Model Views Operations

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Define Search View

When you:

• Create a Search View, the 'Create New View' dialog displays
• Display the Search View properties, the 'View Properties' dialog displays

These dialogs are identical.

In the 'Name' field, type a name for the View.

In the 'Search' field, either:

• Click on the drop-down arrow and select an existing search from the lists, or
• Click on the button and select to:
       -  Create a SQL search on the 'Custom SQL Search' dialog or
       -  Edit an existing search or define a new one using the 'Manage Searches' dialog,
          then close the dialog and select that search name in the second 'Search' field

A custom SQL search statement should return the GUID and type of the object found so that the system can search for the selected item in the Browser window. The SELECT statement is case-sensitive and should be typed as shown:

     SELECT ea_guid AS CLASSGUID, Object_Type AS CLASSTYPE, Name FROM t_object

If required, in the' Search Term' field type a specific value to search for.

If you are working with the Corporate or extended versions of Enterprise Architect, and you want the search to run automatically and refresh the results, select the 'Refresh this search' checkbox. The 'Frequency' field has three sections, for hours, minutes and seconds; click on the appropriate section and use the up and down arrows at the end of the field to set the interval for refreshing the search results.

You can also set the refresh to display a pop-up notification if the search results change. To do this, select the 'Notify me when new results found' checkbox.

Click on the OK button; the Search View is created (or updated) in a collapsed state.

When you expand the View, the search executes and populates the View.

Move Objects Into Favorites

Drag any required Package, diagram or element from the Browser window into the required Favorites folder.

Move Objects Between Views

Views and Favorites folders are fixed in the Views folder in which you create them, and you cannot move them.

However, you can:

• Copy (by dragging) objects from any View into any Favorites folder, and
• Move (by dragging) objects between any two Favorites folders

Use Objects From Model Views

To make use of an element, diagram or Package held in any View or Favorites folder, click on the item and drag it into a diagram.

The item behaves in the same way as if you dragged it from the Browser window.

Also, when a Package has been identified as a Favorite in a Model View, you can double-click on it to select and highlight it in the Browser window.

Create Documents containing Objects

A very useful feature of the Model Views facility is the ability to drag separate items from the Views into an existing Linked Document.

To do this you create your Linked Document, generate your Model View, and open the document and Model View as docked windows. You then drag the items - individually or as a multiple selection - from the View into the document, selecting one of two options:

• 'Insert as Hyperlink(s)' and
• 'Render as RTF'

If you select 'Insert as Hyperlink(s)', a hyperlink is embedded in the document for each dragged object, linking to the object in the Browser window.

If you select 'Render as RTF', a prompt displays for you to select the RTF template (if any) from which to generate a small report on the dragged objects. You can select different templates for different objects. However, there must be compatibility between the selected object type (such as Diagram) and the RTF template used (such as Diagram report).

You can have hyperlinked objects and RTF-rendered objects in the same document.

Export/Import Views

You export Views to create an XML file that you can:

• Import into another model as a user-created Model View or
• Call from an MDG Technology Selection (MTS) file to access the Technology-defined View provided by the active MDG Technology

The export and import functions are available from the Model Views root-node context menus.

When you use the export function, it acts on the complete set of View folders in the selected 'My Views' root node, Model Views root node, or user-generated root node; you cannot export individual Views, nor can you export Favorites folders.

The function displays the 'Save As' dialog, on which you browse for the directory location for the exported XML file, and specify the file name.

When you use the import function, it displays the 'Select Import Filename' dialog on which you browse for the directory and XML file you want to import; the import creates a new Model View folder with the same name as the copied root node.

Set Up a Technology-Defined View

To set up the Technology-defined View for an MDG Technology, you:

1. Create a user-generated Model View in Enterprise Architect while using the technology.
2. Populate it with the required View folders and Views.
3. Export the Views from that Model View as an XML file to an appropriate location.
4. Create a call to the file from the technology's MTS file.

Thereafter, any model for which the MDG Technology is active automatically displays those Views in a Technology-defined View.