Properties and Inline Feature/View Props

[thomaskilian]

Hi there,
does anyone know the difference between Element Properties (Enter) and  Element/Inline Features/View Properties (Alt-Enter)? Both seem to open the same window

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Hi there,
does anyone know the difference between Element Properties (Enter) and  Element/Inline Features/View Properties (Alt-Enter)? Both seem to open the same window

Maybe one Sparxian wrote one, and another wrote the other?  Interestingly in the Element menu, Element|Properties is Alt+Enter (which also works on the diagram)  Maybe a third Sparxian wrote the menu?

A couple of months ago, I had the insight that it actually takes extra work to be inconsistent!  This is an exemplar!  To quote/paraphrase Edsgar W. Dijkstra, "the more I think, the less I have to do..."

Paolo

[Eve]

Firstly a note, Thomas, I think you mixed up the two keyboard shortcuts.  (At least they are the other way around on my computer)

I can understand why it isn't immediately apparent, but there is a difference.  And one that makes sense to me.

A while back EA began allowing you to select features of a class on the diagram.  This is the inline features.  Now if you select an attribute or operation (or lots of other things) and Inline Feature Properties, you will get the relevant properties for the selected item.  At the same time, if you select Element Properties you get the properties of the selected element.

Inline Feature Properties opens the element properties when no inline feature is selected, or the class name or stereotype is selected.  (Possibly others)

Simon

[Paolo F Cantoni]

NOTE ALSO:  F9 will select the Attribute properties.  If you don't have an attribute selected at the time, it will not select one.  If you do, it will open with the selected attribute presented.

I would have thought it more orthogonal to have a selection mechanism and an action mechanism and apply it universally.

For example:

Select what I want to look at.

<Enter> open the properties.  <Alt-Enter> opens the container (if applicable).  <Ctrl-Enter> opens the list of which this is an element.  <Ctrl-Shift-Enter> opens the collections of which this element is the container.

Thus if I have an attribute selected, <Enter> opens the attribute, <Alt-Enter> opens the Class, <Ctrl-Enter> opens the attribute list (at New) <Ctrl-Shift-Enter> opens Constraints

If I have Class selected,  <Enter> opens the Class, <Alt-Enter> opens the Diagram properties <Ctrl-Enter> does nothing (or perhaps gives a list of Classes (or Elements) on the diagram for selection),  <Ctrl-Shift-Enter> opens Detail Tab.

I'm sure you get the picture...

The essence of object oriented design (in particular the selection - action paradigm used in MS Windows)  is to provide orthogonality in the user interface.

Orthogonality, orthogonality, orthogonality ^TM  

Paolo

[thomaskilian]

Simon,
you are right when you say I mixed the ALT option. Now I played around a bit more. When I select an operation in the browser, I can use Enter to open Properties, but I can't use it from the menu (Element/Inline Features/greyed out)

And yes, I'd like to see Paolos approach. Some kind of  orthogonality crusade. I wouldn't mind if I had to re-learn parts of EA 6.0