The fast link editor

What is the fast link editor?

The Objecteering fast link editor is a graphic tool, mid-way between a graphic editor and an explorer and designed to give you the advantages of both tools, by providing a simplified means of browsing, viewing and editing the links that exist between an element selected in the explorer and other model elements.

Four types of link are managed by the fast link editor:

· use links

· inheritance links

· operation redefinition links

· traceability links

Fast link editor modes

The fast link editors works in two different modes, edit and browse.

The browse mode lets you navigate between different elements in the explorer and display the links of the type selected using the bottom left-hand buttons that exist on each element in the fast link editor.

The edit mode is used to "freeze" the master element highlighted in the fast link editor, irrespective of selection changes in the explorer. To create or modify links, you must be in edit mode.

An example of a view in the fast link editor is shown below.

The fast link editor displaying the links that exist for the "Food" class

Switching between the edit and browse modes

To switch between the edit and browse modes, simply click on the "Switch between edit and browse modes" icon on the bottom right-hand side. A second click on this icon will then lock or unlock the editor.

Alternatively, simply double-click inside the editor itself to switch between the two modes.

When the browse mode is active, the background of the fast link editor is clear. When the edit mode has been selected, a dotted background appears.

The edit and browse modes

Viewing links

When an element is selected in the explorer, the fast link editor automatically displays any links that exist on the selected element. As soon as a different element is selected in the explorer, the fast link editor view is updated to show the links existing for the newly selected element.

In the fast link editor, elements are represented in the form of "boxes" and links are shown as oriented arrows. The selected model element (known as the master element) is represented in the center of the diagram, and is highlighted in blue.

Two types of link are presented:

· "incoming" links, sometimes called downstream links, which show links from another element to the master element

· "outgoing links" links, sometimes called upstream links, which show links from the master element to another element

The number of downstream and upstream levels displayed can be adjusted simply by clicking on the associated up or down arrows on the bottom right of the editor.

Three different "views" are available in the fast link editor: a use view, an inheritance view and a traceability view. Each view displays a different type of link (the inheritance view displays both inheritance and operation redefinition links).

Links in the use and traceability views are shown horizontally, whilst inheritance links and operation redefinition links are shown vertically.

To switch between the different available views, simply click on the associated icons on the bottom left of the editor.

Note: The inheritance view is only available on packages, classes and interfaces.

Switching between the different views

Creating links in the fast link editor

Links created in diagrams are displayed in the fast link editor. However, links can also be created directly in the editor itself, by using the drag and drop feature to drag elements from the explorer into the fast link editor.

Note: Drag and drop operations must be carried out in edit mode.

Four types of link can be created in the fast link editor:

· use links

· inheritance links

· operation redefinition links

· traceability links

The same procedure is used to create each type of link, but the type of link created depends on which view is selected when the drag and drop operation from the explorer is carried out. The links created in the fast link editor follow certain rules, according to the type of view in which they are created.

The direction of the links you create is determined by where you drop the dragged element. Links can be created both to and from the master element.

For use and traceability links, which are presented horizontally, the dragged element can be dropped either to the left of the master element to create a link from the dragged element to the master element, or to the right of the master element to create a link from the master element to the dragged element.

For inheritance links and operation redefinition links, which are presented vertically, the dragged element can be dropped either above the master element to create an inheritance link from the master element to the dragged element, or below it to create an inheritance link from the dragged element to the master element.

Creating a use link in the fast link editor

Steps:

· In the explorer, select the element you wish to use as master element in the fast link editor, and click on the icon to activate the edit mode in the fast link editor.

· Choose the use view by clicking on the "Switch to use view" icon on the bottom left of the fast link editor (to create an inheritance link or a traceability link, the same procedure is used, except that you must click on either the "Switch to inheritance view" or the "Switch to traceability view" icon to display the appropriate view).

· In the explorer, select the element to be linked and drag it into the fast link editor.

· Drop the element either on the left or the right of the master element, depending on whether you want to create a link to or from the master element respectively (to create a traceability link, the same procedure is used, while for inheritance links and operation redefinition links, the element should be dropped either below or above the master element, according respectively to whether you are creating a link to the master element or from the master element).

Rules for the creation of use links

· A package can use a class and vice versa.

· A package or a class cannot use an operation, but an operation can use a class or a package.

· A link created in the use view in the fast link editor from any element to a package will be a package import link.

· A link created in the use view in the fast link editor to any other element will be an element import link.

· The fast link editor does not allow the creation of element imports from any element to a package.

Note 1: If these rules are not respected, an error message will appear.

Note 2: The fast link editor does not allow the creation of element import links from any element to a package. To create an element import link from any element to a package, use a class diagram.

Rules for the creation of inheritance links

· An inheritance link is created if a class is dropped below or above a class.

· An inheritance link is created if an interface is dropped below or above an interface.

· An inheritance link is created if a package is dropped below or above a package.

· An implementation link is created if a class is dropped below an interface.

· An implementation link is created if an interface is dropped above a class.

· A class cannot be dropped above an interface.

Rules for the creation of operation redefinition links

· Operation redefinition links can be created between any two operations that have the same signature.

Rules for the creation of traceability links

· Traceability links can be created in any direction between any types of element.

· There are no restrictions regarding the behavior of traceability links.

Selecting an element simultaneously in the fast link editor and the explorer

To select the element currently selected in the fast link editor in the explorer, hold down the Ctrl key and click on the element in question in the fast link editor. The element is then immediately selected in the explorer.

Showing or hiding the fast link editor

To show or hide the fast link editor, simply run the "Fast link editor" command in the "View" menu.