The Diff-Merge window

Overview of the Diff-Merge window

The "Diff-Merge models" window, which appears after running the "Diff-Merge models" command in Objecteering Multi-user, Objecteering ClearCase, Objecteering SCC or Objecteering Dimensions MDACs and defining the three wizard windows, can be broken down into three zones (as shown in Figure 32 below).

Figure 32. The "Diff-Merge models" window

Key:

1. The icon is used to activate the automatic mode. The automatic mode, which is applied from the element currently selected, resolves all differences automatically. For ambiguous cases, element additions take priority. Where additions are not concerned, the element in the current model is chosen (for example, in the case of renaming).

2. The icon is used to activate the semi-automatic mode. The semi-automatic mode resolves non-ambiguous differences, starting from the current difference.

3. The model explorer zone, which contains an explorer for each of the models being compared (on the left-hand side and in the center of the window), and an explorer for the resulting merged model (on the right-hand side).

4. The properties zone, which provides details on the properties of the element selected in the model explorer. For generation work products, diagrams, state machines and activity graphs, this zone remains empty.

5. The merge control panel, containing a number of buttons and tickboxes used to manage differences (please see the following paragraph for details).

Note: An ambiguous case is where a difference cannot be identified as being an addition, a modification, a deletion or a missing element. For a Diff-Merge operation not based on an ancestor model, all differences are ambiguous. For Diff-Merge operations based on an ancestor model, ambiguous cases are where the current model and the model to be compared are different to the ancestor model.

The merge control panel

Figure 33. The merge control panel

Key:

1. The "Accept" and "Accept branch" buttons are used to accept a model difference or to accept a model branch beginning from the selected element. The buttons under the left-hand model explorer accept differences in the left-hand model explorer or properties zone, whilst the buttons under the right-hand model explorer accept differences in the right-hand model explorer or properties zone. T he "Merge text" button, as its name suggests, is used to merge text. If an object which has a multi-line text attribute is added to one of the two models, the "Merge text" button is replaced by the "Consult" button, used to consult the text in question.

2. The "Detailed object merge" tickbox is used to indicate whether or not you wish to accept changes one at a time or as a block for a given object. When this tickbox is checked, differences are accepted one by one. If the tickbox is not checked, clicking on "Accept" indicates that you wish to accept all the differences for the object at one go.

3. The "Difference browsing" tickboxes are used to select your browsing mode: either browse through all differences, or else browse only through those differences not yet resolved.

4. The and buttons are used to skip to the previous or the next difference respectively. The and buttons are used to skip to the previous or the next same-level difference respectively. The and buttons are used to skip to the first or last difference.

Note: It should be noted that where communication links are concerned, two differences will be indicated. This is because a communication link belongs, by definition, to the two elements it links. Only one "Accept" operation needs to be carried out. This means that at the end of your "Accept" operations, one unresolved difference will remain.

The Diff-Merge window in practice

After entering the relevant information in the three windows of the Diff-Merge wizard, as shown in the "Objecteering Multi-user commands", "Objecteering ClearCase commands", "Objecteering SCC commands" and "Objecteering Dimensions commands" sections, the "Diff-Merge models" window appears.

Figure 34. The Diff-Merge window

Key:

1. The item created in the first model but not in the second is automatically highlighted. The icon shows that it is a new element which has been added to the model. Where there are several differences of this kind, the buttons can be used to skip forwards and backwards amongst them.

2. The properties of the element selected in the model explorer are displayed.

3. The "Accept" and "Accept branch" buttons under the left-hand model explorer are used respectively to accept the left-hand model difference or to accept the left-hand branch beginning from the selected element.

4. The "Accept" and "Accept branch" buttons under the right-hand model explorer are used respectively to accept the right-hand model difference or to accept the right-hand branch beginning from the selected element.

5. The "OK" button is used to confirm your choices.

Warning! When you run an "Accept" or "Accept branch" operation, new elements do not appear in the same order in the resulting model.

For further information on the icons used to represent the various modifications which may have been made to the model, please see the "Diff-Merge icons" section.