Sparx Systems Forum

Enterprise Architect => Suggestions and Requests => Topic started by: CAE on June 11, 2003, 12:17:08 pm

Title: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: CAE on June 11, 2003, 12:17:08 pm
Please, I'm beggin' ya, implement an MDI interface so that I can switch between multiple diagrams.  

The way VS.NET works would be ideal (tabs across the top of the diagram area, showing the open diagrams).

During design, I'm constantly switching between diagrams (mostly to lookup a method on a class in another package).

During construction, I'm constantly switching between sequence diagrams and class hierarchy for the classes  involved.

Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: Russ_McClelland on June 21, 2003, 08:25:21 am
Even better would be to add the diagram windows directly into VS.NET as well as having a stand alone product.  The project explorer could be added in to make the integration more complete.
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: EoinWoods on August 06, 2003, 02:52:39 am
I'd second this.  Some way of being able to have 2 diagrams on screen at once (or at least to swap between them easily without saving).
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: Fenric on August 11, 2003, 02:21:48 pm
Thirded. (??)

VS.NET's has done spoiled me rotten. (And affected my used-to-be-stellar grammar. ) :)
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: DMT on August 18, 2003, 03:38:43 pm
I end up opening three copies of EA every morning because I need to easily switch between three diagrams while I work.

It's a pain in the you-know-what.
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: kelly_sumrall on August 19, 2003, 05:37:34 am
I'm jumpin' on this band wagon.  I use this feature everyday in Visual Studio, and it would be nice to have in EA.
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: mbc on August 19, 2003, 06:54:07 am
Yes, let's have multiple diagrams open at once PLEEEASE!

It doesn't seem to be in the 3.60 beta, does it?

Mikkel
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: DMT on August 19, 2003, 07:13:27 am
Yes, I was unpleasantly surprised to open 3.60 Beta and not see this feature. This was the one feature that I thought was going to be in there, but wasn't.

(I thought "tear-off tabbed windows" outlined in the list of features inwas referring to this feature that we all need.)
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: JourneymanDave on August 20, 2003, 12:16:45 pm
Here, here... I'd agree with most of the opinions expressed above.  This would be a non-trivial productivity enhancement for me.
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: mbc on August 21, 2003, 01:35:48 am
Sparks, please note from the length of this thread that this is something we REALLY need.

Everyone else who agrees, please let yourself be known in this thread - just to emphasize how many users see this as an important feature.

Mikkel
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: jvogt on August 21, 2003, 05:56:35 am
Definitely a needed feature. Numerous members of my team have also made this request.

Jesse
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: JohnH on August 21, 2003, 09:59:05 am
Not only multiple diagrams, but multiple element detail windows too. Why always have to close one before looking into another?
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: SpoonsJTD on August 22, 2003, 02:33:53 pm
One of the few disadvantages (with a whole lot of advantages) of having your UI look-and-feel like another popular tool (VS.NET) -- everybody wants all the gadgets of that tool in yours too!
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: mbc on August 25, 2003, 02:12:49 am
I have never tried VS.NET but I still need 2 open diagrams when I construct use case realizations (class diagram and sequence diagram).

Mikkel
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: DMT on August 26, 2003, 11:15:30 am
I just broke my previous record--I had 4 copies of EA open all day yesterday.

It's a freakin' pain in the butt to try keeping track of which EA instance is displaying which diagram.  I probably spent 5% of my time yesterday flipping through EA instances to figure out which one was the correct one.

Even with a dual-monitor setup, it's a big pain dealing with multiple instances.

Have I mentioned that tabbed windows to have multiple diagrams open at once would be a great productivity booster for me?

:)
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: sargasso on August 26, 2003, 04:49:25 pm
Add my vote!
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: pds46 on September 01, 2003, 09:43:48 am
And mine!
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: AdamHearn on September 02, 2003, 06:41:18 am
EA is a great tool but this would be a significant usability improvement - it's really the only thing that I get annoyed about it when using EA.

Thanks in advance!
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: Brian Long on November 10, 2003, 08:29:58 am
As we have added more EA user's within our firm - this is one of the common complaints.  I am also beginning to manage complex enough projects where multiple open diagrams would be a big help.

Can someone from Sparx please respond with an ETA for this capability, or even of 'no way - can't do it' if that is the case?
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: Matt_S on November 11, 2003, 05:53:58 am
Add my vote to.  The fact I can't close diagrams when I have finished viewing/editing is a pain.  Is anyone from Sparx gonna reply one way or the other?  This thread has been going nearly 6 months, how about an early Christmas present!
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: ola_strandberg on November 13, 2003, 01:33:20 am
I'll throw my vote in as well!

My current workaround is to generate HTML documentation and use it to view the diagrams that I am not working on at the moment (great job with HTML docs, Sparx!).

Also, please make Ctrl+Tab cycle through diagram windows as well, and mimic the behavior of VS.NET so that Ctrl+Tab switches to the "next" diagram, and "release keys" + Ctrl+Tab switches *back* to the previous diagram.
Maybe not a perfect description, but I'm sure you get what I am after. Some packages always cycle "forward" with Ctrl+Tab and "backward" with Shift+Ctrl+Tab.

Cheers,
Ola
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: Sean Kearon on November 17, 2003, 04:29:44 am
This would be a killer feature to add.  Please, please can we have it as soon as possible.  

I use the html output to get around this sometimes, but generally I resort to printing out diagrams and adding a few more piles to my desk.  Sometimes using Alt+left/right arrow can help - until I change the browse history!

Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: derhackler on November 21, 2003, 03:11:10 pm
I'm very new to EA and really like it, but MDI is realy missing!
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: mbrooks231 on November 26, 2003, 06:34:41 am
As a consultant I use the tools that are availabe in the business I am in, but I will begin loading using other products when this is what is offered.  The inability to close diagrams makes this product an unacceptable piece of ....  I thaught we began using windows in the mid 1980's wow congrats a software company to set the industry back 20 years.  :-[  

Except for not being able to close diagrams and a few other querky things that are really not at industry standards. The product seems very good.  It is just not usable in its  current state.
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: carlclarke on November 28, 2003, 04:40:40 am
'MDI style' as per (or even integrated into) VS.NET would be great - please add my vote.

In defence of EA I do remember the gods at Microsoft discouraging developers from using MDI not so long ago - hence the weird way that Office now implements MDI and VS.NET's tabs. I think the previous message was a bit unfair.
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: JeffCarlson on December 02, 2003, 02:39:53 pm
Add my vote.  I just evaluated a bunch of products for my company and chose this one.  I’ve used Rose and Together for a couple of years(at other companies), but some of their features didn’t out way the cost difference.  We will have a lot of newbie’s to UML as we are trying to get everyone more OO aware and EA was one of the easiest I found to get up and running quickly and being productive.  Having the MDI and being a plug-in for VS.Net would make it a much better product.  I also have multiple copies of EA open to get my job done, please help.
Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: benc on December 23, 2003, 01:28:27 pm
Hi All,

Thanks for your feedback and suggestions.

Your votes have been counted ...

Diagram tabs will be available with the release of EA 4.0 due for release early February, 2004. This should allow for more convenient switching between diagrams.

Initially, only the tabbed view will be available- no cascaded/tiled views.

Regards,
Ben

Title: Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams
Post by: Bruno.Cossi on December 23, 2003, 08:19:01 pm
Thank you!!!!!
Frankly, I do not much care for the cascaded/tiled views, the tiled one is all I ask for!

Can't wait till February!