View - Action options

Select

Option selected by default, allows you to interact with the items in the view, for example, to drill-down or select.

Selection tool

Provides various methods for selecting multiple objects and nodes:

Insert tool

Provides methods for inserting both text and shapes (rectangles or circles) into the view, for example to highlight specific items:

For example, a rectangle with a green border has been added, alongside some text in red:

Drawing tool

Provides a method to draw a freehand shape in the view in the colour of your choice, for example to highlight specific items or add your own notes:

For example:

Graph layout tool

Provides layout options for the items in the view (Sequential is set as the default):

Add concept node tool

Provides a means to add an object type of your choosing to the view. All possible object types can be added, except those that already exist on the view whether as other concept nodes, or object types resulting from analyses:

Concept object type nodes are displayed as squares to differentiate from object types nodes resulting from an analysis (displayed as circles):

Visual grouping tool

Allows you to apply a specific level grouping to the level you are currently working in:

For example, if you are working in Level 5 (Object type level) you can choose to view the nodes in level 5 using the abstract grouping from any of the other Levels 1 - 4. Choosing Level 1 when in Level 5 (for example) will show the following:

The rectangles are added to the view to highlight the nodes that are grouped in their chosen level grouping - e.g. in this example, Level 1 groupings:

  • User Interaction
  • System Interaction
  • Services
  • Data Services

Spotlight tool

Provides a mechanism to search for nodes or objects that are present in the current view:

Searches are performed on the node or object name and matching items are then highlighted directly in the view:

Group selected nodes tool

Allows you to group specific nodes or objects into single nodes. For example, you may want to group together SQL object types, or JEE object types so that the view is easier to understand.

Clicking the icon will group all nodes or objects that are selected in the view and display them as follows:

The grouped items will move around the graph as one item. To remove or rename the grouping, use the right-click contextual menu on the grouped item:

Tip: Double click the grouped item to change the position of individual items within it.

Nodes Display tool

Hides (or unhides) any objects that are selected in the view - for example those that may not be of interest.

Toggles between grouped links (default position) and ungrouped. Explanation: some links at object level will be “highlighted”. This indicates that there is more than one link between the objects and therefore these links are grouped:

Using the Ungroup links option, all links between the two objects will be displayed:

Use the option again to toggle between the two states (grouped/ungrouped).

Graph display options tool

Provides various view display options:

Option Description
External libraries / Isolated nodes Filter on the type of objects/nodes that are displayed in the view. Toggling the option will remove and re-display corresponding objects from the view.

  • External objects are those originating in third-party libraries or system assemblies. Enabled by default.
  • Isolated nodes are those that are not linked to any other node. Enabled by default.
BelongsTo links Toggle the display of BelongsTo links (interactions between parent and child objects, for example, C++ Classes and Methods). Disabled by default. When enabled, BelongsTo links are displayed in pink making them distinct from other link types.
Shortest path Displays the critical (i.e. shortest) path between two objects (source and target).

The view will show the critical (i.e. shortest) path between the input node (i.e. the selected transaction/node) and any “output nodes” (any nodes/objects not involved will be temporarily hidden). Disabled by default.

For example:



Main objects only Toggles the view to show a simplified version of the Transaction or Data Call Graph including only the main objects and excluding any sub-objects. Disabled by default.

For example, option disabled:



Option enabled:

Tooltips Displays a short tooltip explanation about the item when the item is selected in the view. Enabled by default.

Sticky Notes tool

Use this feature to add detailed documentation or notes to a view and/or to specific objects/nodes or groups of objects/nodes:

When a sticky note has been assigned to an object or node, the item’s badge will update to indicate that a Sticky Note exists:

Tags tool

Use this feature to add custom tags to specific objects/nodes or groups of objects/nodes. Tags can then be used as a search term to find items of interest more quickly: