Chapter 9. The Menu bar

Table of Contents

9.1. Introduction
9.2. Mouse Behavior in the Menu Bar
9.3. The File Menu
9.3.1. New
9.3.2. Open Project…
9.3.3. Save Project
9.3.4. Save Project As…
9.3.5. Revert to Saved
9.3.6. Import Sources…
9.3.7. Page Setup…
9.3.8. Print…
9.3.9. Save Graphics…
9.3.10. Save Configuration
9.3.11. Most Recent Used Files
9.3.12. Exit
9.4. The Edit Menu
9.4.1. Select
9.4.2. Cut
9.4.3. Copy
9.4.4. Paste
9.4.5. Remove From Diagram
9.4.6. Delete From Model
9.4.7. Settings…
9.5. The View Menu
9.5.1. Goto Diagram…
9.5.2. Find…
9.5.3. Zoom
9.5.4. Adjust Grid
9.5.5. Adjust Grid Snap
9.5.6. Page Breaks
9.5.7. Buttons on Selection
9.5.8. Notation
9.6. The Create Menu
9.6.1. New Class Diagram
9.6.2. New Use Case Diagram
9.6.3. New Statechart Diagram
9.6.4. New Activity Diagram
9.6.5. New Collaboration Diagram
9.6.6. New Deployment Diagram
9.6.7. New Sequence Diagram
9.7. The Arrange Menu
9.7.1. Align
9.7.2. Distribute
9.7.3. Reorder
9.7.4. Nudge
9.7.5. Set Preferred Size
9.7.6. Toggle Auto Resizing (to be written)
9.7.7. Layout
9.8. The Generation Menu
9.8.1. Generate Selected Classes …
9.8.2. Generate All Classes…
9.8.3. Generate Code for Project… (To be Written)
9.8.4. Settings for Generate for Project… (To be Written)
9.9. The Critique Menu
9.9.1. Toggle Auto-Critique
9.9.2. Design Issues…
9.9.3. Design Goals…
9.9.4. Browse Critics…
9.10. The Tools Menu
9.10.1. Export as XMI…
9.11. The Help Menu
9.11.1. System Information
9.11.2. About ArgoUML

9.1. Introduction

An important principle behind ArgoUML is that actions should be able to be invoked in whatever way the user finds convenient. As a result many (but not all) actions that can be carried out on the menu can be carried out in other ways as well under ArgoUML.

A number of the common menu entries are also available through keyboard shortcuts.

It is also be possible to navigate the menu from the keyboard. Each level of each menu is identified by a letter (shown underlined in the menu or entry name from the moment the ALT key is pressed). This sequence of letters while holding down the ALT key selects the entry. In the version V0.14 of ArgoUML this functionality is only available when running under Microsoft Windows.

The following is an explanation of why the menuitems are grouped as they are.

  • The File menu contains operations that affect on the whole project/file. All the items in this menu can be explained as such.

  • The Edit menu is generally intended for editing the model or changing the content of a diagram. It also contains functions to enable editing, like e.g. selecting. This menu is not intended for diagram layout functions. Most functions here do something with the selected modelelement and diagram. The item "Settings..." is an exception here, logically it might belong better under the File menu, but people are used to find it here.

  • The View menu is for functions that do never alter the model, nor the diagram layout, only the way you view the diagram. Good examples are "zoom" and "notation". Also navigational functions belong here, e.g. "Find" and "Goto Diagram...". All changes of settings in this menu apply to all diagrams (e.g. zoom).

  • The Create menu contains all possible diagrams that can be created. Downlighting is context dependend, since these functions work on the selected modelelement.

  • The Arrange menu is only for layout changes in a diagram, which is not the same as the items in the View menu. Functions here can not alter the UML model.

  • The Generation menu is for Code Generation. The functions here work either on the selected modelelements, or on the whole project.

  • The Critique menu is specific for this function, it contains settings for the project.

  • The Tools menu currently contains the "Export as XMI" item. Also, if plugins are installed, then their functions appear here.

  • The Help menu contains the usual "information" and "about".