Linking an element to another diagram

[quebonito]

I'm using EA 7.0.815 and want to link an element to another diagram, as kind of an explosion/drill down possibility. So if I have for example a level 1 of business processes which I do further decompose to a level 2 and 3 I want to link the elements from level 1 to specific detailed diagrams on level 2 and 3. How is the best way to do that ?
Thanks for any suggestions.
Cheers
Quebonito

[«Midnight»]

There is a Diagrams collection attribute of the Element class. That should be enough.

If you need more, try this:

Create a small EA project. On a diagram with a few elements, make one of the elements a composite element. On another element (not the composite element) right-click and choose Add from the context menu. Many element types allow you to add a few different diagram types. Add a few. Finally, on a third element, make it composite and then add some diagrams.

Now exit EA and examine the database. What you will have to do is set things up to match what you see in the database.

David

[quebonito]

Thanks for your feedback, but i'm not really sure what you are talking about. Can you please explain what you mean with "There is a Diagrams collection attribute of the Element class. That should be enough".
If you could tell me the menu topics/functions I need to click that would be great.
Thanks anyway.
Cheers Quebonito

[Frank Horn]

Well, you posted your question in the "Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools" section, so of course David thought you wanted to do it via automation.

The context menu of an element on a diagram has an "Advanced" submenu where you can mark it as "Composite Element". When you do so, you will see in the project browser that it has grown a child diagram, which is also accessible by double clicking the element in the first diagram. The type of the child diagram depends on the type of element, but you can change it with the "Diagram - Change Diagram Type" menu.

[«Midnight»]

Thanks Frank,

I should have been clearer. Thanks for catching that.

There is also another context menu item. You'll see an Add item, which leads to a sub-menu. For most element types the sub-menu has a section (which should be on below a separator line at the bottom of the sub-menu) of diagrams you can add to the element. These diagrams are 'owned' by the element, in much the same way as the one created via the composite element method, as Frank explains above.

For example, a Class element allows you to add any of five different types of diagrams. [You can add as many diagrams as you want, but the menu only allows five different types. Of course you can change the diagram type yourself by opening the diagram, then from the main menu choosing Diagram | Change Type.]

Hope this helps,
David