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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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Element Panel

The 'Element' panel provides facilities to manage elements, which are the building blocks of models. Elements can be created and specified with attributes and operations. You can also define scenarios for the activities that the element represents.

Available Facilities

Facility

Description

See also

Add Element

Click on the drop-down arrow to display a short list of options for adding elements to the model:

  • Element - define and add a new element to the currently-selected Package or element and, if required, the currently open diagram, using the 'New Element' dialog
  • Multiple Elements - add a number of individual elements to the currently-open diagram, using the 'Create Multiple Elements' dialog
  • Related Element - identify elements that are related to the currently selected element and, if they are not on the currently-open diagram, add them to it
  • Any Element - add any existing element to the currently-open diagram; the option displays the 'Select Element' browser, which you use to locate the element to add
Add Multiple Elements Insert Related Elements Select Dialog Add Elements Directly To Packages

Manage

Click on the drop-down arrow to display a list of commands you can use to identify, research, update and protect the element you have selected in a diagram or in the Browser window.

  • Clone Element as New Version - copy the structure of the selected element and paste it into the Browser window as a new element and contents; a prompt displays for you to enter a version number for the new element, followed by a browser on which you select its parent Package or element
  • Lock - open the 'Lock Element' dialog through which you can set or clear editing locks on the selected element
  • Lock Element with Children - open the 'Lock Element' dialog through which you can set or clear editing locks on the selected element and all child elements of that element
  • Edit Linked Document - open the Linked Document editor for the Linked Document on the currently-selected element
  • Find Elements with Linked Documents - display the Find in Project view, pre-loaded with an executed search for elements that have Linked Documents; right-click on an item and select the 'Edit Linked Document' option to review the element's document
  • Find Elements with Linked Documents modified recently - opens the Find in Project view preloaded with an executed search for elements that have Linked Documents that have updated within the last seven days (you can re-execute the search with a different number of days); right-click on an item and select the 'Edit Linked Document' option to review the element's document
  • Parents and Interfaces - add or delete Generalization and Realization relationships to Parent or Interface Classes, using the 'Set Parents and Interfaces' dialog
  • Overrides and Implementations - set the system to automatically override methods from parent Classes and from realized Interfaces, using the 'Override Operations/Interfaces' dialog
  • Template Parameters - display the 'Templates' dialog on which you can define Template Parameters and Binding Expressions for a Parameterized Class
  • Change Type - change the type of the selected element, using the 'Select Element Type' dialog
  • Find in Project Browser - highlight in the Browser window an element selected from a diagram
  • Find in Diagrams - find the selected element in every diagram in which it has been used; if the element is used in more than one diagram, the 'Element Usage' dialog displays
  • Search - display the Find in Project view, through which you can search for the use of any aspect of an element across the model
  • Bookmark - add or remove a Bookmark on the selected element on the diagram; the element is marked with a red triangle
Override Parent Operations Manage Structural Elements Set Element Parent Edit Linked Documents Model Search Show Element Use Change Element Type Locking Model Elements Bookmarks Clone Element as New Version Template Classes

Properties

Click on this icon to display the Properties Window Selector, a page of options for editing element properties, including Tagged Values and Linked Documents.

Tagged Values Inspector - Details Properties Dialog The Properties Window Linked Documents in the Document Window The Properties Window Selector

Feature/Matrix

If you have selected two elements in an open diagram, the Feature Matrix helps you to create and manage relationships between the features (attributes, operations and receptions) of those elements.

The Feature Matrix

Trace

Click on this icon to follow the connections in a chain of elements, starting with a single element to establish the dependencies radiating from that element, using the Traceability window.

The Traceability Window

Behavior

Click on this icon to display the Source Code editor, to create or edit Behavior code for the operations in the selected element, or in the parent of the selected operation. You have three options:

  • Edit Behavior
  • Edit Internal Code
  • Edit (or View) Source Code

All three options display the Code Editor window, but show the appropriate features, code and editing options for the type of code identified by the option.

Behavior Code

Scenarios

Displays the Scenarios View, on which you can:

  • Construct the scenario step-by step, or
  • Import a text file that describes a scenario, or
  • Generate a scenario from an Activity diagram that was itself generated from a scenario (thus regenerating the scenario or importing it from another element)
Scenarios View

Decisions

Click on the drop-down arrow to display a short menu of options for working with Decision Tables for the selected element.

  • Find Decision Models - executes a report on the Find in Project window, to locate all DMN models represented by an Artifact with the stereotype <<DMNSimConfiguration>>
  • Add New Decision Model (Create from Pattern) - displays the Model Wizard ('Create from Pattern' tab of the start Page) ready to generate a DMN Model from a Pattern (if the left hand panel header is not 'Decision Modeling', click on the Hamburger icon icon and select 'Requirements > Decision Modeling')
  • Find Simple Decision Tables - executes a report to locate and list all elements that contain Decision Tables
  • Create/Edit Simple Decision Table - Opens the Decision Tables window, through which you can create or edit a Decision Table on the current element
  • Help - display the top-level Help topic on Decision Models
Decision Models Decision Table Editor