Features
Behavior
- Drawing UML boxes to create classes
- Drawing notes
- Drawing relationships
- Generate a UML diagram from existing code
Java Tools
- Adding elements to a type
- Deleting
- Refactoring a method's signature
- Refactoring: moving elements
- Refactoring: renaming elements
Display
- Altering global relationship visibility
- Hiding
- Removing a type from the diagram
- Toggle method visibility
- Toggle type name
- Unhide all types
- Unhide all relationships
Getting Around
- Incremental exploration
- Opening a call hierarchy
- Opening a type's hierarchy
- Opening elements
Miscellaneous
- Printing a diagram
- Refreshing the editor
- Saving a diagram as a JPEG
- Undo/redo
- Using auto-resize for a type
Drawing UML boxes to create classes
When a UML box is drawn, the respective class or interface is automatically
created in Eclipse. The standard "New Java Class" dialog appears,
allowing you to fill in the class name, superclasses, implemented interfaces,
and so forth. After the class is generated, the UML box is displayed at the
location where you dragged it.
Drawing notes
A note can be drawn directly in the editor, and its contents can be changed by
double-clicking on it. Notes are saved along with the rest of the editor's
contents. They are selectable and resizable. Their contents are stored only in
the UML diagram's file and are not referenced anywhere in the Java code.
Drawing relationships
After creating UML boxes. Select one of the relationship tools. Then, select the
source and destination UML boxes to create a relationship between them. Green
will automatically generate the necessary code to create the selected
relationship.
Generate a UML diagram from existing code
Simply right-click a java file, package, or project and then select "Open in UML
Diagram" to create a diagram containing its contents. Green automatically draws
in any relationships that are recognized in your existing code.
Adding elements to a type
This feature can be found in the context menu.
You can use the dialog box to select modifiers for the field or method being
added.
Note: This action cannot be undone using the undo feature.
Deleting
To delete something from the editor (and code), use the 'del' key. Be careful
when using this feature; you are capable of removing large sections of code.
This feature can be undone if performed on a note, but cannot be undone
for anything else. You cannot delete binary types loaded into the diagram; if
you wish to remove these, use the "remove from diagram" action on the type.
Note: This action cannot be undone using the undo feature.
Refactoring a method's signature
This feature can be found in the context menu.
This feature allows you to change the name, modifier, and parameters of a method
and will update all calls to the method.
Note: This action cannot be undone using the undo feature.
Refactoring: moving elements
This feature can be found in the context menu.
This feature will move a field, method, or type from one java file to another.
All references to the field, method, or type will be updated.
Note: This action cannot be undone using the undo feature. If you move a
type with the same name as the java file it's in, everything inside that type
will be moved.
Refactoring: renaming elements
This feature can be found in the context menu.
This feature renames a field, method, or type. All references to the field,
method, or type will be updated.
Note: This action cannot be undone using the undo feature. If you rename a type
with the same name as the java file it's in, the java file will be renamed as
well.
Altering global relationship visibility
This feature can be found in the context menu.
This feature will unconditionally hide or show all relationships of the given
kind. If you activate "show all relationships", relationships that are globally
hidden will not be shown.
Hiding
You can selectively hide types and relationships. To hide a type or
relationship, select it and press the 'h' key. Alternatively, you can use the
context menu to hide something.
Note: You cannot hide notes. If a type or relationship is saved as hidden, it
will be shown next time you open the diagram.
Removing a type from the diagram
If you want to remove a type from the diagram, select it and press the
'Backspace' key. Alternatively, you can use the context menu to remove a type
from the diagram.
Note: Removing a type from the diagram does not remove it from your file system.
To remove a file from your project, you must use the delete function.
Toggle method visibility
This feature can be found in the context menu.
You can hide all non-public methods. This could be useful if you were trying to
view the methods that are accessible from all types.
Toggle type name
This feature can be found in the context menu.
You can display either simple names or fully-qualified names in the diagram.
Unhide all types
This feature can be found in the context menu.
If you have any types hidden in the diagram, they will be shown when this is
activated.
Unhide all relationships
This feature can be found in the context menu.
If you have any relationships hidden in the diagram, they will be shown when
this is activated.
Note: This will not show relationships that are globally hidden.
Incremental exploration
This feature can be found in the context menu.
Activating this feature performs a complex operation. First, it looks for all
relationships that stem from this type (i.e. this is the source of the
relationship, not the target). It then proceeds to look at the targets of those
relationships and load them into the editor one by one. The relationships
between the explored class and its targets are then drawn into the diagram.
Note: This action cannot be undone using the undo feature.
Opening a call hierarchy
This feature can be found in the context menu.
This action will open the view that shows the methods that call the selected
method.
Opening a type's hierarchy
This feature can be found in the context menu.
This action will open the view that shows a type's superclasses.
Opening elements
To open an element, right-click on it in the package explorer and select
"Open in UML class diagram".
Printing a diagram
This feature can be found in the context menu.
To print the diagram, press 'Ctrl+p'.
Refreshing the editor
This feature can be found in the context menu.
To refresh the editor, press the 'r' key.
Saving a diagram as a JPEG
This feature can be found in the context menu.
Undo/redo
Undo and redo are accessible from the edit menu. Some actions cannot be undone,
such as deletion, adding to the editor, and refactoring.
Using auto-resize for a type
This feature can be found in the context menu.
When you resize a type box, the size becomes fixed at that size. Activating this
feature will cause the box to automatically resize to show its entire contents.
Note: This action cannot be undone using the undo feature.