Sparx Systems Forum

Enterprise Architect => Suggestions and Requests => Topic started by: Roger A. Shepherd on November 07, 2006, 02:45:34 pm

Title: Bug (?): hide vs delete connection and unhiding
Post by: Roger A. Shepherd on November 07, 2006, 02:45:34 pm
In a diagram I can hide or delete a connection from it to make it no longer visible in the diagram.  If I choose to hide it, I can make it visible again by going to one of the element's link tab, right clicking on the link and choosing "show relationship".  However, if I select the connection and press the delete button or choose delete from the pop-up menu list the "show relationship" option is not available.  The end result is that from a flexibility perspective, you should ALWAYS select "hide" so you have the option in the future of showing it again.  If you select delete connection I have found no method to show it again (other than undo, and that's naturally limited).

This applies to Build 6.5.799 using a SQL Server 2000 repository.
Title: Re: Bug (?): hide vs delete connection and unhidin
Post by: Eve on November 07, 2006, 04:12:37 pm
The difference between the two is that hide only stops it from showing on the one diagram.  Delete actually removes the connection altogether.

This distinction is intentional and required.
Title: Re: Bug (?): hide vs delete connection and unhidin
Post by: Roger A. Shepherd on November 14, 2006, 11:09:24 am
I should have clarified.  When I select the connector in a diagram, I'm simply pressing the delete key, not Ctrl-Del.  I understand ctrl-del would permanently remove the connector.  I have my prefs configured to not ask me everytime whether I want to permanently delete the item from the project.

If you'd like or need a complete test case, I can very easily repeat the behavior.
Title: Re: Bug (?): hide vs delete connection and unhidin
Post by: Paolo F Cantoni on November 14, 2006, 11:47:12 am
Quote
I should have clarified.  When I select the connector in a diagram, I'm simply pressing the delete key, not Ctrl-Del.  [size=13][SNIP][/size]
Hi aaa,
If you press the delete key to remove the connector from the diagram, is the connector still available via the Set Visible Relations menu item of the Diagram Menu?

If so, then you can restore it to the diagram that way...

HTH,
Paolo
Title: Re: Bug (?): hide vs delete connection and unhidin
Post by: Roger A. Shepherd on November 14, 2006, 04:50:11 pm
OK, I think I got it now.

First, I'm not fussing with any of the Diagram Property settings, I think they are all set to default settings.  But, in this testing scenario the "Show Relationships" checkbox is checked on the diagram properties window.

To recreate, 1) create a diagram and place two new objects on it, Object1 and Object2. 2) Create an association between the two. I created a dependancy link but I doubt it matters.

If you select the link and press the delete key, OR select the link, right click and from the pop-up select Set Visibility->Hide Connector then you CAN go to either object's link tab, right click on the relationship and select "Show Relationship" and it is visible again in the diagram.

HOWEVER, if you select the connector, right click and then select Delete at the bottom of the pop-up menu I have yet to figure out how to show the relationship again.  If you go to the link tab of either object, for some reason the "Show Relationship" option is not available when you right click on the link of interest.

We're using 6.5 build 799.

BTW, I have set my pref so that when I delete an item from the diagram, it simply hides it and doesn't delete it from the model; On the "Remove Connector" dialog box I've checked the box that says, "Don't ask again" and Hide the Connector.

Hope that's much clearer.
Title: Re: Bug (?): hide vs delete connection and unhidin
Post by: Paolo F Cantoni on November 14, 2006, 05:12:41 pm
The |X| Delete on the context menu is the equivalent of [Ctrl+D]/[Ctrl+Del].  It will delete from the model...

This is another part of EA's UI (Unique Interface)

HTH,
Paolo
Title: Re: Bug (?): hide vs delete connection and unhidin
Post by: Roger A. Shepherd on November 24, 2006, 10:36:13 am
Quote
It will delete from the model...


OK, if that's what it's suppose to do, then it's not deleting it from the model.  If you run thru my test scenario, you will still see the relationship in the link tab from either object still exists.  If you right click on the link from the link tab you don't get the option of showing it in the diagram.

One reason why I'm harping on this issue is that when we run relationship matrices we may have links out of date, or incorrect connections because a user may have thought they've deleted it when in fact they haven't.
Title: Re: Bug (?): hide vs delete connection and unhidin
Post by: Paolo F Cantoni on November 24, 2006, 04:47:58 pm
Quote
The |X| Delete Connector on the context menu is the equivalent of [Ctrl+D]/[Ctrl+Del].  It will delete from the model...

This is another part of EA's UI (Unique Interface)

HTH,
Paolo
aaa you're quite right and I stand corrected!   :-[

[size=13]Naming - Delete vs Destroy vs Remove[/size] (http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=UMLPRO;action=display;num=1144834578;start=8#8) describes some more thoughts on this confusing user interface issue...

Using the conecpts in that topic; what happens when you select <Context Menu>||X| Delete Connector is that it will remove it from the diagram (that is, the entry is deleted from the t_diagramlinks table - and therefore does not show on the Set visible Relations... [Ctrl+Shift+I] dialog.  But the original edge in t_connector is still there and can (as you describe) be returned to the diagram via <Context Menu>|Add|Insert Related Elements....

So, EA's UI (Unique Interface) strikes again.

In thinking about your issue, I revisited the assertion in the linked topic above that:
Note: Hiding an entire line or shape is conceptually identical to removal.  EA allows the hiding of specific Line Segment - but since they've used "Hiding" for "Removal" - they have to call the functionality Suppress (yet it's inverse is Show - rather than say Restore).


I think, in principle, I still hold to that.  But I would allow there might be a place for Hiding (of the entire edge) versus Removal.  Do you or (anyone else) have any thoughts on the matter?  I might modify the original posting as a result.

Thanks again for clarifying this...
Paolo