the most out of Enterprise Architect for your particular needs. Taking the time to become familiar with the customizations available is well worth while, as it can help you build the precise modeling and design environment you need to focus on your work.
If you want to explore the basic process and tools for creating a model in Enterprise Architect, you can watch the demonstration on the Sparx Systems website, and/or work through the simple Tutorial provided in this section. Use the links under the 'Learn more' heading.
User Interface Tools
Tools |
Description |
See also |
|---|---|---|
|
Enterprise Architect Workspace |
The Workspace is the interface through which you create, open and display your models. The main workspace component is the central Diagram View, which is where you create model diagrams, view reports, scroll through lists of model elements and edit and debug source code. |
The Start Page Diagram View |
|
Ribbons |
The ribbons provide access both to high-level functions related to the project life cycle, and to project and system administration functions; at all levels of the system you can also access functions and operations using context menus. |
Diagram Context Menu The Enterprise Architect Ribbons Browser Window Context Menus |
|
Windows |
The windows help you to enter and display information on your project and models; you can re-arrange windows to adapt the screen space to your work habits. |
Enterprise Architect Windows |
|
Toolbars |
Toolbars are small sets of buttons that provide quick access to common operations, both on your project as a whole and on the individual modeling units. |
Toolbars |
|
Diagram Toolbox |
The Diagram Toolbox provides all the components and connectors that you use to create models using the medium of diagrams; the Toolbox automatically matches the kind of diagram you have open, from any technology that is currently active in your model. |
Diagram Toolbox |
|
Keyboard Keys |
You can use keyboard key combinations to quickly initiate a wide range of actions throughout the system, and Diagram Quick Key (single-key) shortcuts to perform actions on the elements and connectors in an open diagram. |
Keyboard Shortcuts Diagram Shortcuts |
|
Customization |
Enterprise Architect provides various customization tools that you can use to:
|
Customization Visual Styles Customizing Ribbon Sets Workspace Layouts |
|
Navigation |
You can use several navigation and search tools to search for, track and locate information in your project, and filter the information so that you can explore particular views of your project rather than the entire contents. |
Model Navigation The Browser Window |
Learn more
- A Demonstration of Enterprise Architect in use (Online Resource)
- Tutorial