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Relationship Matrix
When you need to visualize or manage relationships quickly and definitively, you can use the Relationship Matrix - a convenient and simple tool for reporting and working on all the relationships in a selected structure. The Relationship Matrix is a spreadsheet display of relationships between model elements within a Package, or between elements in two different Packages. You can filter the selection of relationships shown, according to:
- The currently-selected Perspective
- The element type of the source and target elements in each relationship
- The relationship type and direction
- The Package(s) in which the source elements and target elements are held
The matrix shows all the relationships of a specified type between source and target elements by:
- Listing the source Package elements down the side of the matrix
- Listing the target Package elements across the top of the matrix, and
- If a relationship exists between a source and target element, displaying an arrow indicating the direction of the relationship
The direction is a reflection of which element is the source element and which the target (it does not indicate the 'Direction' property of the connector, as defined in the connector 'Properties' dialog). The display might also show a 'bent arrow' icon, indicating that the same kind of connectors exist in both directions between the source and target elements.
The squares or cells of the matrix can have different fill colors, depending on the existence of relationships and the lock status of the Package containing the source element. If the cell is:
- White - there is no relationship between the source element in this row and the target element in this column
- Pale Blue - the source element on this row has no relationships at all (if the Matrix Option 'Highlight source elements without relationships' is selected)
- Pale Pink - the target element in this column has no relationships at all (if the Matrix Option 'Highlight target elements without relationships' is selected); if there is an intersection of blue rows and pink columns, the blue takes precedence
- Green - with a direction arrow, the elements in the source row and target column have a relationship and the source element is not locked (the parent Package has not been checked in under Version Control)
- Dark Pink - with a direction arrow, the source element is locked (the parent Package has been checked in)
- Dark Blue - the selected cell, the source element or the target element have been selected as the object of an action within the Relationship Matrix; if just the cell is selected, the source and target element names are also highlighted
Right-clicking on a square gives you the options of creating, modifying and deleting relationships between elements with a single mouse click - a quick way to set up complex sets of element relationships with a minimum of effort.
You can also create additional elements in the source and target Packages, and quickly add relationships to and/or from them.
Access
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Ribbon |
Design > Package > Package/Matrix | Open as (Source, Target, Both) |
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Keyboard Shortcuts |
| Matrix |
Operations
Operation |
Detail |
See also |
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Specify the element types |
The Relationship Matrix defaults to show all element types available under the current Perspective. If you want to examine relationships between specific types of element, you can filter for those types. You define the element types - if necessary - as the first step in configuring the Relationship Matrix. Click on the drop-down arrow in the 'Type' field in the 'Source' row, and/or in the 'Target' row, and in each case click on the required element type in the list. The Relationship Matrix display immediately refreshes. |
Set Element Type |
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Specify the connector type and direction |
The Relationship Matrix requires a relationship type and direction to operate on. In the 'Link Type' field, click on the drop down arrow and on the type of relationship to show. The relationship types listed are filtered by the currently-selected Perspective. In the 'Direction' field, click on the drop-down arrow and on one of the connector directions to show, or on 'Both' to show relationships in any direction. In each case, if any relationships of that type exist they are immediately shown on the Relationship Matrix. |
Set Connector Type and Direction |
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Select the Source and Target Packages |
You need to set the source and target Packages in order to display relationships, but you do this after setting the connector and element types; as the Matrix automatically refreshes after each change, this is usually faster. |
Set Source and Target Package |
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Update, delete and create relationships |
Having seen what relationships currently exist between the selected elements, you can review the relationship and element properties, modify them, add more relationships or delete relationships that are no longer applicable. |
Creating and Deleting Relationships |
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Create new elements |
If the source or target element 'Type' field is set to a specific element type, you can add elements of that type to the matrix and the model. In the top left corner of the matrix itself, the 'Target' and 'Source' labels have a + button. When you click on this button, the element 'Properties' dialog displays, through which you can define a new element of the corresponding (target or source) type. If there are stereotyped elements of the type (such as Actors as defined in UML, TOGAF and ArchiMate) you are prompted to select the variant that you need. This option is not available for the target or source axis if the corresponding 'Type' field is set to '<All>'. |
Set Element Type Properties Dialog |
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Modify the display of information |
It is possible to tailor the display of information to, for example, list the Package elements in alphabetical order, show elements from the Package hierarchy, highlight elements with no relationships, and hide or show additional element name components such as level numbering, aliases and parent Package names. |
Relationship Matrix Options |
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Toggle Between relationship direction and CRUD formats |
You can switch the display between the connector direction format and a CRUD matrix format. The CRUD (or other, customized) indicators are defined in an overlay that you create. |
Matrix Overlays |
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Export the contents of the Relationship Matrix |
After reviewing the Relationship Matrix, you can export the contents to a CSV file, or capture the image of the contents as a .png file or a .emf graphics file. |
Relationship Matrix Options |
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Print the contents of the Relationship Matrix |
You can also send the contents of the Relationship Matrix to a printer, after previewing the print format if necessary. The printout can be on as many pages as it takes, or you can scale the print format so that the file occupies a specific number of pages. |
Relationship Matrix Options |
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Capture the Matrix settings |
If you want to use the same Relationship Matrix settings repeatedly to, for example, monitor development of the same source and target Packages, it is possible to save the settings as a profile that can be called to reapply those settings. |
Matrix Profiles |
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Investigate Source and Target elements in relationships |
Having identified relationships that might be of significance to you, you can check details of the elements in those relationships. For example, you can look at:
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Review Source and Target Elements |