Run/javaUI
From Omar Wiki
Contents |
Overview
Starting Java UI
- Starting Via Java WebStart
- Starting Via Command Line: In a shell window do the following steps:
- cd <omar.basedir>
- ./build.sh run.browser
Tool Bar
The six buttons on the tool bar that control the majority of the Registry Browser Java UI tasks are:
- Find - Use this to search the ebxml registry using the business or ad-hoc queries specified.
- NOTE: Business queries are mapped to ad-hoc queries under the hood.
- Classification Scheme - Use this to display the Classification Scheme instances and the Concepts within each ClassificationScheme in the ClassificationSchemes Dialog. If you are logged on, you can also create and update ClassificationSchemes and Concepts using this dialog.
- Logon - Use this to log-on as a registered user. Logging-on simply tells the the JAXR provider who you are for when you perform secure operations such as save or delete. You can also change users by logging-on again as someone else. There is currently no time-out after which the browser automatically logs you off. Auto-logoff is a feature planned for a future release.
- Logoff - Use this to log-off the currently logged-on user.
- User Registration Wizard - Use this to create a new 'user' object (as the name suggests). Fill in the fields in the dialog boxes and you will be registered as a user of the registry.
- Locale Selection - Use this to select your Locale preference. Your choice of Locale determines how the Registry Browser Java UI displays and saves localized content such as Names and Descriptions. For example if you choose the locale "English (United States)" (which is the default), you are choosing the English language as spoken in the country United States.
The buttons in the toolbar are highlighted in Figure ??
Menu Bar
In addition to the main buttons there is the main menu which contain three entries: File, View, and Help. Clicking on one the items will bring up a sub menu with options to choose from. The contents and functionality of each entity is listed below:
- File
- Exit - Exit the browser
- View
- Theme - Select the theme for the 'look and feel' of the browser
- Help
- About - Displays the version of the Registry Browser Java UI
The buttons in the menu bar are highlighted in Figure ??
Connecting To registry
When you start up the ebxmlrr Registry Browser Java UI you will see a window that looks like Figure ??. This is the window you will see every time you open the browser. At this point there the browser looks very simple and, in fact, it is. There is very little you can do without being connected to a registry.
Connecting to a registry is accomplished by either choosing one from the drop down menu or manually typing in the URL of your registry in the Registry Location dialog box. If you do not have a registry set up, you may use our test registry for most sections of the tutorial. To connect to the test registry select the following URL from the drop down menu:
http://registry.paradigma.net/omar/registry/soap
- You can add items to the drop down menu by adding your registry URL inside the file: (User.Home)/jaxr-ebxml/registry-browser-config.xml
- You can configure the browser to automatically connect to a specified URL on startup by configuring the following property with the (user.Home)/jaxr-ebxml.properties file:
jaxr-ebxml.registryBrowser.registryLocationCombo.initialSelectionIndex
- You must restart the browser for the configuration changes to take effect.
Once you are connected to a registry the window will change to look like Figure ??
ReadOnly Vs. Editable Modes
At any given time the browser operates in either Read-only mode or Editable mode. You control these two modes by logging off from or on to the browser.
Read-only Mode
When you first start the browser, it is in read-only mode. In this mode you are presented with restricted capabilities and are not allowed to create, modify, or delete data in the registry. In this mode most dialogs only show a 'Cancel' button and do not show an 'OK' button. Context-sensitive popup menus (right click) do not include entries for actions such as 'Edit', 'Insert', or 'Remove'.
The browser reverts from editable mode to read-only mode whenever you log off.
Editable Mode
When you successfully log on, the browser enters editable mode. In this mode you are presented with additional capabilities and are allowed to create, modify or delete data in the registry (within the limits set by the access control policies in the registry).
Searching Information in Registry
One of the most important features of the ebxmlrr browser is the ability to search the registry and view or download the information that you are looking for. There are two to ways to discover objects of interest within the registry:
- Business Queries Simple to use, useful in most situations but less flexible.
- Ad-hoc Queries : Simple to use, harder to configure and custom tailored to your precise needs.
This section will explain how to use both these methods to discover the objects you are interested in.
Discovery Panel
The discovery panel is split into two areas:
- Search Parameters Panel: This is on the left side and allows you to enter the parameters for your search. The radio button at the top allow selecting between between Business and Ad-hoc Query options. It has the following control buttons at the top:
- Search: Initiates a Search within the registry. Cursor changes to watch cursor while query is being processed.
- Clear: Clears the fields within the Search Parameter Panel as well as the search results in the Search Results Panel (see next).
The area of the Search Parameters Panel below the buttons varies depending upon whether Business Query or Ad-hoc Query is selected and is distinguished by the names Business Search Parameters Panel and Ad-hoc Search Parameters Panel.
- Search Results Panel : This is on the right side and displays the results of your search in tabular form. The Search Results table can be customized to display any number of columns containing attributes for the objects within the search results.
Business Queries
One the easiest and most intuitive ways to explore the registry is through business queries. To use Business Queries make sure you select the Business Query radio button near the top of the Search Parameters Panel.
Business Queries allow you to search for objects using any combination of the following selection criteria:
- Type of object
- Name of object
- Description of object
- Classification
- Identifiers associated with object via ExternalIdentifiers
- URLs association with object via ExternalLinks
Object Type
The Object Type combo box allows you to specify the type of objects you are looking for. The choices are defined by the ObjectType Classification Scheme as shown in the Classification Schemes Dialog. There are several pre-defined ObjectTypes to choose from. In addition a registered user may also define additional custom ObjectTypes within the ClassificationSchemes dialog after logging on.
The ObjectTypes are organized hierarchically. This means that you can narrow or broaden your search by choosing an Object type lower (more specific) or higher (more general) in the hierarchy.
You can configure which ObjectType should be selected by default by configuring the index (from 0 to N) in the following property within the (User.Home)/jaxr-ebxml.properties file:
jaxr-ebxml.registryBrowser.objectTypeCombo.initialSelectionIndex
Name
The Name text field allows you to narrow your search by specifying a name pattern for the objects you are looking for. You can either type the exact name but more typically you may type a name pattern using '%' as a wild card character to match any number of characters.
Example: The following entries in the name dialog box will find the objects with "ebxml" in their name:
- ebxml
- %xml%
- %eb%
Description
The Description text field allows you to narrow your search by specifying a description pattern for the objects you are looking for. You can either type the exact description but more typically you may type a description pattern using '%' as a wild card character to match any number of characters. Case Sensitive Searches
Name and description based searched are case-insensitive by default. Check the Case Sensitive CheckBox above Name filed if you wish to make your search match name and description in a case sensitive manner. Classifications
The most powerful way to discover objects of interest is to search by Classifications. Objects in the registry are often classified using one or more Classifications based upon values defined as Concepts within a ClassificationScheme.
To enter one or more Classifications in the Classifications List box do the following:
- Right-click inside your chosen field and select insert to display a Classification Panel dialog.
- Define a Classification by specifying a Concept within a Classification Scheme. Click OK when you have selected an object or cancel if you do not want to choose one.
- Your selection will be entered inside the classifications List box in the Search Parameters Panel. Right-click the entry to edit or remove it.
- Note: You can repeat the insert/edit/remove process to further modify your Classifications for the search and you can clear all search parameters and results by selecting Clear button at the top of the Search Parameters Panel.
ExternalIdentifiers
A less commonly used Search criteria is to search for registry objects by ExternalIdentifiers associated with the objects. An ExternalIdentifier is similar to a Classification. The main difference is that instead of specifying a Concept within a Classification Scheme you specify a ClassificationScheme and a textual value within that ClassificationScheme. For example the ClassificationScheme may be "US Social Security #" while the value may be the actual US Social Security Number for an individual.
Entering an ExternalIdentifier is done in a similar manner as described for entering Classifications.
ExternalLinks
A less commonly used Search criteria is to search for registry objects by ExternalLinks associated with the registry objects. An ExternalLink is essentially a glorified HTTP address (URL). So ExternalLInk based searches allow you to search for any object that has certain URL patterns associated with it. For example you can find all objects with the URL pattern of '%ebxml%'.
Entering an ExternalLink is done in a similar manner as described for entering Classifications.
Performing the Search
When you have specified one or more Search Parameters for the Business Query, select Search button to search for objects matching all the specified Search Parameters.
Adhoc Queries
Adhoc queries allow you to use powerful SQL queries to specify exactly what objects you are interested in. Unlike Business Queries that have fixed semantics where all specified criteria must match, ad-hoc queries allow you to specify arbitrary predicate conjugation using the rich expressive syntax of the SQL 92 query syntax.
To use Ad-hoc Queries make sure you select the Ad-Hoc Query radio button near the top of the Search Parameters Panel. See Figure 3.3 for a picture of the Ad-hoc Query Search Parameters Panel. Form Based Parameterized Query Interface
While SQL queries are very powerful, they are also not very user friendly and can be intimidating to most users. The Registry Browser Java UI's ad-hoc query capability provides you with the best of both worlds by hiding the complexity of ad-hoc queries behind parameterized forms.
Any number of ad-hoc queries may be configured for the Registry Browser Java UI. Each ad-hoc query may have any number of parameters defined. A user selects a pre-configured query and simple enters the parameters for that query and performs the search. From a user's perspective ad-hoc queries are even simpler than Business Queries to use. The next sections describe how to use ad-hoc queries. Select Query
The first thing you must do is to select a previously configured ad-hoc query using the Select Query combo box. All queries in this combo are user configurable and extensible as defined later.
The following queries have been pre-configured in the standard distribution:
- Find All My Objects: Finds all objects owned by the user. Requires user to logon.
- Find All Objects Owned By Organizations: Finds all objects that are owned by a specified Organization.
- Arbitrary Query: This allows you to type in an arbitrary SQL query conforming to the ebXML Registry relational schema. This is useful only to experts.
- Several WSDL discovery queries defined by "ebXML Registry Profile for WSDL" specification
Ad-hoc Query Parameters
When you select a query the Ad-hoc Query Parameters form below the Select Query combo changes to display the form appropriate for the configured query. The fields in the form are chosen according to the data type of the field. Enter parameters in the fields. Performing the Search
When you have specified the Search Parameters for the Ad-hoc Query, select Search button to search for objects matching the specified Search Parameters. Configuring A New Ad-Hoc Query
While use of Ad-hoc queries is simple, their configuration is the harder task and requires knowledge of SQL-92 as well as the relational schema defined in file <ebxmlrr>/conf/database.sql .
- Check if you have a file named <user.home>/jaxr/ebxml/registry-browser-config.xml . If not then copy the file <jaxr>/src/com/sun/xml/registry/client/browser/conf/config.xml to <user.home>/jaxr/ebxml/registry-browser-config.xml .
- Edit the <user.home>/jaxr/ebxml/registry-browser-config.xml i n a text editor or an XML Editor.
- For each new query add a <Query> element (both open and close tags). The Query element has the following sub-elements:
- Name : This is the name used to identify the query in the Select Query Combo in the Ad-hoc Query Parameters Panel. Don't make it too long.
- Description : This is a more detailed description of the query. It is shown in the Description text box in the Ad-hoc Query Parameters Panel.
- Parameter : One or more Parameter elements may be added for each parameter in the parameterized Query. Each Parameter has Name and Description sub-elements. Most importantly it has an attribute named datatype (usually string) which determines how to display the parameter field in the form.
- SQLQuery : One SQLQuery element defines the actual SQL query. For each positional parameter use $1, $2 etc.
- Validate you newly modified <user.home>/jaxr/ebxml/registry-browser-config.xml file with a schema-aware XML validator. This will prevent downstream grief.
- Now re-start your Registry Browser Java UI and navigate to Ad-hoc Query Parameters Panel. You will now be able to test your query. It is likely to not work the first time. In which case iterate and try again.
Note that it is a good idea to test your query with parameters filled in using the pre-defined Arbitrary Query ad-hoc query.
Search Results Panel
When the user performs a Search, the objects matching the search are displayed in the Search Results table. Each row in the table represents an object that was matched. Each column represents an attribute of the object being displayed in that row. The columns of the table vary depending upon the type of type of objects being displayed and is completely configurable by the user. In case the search matches multiple types of objects, the browser will use the configuration matching the most specific (lower in hierarchy) ObjectType that is a common base type for all the objects. Sorting of Search Results
The Search Results table may be sorted by the values in any column. Simply click on the column header and the entire table will re-sort according to the values in that column. To sort in reverse order simply hold down the SHIFT key when clicking on the column header. Web Browser Integration (Hyper Link Support)
The Search Results Table cells display HTTP URLs using a blue hyper link visual style. Clicking on a hyper link will launch a Web Browser displaying that web page. If this does not work for you you may need to configure the following property in your <user.home>/jaxr-ebxml.properties file:
jaxr-ebxml.registryBrowser.webBrowser.launch
In this property you specify the actual URL using the variable '$url'. Below is a sample configuration that works with Mozilla and Netscape browser family:
jaxr-ebxml.registryBrowser.webBrowser.launch=netscape -remote openURL ( $url )
Search Results Table Configuration
The Search Results Table is configured within the <user.home>/jaxr/ebxml/registry-browser-config.xml file
ObjectTypeConfig
This element defines configuration for handling a specific type of object within the Registry Browser Java UI. In particular it configures the Search Results table columns in the browser. The details of ObjectTypeConfig, its attributes and sub-elements are describes as annotations within the XML Schema file:
<jaxr>/src/com/sun/xml/registry/client/browser/conf/browserConfig.xsd
For some example of use see:
<jaxr>/src/com/sun/xml/registry/client/browser/conf/config.xml
The following things can be configured:
- Configure which object attributes to show as columns
- Column header to display for each column
- Width of each column as a percentage of Scroll Panel containing the table (visible portion of table)
- Data type for each column
Browsing and Inspecting Objects
Once you have performed a Search using the discovery features of the browser, you likely have several objects matching your query that are displayed in the Search Results Table. You can now visually scan the objects and narrow your interest based upon the various attributes of the object displayed in the columns of the Search Results Table.
Selecting Object(s) of Interest
You can select an object of interest by clicking the left mouse button on the row representing the object. You can also choose multiple object by holding down the CONTROL key while clicking the left mouse button on the rows representing the objects. Performing Action on Object(s) of Interest
Upon selecting an object of interest you can click the right mouse button to display the Actions allowed for the selected object(s).
- Show Details: Shows detailed attributes of an object
- Browse: Graphically browses an object and its related objects
- Show Audit Trail: Shows the change history for an object
- Show RegistryObject: Shows the RegistryObject XML representation in a Web Browser
- Show RepositoryItem: Shows the RepositoryItem in a Web Browser
Note: Some actions require that exactly one object be selected. In such cases an error message will remind you of it when you select the action. Note: When using right click choose an area (cell) of the/a selected row that is completely blue and not partially or completely white.
The following actions are also available when you are logged in (i.e., when in Editable mode):
- Edit (instead of "Show Details")
- Remove
- Save
- Approve
- Deprecate
- Undeprecate
Show Details Action
To invoke this action, select a row in the Search Results table and click the right mouse button and choose the Show Details menu action.
The Show Details Action requires exactly one object to be selected. Upon invocation it displays the Details Dialog for the selected object. The details dialog displays all the attributes of the selected object.
Note: Some parts of the Details dialog will be different depending on the type of registry object that is chosen. This is because different types of objects have different information attributes defined for them.
Browse Action
To invoke this action, select a row in the Search Results table and click the right mouse button and choose the Browse menu action.
The Browse Action requires one or more objects to be selected. Upon invocation it displays the Graph Dialog for the selected object(s). The graph dialog displays all the selected object and allows graphical browsing of relationships/associations and related/associated objects.
You'll notice that there are different graphical icons to represent the different types of registry objects. You can configure an icon for a specific ObjectType by placing a gif file for the icon in <jaxr>/resources/icons with its name prefix prior to (.gif) matching the value for the Concept representing the ObjectType.
In order to view any related or associated registry objects right click the graphic for a registry object and choose Show Related objects. The related objects will appear on the graph with arrows connecting them to the original object. You'll also noticed that there is text associated with the arrows to show what type of relation the objects have with each other. You can also click drag the objects around the graph so that you can get a better view.
Repositioning Objects
Often you will need to reposition all the objects in the Graph Dialog to better center them. To do so use CONTROL-A (press control key and the A key while holding control key down) to select all the objects and then drag any object using left mouse-down to a better position. All objects will move along with the object being dragged. You can also fine tune the position of individual objects by only selecting that object and dragging it in a similar manner. Undo / Redo
If you make a mistake in the Graph Dialog you can simply Undo your last several steps by using the Undo icon in the Graph Dialog toolbar (). You can also Redo an Undo action using the Redo icon ().
Approve Action
To invoke this action, select a row in the Search Results table and click the right mouse button and choose the Approve menu action.
Deprecate Action
To invoke this action, select a row in the Search Results table and click the right mouse button and choose the Deprecate menu action.
Undeprecate Action
To invoke this action, select a row in the Search Results table and click the right mouse button and choose the Undeprecate menu action.
Show Audit Trail Action
To invoke this action, select a row in the Search Results table and click the right mouse button and choose the Show Audit Trail menu action.
This Action requires exactly one object to be selected. Upon invocation it displays the Audit Trail Dialog for the selected object showing the history of changes made to this object. Information is included on who made each change and at what time and date.
Show RegistryObject Action
To invoke this action, select a row in the Search Results table and click the right mouse button and choose the Show RegistryObject menu action.
This Action requires exactly one object to be selected. Upon invocation, it displays the RegistryObject in its XML representation, using the server's HTTP interface.
Registering a New User
You can browse the public content of a registry. However, both access to private objects and write access to public objects require that you are logged in and are authorized to perform that action on that object. Please see the User Registration Guide for an overview.
You must register with a registry before you can log-on to that registry and perform secure operations such as object publishing, update and removal.
Registration using Registry Browser Java UI involves the following steps:
- Creating a User Account
- Loading Client Certificate into the Web Browser
After that you are able to authenticate with the registry.
User Registration Using Java UI
User registration is performed using the User Registration Wizard. Start the Registry Browser, and click the Show User Registration Wizard toolbar button in the Registry Browser Java UI.
User Registration Wizard
The User Registration Wizard is launched from the Show User Registration Wizard button () on the toolbar from the Registry Browser Java UI. It is used to create and register new users for the registry. Upon clicking the User Registration Wizard button a popup window will appear with a number of fields to fill in. See next section for details.
Digital Certificate Information
A client digital certificate is required to identify and authenticate you. There are two options:
- Registry Issued Certificates: Have the Registry Browser to issue a new client certificate for you. By default the User Registration Wizard uses self signed digital certificates. These certificates are not very secure. See Figure 6.1 below for an example of how to register with this kind of certificate.
- CA Certificates: A more secure solution is to use 3rd-party, a Certificate Authority (CA), to provide the certificate when performing user registration. One source where you can obtain a free certificate is at http://www.thawte.com/html/COMMUNITY/personal/index.html. See Figure 6.2 below for an example of how to register with this kind of certificate.
NOTE: the certificate issues by the Java UI also create a .p12 format file that can be imported into your web browser to enable client certificate authentication. See the User Registration Guide for more details. This kind of authentication is required to publish and access restricted data in the Web UI client. See the Web UI User Registration for details.
Registry generated client certificate
- Fill out all the user information fields.
- Click the I want Registry to issue me a new Digital Certificate radio button.
- Enter an alias and password for the cert. Each must be at least 6 characters.
- (Optional) Enter a different name for "File to Export Registry Issued Certificate to:" field by clicking the "Choose File to export to ..." button to choose where to place the generated certificate. You may also type in the location of certificate directly into the Export text field.
Certificate Authority client certificate
- Fill out all the user information fields.
- Click the Certificate in a .pk12 file radio button. Enter the alias and password for the cert. Each must be at least 6 characters.
- Then, for the "File to Import Existing Certificate from:" field, click the "Choose File to import from ..." button to choose from where to import the CA certificate. You may also type in the location of certificate directly into the Import text field.
After filling in all the fields, click "OK", and the Login dialog box will appear (See Figure 6.3). Enter the new username and password to login the new user. The new user's information will now be stored in the client and server side keystore for future logons.
Logging On and Off
Making any changes to the registry requires you to login to the registry. To login you must click the Login button on the toolbar and fill in the username and password fields. This information will then be validated in both client and server keystores. Once logged in, you may add registry objects or edit any existing objects created by you and save your changes.
To logoff click the login button again as it toggles between logon and logoff functions.
Note: There is currently no time-out for a logged in user but this feature may be added in future releases.
Publishing Objects to Registry
So far we have learned how to discover objects in the registry and browse their detailed attributes as well as their relationships with other object. We will now learn how these objects are published in the registry and how they are subsequently edited (updated). Logon
Before you can publish or update any objects in the registry you must perform a Logon with the Registry Browser Java UI. The Logon step does not actually maintain a session with the registry. It only authenticates you with the client key store, retrieves your security credentials (e.g. public key) from the client key store and set (cache) these credentials within the JAXR Connection that will be used to communicate with the registry.
Once you are Logged On the browser enters Editable mode and allows you to perform publish and update operations. In particular, the browser display the Submission tabbed panel's tab just below the Registry Location combo. Creating New Objects
The submission tabbed panel is used for creating registry objects to be submitted to the registry. To access the submission panel click on the Submission tab (located right beside the discovery tab and below the Registry Location combo). You MUST be logged on in order to see the Submission tab.
You will notice that the Submission Panel is a larger version of the Graph Panel that was used to Browse objects graphically. They are functionally identical and for that reason we will refer to either as Graph Panel when speaking generically.
On the toolbar of the GraphPanel there is a drop down menu for choosing the type of registry objects and a few groups of buttons for various functions. The groups of buttons and their individual functions are listed below (in order from left to right).
- Insert - Inserts a registry object of the type selected in the drop down menu.
- Once the icon for the new object appears in the submission panel you can Edit it and enter the detailed values for the object's attributes.
- You may need to move the icon for the newly added object as it may overlap with the previously added object.
- Moving objects is done by using a drag action with left mouse button.
- You can also relate two objects together in meaningful ways.
- Toggle Connect Mode - Controls the ability to connect registry objects together (on/off). This is rarely used.
- Undo - Undo last action. This is your safety net and friend to undo past sins.
- Redo - Redo last undone action. This is to undo an undo if you got carried away and did one to many Undos.
- Remove - Remove object(s)
- Zoom - Sets view to normal size.
- Zoom In - Make things appear bigger.
- Zoom Out - Make things appear smaller.
- To Front - Bring the selected object(s) to front
- To Back - Send the selected object(s) to back
Note: Don't forget to save your changes frequently!
Editing Objects
An objects detailed attribute values may be edited and updated using the Edit action to display the Edit dialog for that type of object. The Edit dialog is essentially the same as the Details Dialog but it is in editable mode and allows you to make changes.
You can open the Edit dialog for an object from either the Search Results panel a using the Edit action in a manner similar to the Show Details action. You can also open the Edit dialog for an object from the Graph Panel by clicking the right mouse button on the icon for an object and selecting the Edit action.
Once you've opened up an editor panel you will see all the fields associated with that object. Most of those fields except the unique identifier can be edited.
Fields that are single values can be edited directly when you click on the field text. Fields that can have multiple values, such as the lists of slots or classifications for an object, can be edited by clicking on the field with the right mouse button and selecting one of "Edit", "Insert", or "Remove" as appropriate. See Figure 7.1.
Figure 7.1 - Right mouse button selects an action
Selecting Objects
A single object in the Graph Panel may be selected by clicking on its icon with the left mouse button.
A selected object shows a dotted outline in its icon to indicate that it is selected.
Multiple objects may be selected by using a drag operation (left mouse down, hold move mouse and release left mouse) to define a selection region around the object. Object may be added to the selected set of objects by holding down the CONTROL key when you left click on another object. Saving Objects
At any point during the course of adding objects to the Graph Panel, adding relationships between objects or editing values for attributes of objects, you can save your changes. Like any text editor, you should save periodically to avoid losing your work in case of a failure.
To save one or more objects select those objects and the right click and choose Save from the popup menu. You will be prompted to Logon if you haven't already done so. Note that by default you can only make changes to objects that you created. Read the section User Registration for details on registration and Logon. If you are unsure who created an object, right-click the object and choose Show Audit Trail to view the object's details.
Note: Saving will save ALL selected objects as well as implicitly save any objects related to or referenced by the objects being saved.
Managing Classification Schemes
The Classification Scheme Dialog displays ClassificationSchemes and Concepts within the registry. ClassificationSchemes are used to classify or categorize objects in the registry using unique Concepts defining valid values within that ClassificationScheme.
To open the Classification Scheme Dialog, click the Show Classification Scheme/ Concept Dialog Button in toolbar. A pop-up window appears with a listing of all the Classification Schemes. See Figure 2.6.
Figure 2.6 - Classification Schemes
You can now use this window to browse through all the classification schemes. If you click on a scheme that is linked to classification nodes/concepts, a little magnifying glass will appear beside the chosen scheme. Click on the magnifying glass and the classification scheme will expand showing all the linked classification nodes. You can apply this method to view subsequent classification nodes where applicable. Click on the magnifying glass again to collapse the classification schemes. See Figure 2.7.
Figure 2.7 - Expanding Classification Schemes
Defining Relationships Between Objects
Any two objects that are on the Graph Panel may be connected graphically into a relationship.
To do so you simply left mouse click in the center of one object and drag to the center of the second object before releasing the mouse button. This operation requires that the Connect Mode is ON (default) using the Toggle Connect Mode button of the Graph Panel toolbar.
Relationship Dialog
Once you release the mouse on the center of the second object the Relationship Dialog pops up. This dialog offers a radio button choice of either:
- Association: To associate the two objects using an arbitrary Association object.
- Reference: To set a reference value of a reference attribute from one object to the other. Note that if no reference attribute is possible between the two types of objects then the system will be smart and not offer you the choice and instead will simply display the Association choice.
Upon selecting OK on the Relationship dialog you will see an edge connecting the icons for the two objects. The edge will have an appropriate label based upon the Association or reference.
Note: Don't forget to save your changes frequently!
Setting Status of Objects
Simply select an object in SearchResults panel Right click and select "Set Status". This operation may be done on multiple selected objects.
Deleting Objects
Simply select an object in SearchResults panel or the GraphPanel and Right click and select "Remove from Registry". Note that there is no conformation dialog by default on this action.
Links
- TBD
