EA Toolsets project : OsUiMenus

EA Toolset project - User interface - Menus

The menus below are listed as if for a standard Windows or Macintosh menu=bar. If another implementation is used - for example, FireFox-style tabs - adapt the descriptions accordingly.

File menu

A 'file' in this context is a complete project ('encyclopaedia').

File>New...

Opens a wizard to:

create a new project, assigning the initial model-types that would be supported within the project.
copy the model-set of an existing project - i.e. use the project as a template
copy the model-set and content of an existing project - e.g. to map changes from the 'as-is' of the existing to a new 'to-be'.

File>Open...

Opens a standard dialog to select a project-file from the local system.

File>Save

Saves all models of the current project to the local system.

File>Save As...

Opens a standard dialog to save a project-file to the local system - e.g. to save an amended 'as-is' as a 'to-be'.

File>Versions>

Version-management on remote CVS/SVN or equivalent; submenu should include:

Get latest revision... - of selected project from remote system onto local system.
Checkout... - selected project from remote system to local system.
Checkin... - selected project from local system onto remote system.
Undo checkout... of selected project from remote system.
Revisions... - list revision-history of selected project on remote system.
Status... - of selected project on remotre system.

File>Print Preview...

Runs a wizard to select what is to be previewed - e.g. current model, selection of models, all models in the current project - and in what form - e.g. text-only, standard graphic, customised graphic.

File>Print...

Runs the same 'print preview' wizard to select what is to be printed and in what form, and sends it to the selected output device.

File>Page Setup...

Sets up page-display parameters for the currently selected print-device (and its print-preview).

File>Import...

Runs a wizard to setup import of a model to the current project, or an entire project.

File>Export...

Runs a wizard to setup export of a model, a subset of models or an entire project to a specified format (e.g. extended XMI).

File>---- (most recently used)

Lists up to [option-selected] number of the most-recently opened project-files - selecting one of these opens the project-file.

File>Exit

Exits the program, with check for save if required.

Edit menu

This would function much the same as in most Windows/Macintosh programs. The main difference would be in its handling of cut, copy, paste and delete - these need to manage appropriately the relationships between instances and their underlying types.
Edit>Undo

Undo the last logged (undoable) action - preferably display what this will be, and allow a sensible-sized undo-stack.

Edit>Redo

Redo the last undone action, if any - preferably display what this will be, and redo to the end of the undone-stack.

Edit>Delete

Deletes the currently-selected (displayed instances of) items from the current model; for each instance-item, if not connected to any other instance-item, displays a dialog to offer to delete the respective item-type from the project.

Edit>Cut

Cuts the currently-selected (displayed instances of) items from the current model; for each instance-item, if not connected to any other instance-item, displays a dialog to offer to delete the respective item-type from the project (e.g. would not do this if cut is for subsequent paste in another model in the project).

Edit>Copy

Copies the currently-selected (displayed instances of) items in the current model.

Edit>Paste...

Pastes new instances of the currently-copied instances: if pasting to a different model, all attributes remain unchanged; if pasting to the same model, changing only the identifier-name attribute in each; in both cases setting pasted relations to point to the respective new entity-instances.

Edit>Find...

Opens a dialog to enter search-parameters and to identify where to search (current model, selected other model, current project, entire local repository etc), and search with those parameters.

(may open search in a separate panel rather than via a dialog - this would probably also obviate the need for a separate 'Edit>Find Again' menu-item)

View menu

Project menu

Model menu

Model>Verify...

Runs a wizard to verify model-specific semantic constraints.

Model>Reference-model...

Runs a wizard to generate a reference-model (i.e. with 'dangling' relations to placeholder-entities) from the current model, and set and display it as a new model in the current project.

Tools menu

Window menu

Help manu

Plug-ins tabs

Plug-ins may add their own menu-tab beyond the 'Help' menu - see individual plug-ins for details.