Dockable Windows

The main area of the DATAFLOW Designer

window is reserved for the dockable windows. Those can be placed as tabs at the border of the area (top, bottom, left and right) or as document in the middle.

 

The following dockable windows are provided:

• System Explorer
• Diagram Toolbox
• Diagram Editor (Multiple)
• Code Editor (Multiple)
• Interface Toolbox
• Protocol Explorer
• Protocol Editor (Multiple)
• Enumeration Editor (Multiple)
• Property Inspector
• Message List
• Output Log
• Search

 

System Explorer Window

 

The system explorer shows the tree of all components in the project. By double clicking on a component, you will open the corresponding diagram in a Diagram Editor window.

 

The context menu (right mouse button) provides the following actions:

• The Edit action depends on the selected component. For System, System Components and Active Containers the underlying diagram is opened in a new window (or you are switched to the already open diagram editor window if it is already open). For Active Components, the action depends on the implementation type of the active component.
  • Implementation Type
    • Class
    • Method
  • Collapse and Expand a
  • Collapse and Expand a
  • Open the Project Settings (only for the Root element).

 

Diagram Toolbox Window

The diagram toolbox window shows the basic items that are required to model a system.

• Common Items
• Components
• Elements
• Channels

All of these items can be dragged into the Diagram Editor.

 

Diagram Editor Window

In the Diagram Editor, a single diagram (Architecture level) is displayed. The current viewport can be changed with Ctrl – Drag and zoomed with the mouse wheel or the view ribbon buttons.

Buttons in the bottom right corner of the diagram show an overview of the whole diagram with the current viewport. The zoom level can also be changed in this window.

The border color depends on the element that contains the diagram (System: blue, Active Container: yellow). Breadcrumbs show the location of the diagram in the model hierarchy. By clicking an entry, the corresponding diagram is opened in a new editor window.

The Button with the up arrow allows you to navigate one level up to the parent diagram.

With the search button, you can search the current diagram.

 

The context menu (right mouse button on the diagram area) allows you to perform the following actions:

• Select all elements in the diagram.
• Clear the current selection.
• Toggle Snap to Grid for all editors.
• Toggle Snap to Elements for all editors.
• Toggle Show Grid for all editors.
• Fit all diagram elements to the Window.
• Reset Zoom.
• Align selected diagram elements Top, Left, Right or Bottom.
• Distribute horizontally/vertically.
• Order to back, send backward, send forward, order to front.
• Change the ZIndex of the selected elements.
• Cut, Copy, Paste and Delete selected elements.
• Show the Properties of the diagram.

 

Diagram elements can display other entries in the context menu when you right-click while hovering the mouse  over a diagram element.

Quick Inserter

The quick inserter allows you to insert elements by typing the given type name directly into the diagram area at the given mouse position. If any container is selected, the new element is inserted at the end of the given container instead.

Quick Inserter

 

Code Editor

The DATAFLOW Designer Code Editor can be accessed by Right Click -> Edit on any Active Part and Active Part Interrupt. The Code Editor is opened in a docking window inside the center area and allows you to access all files related to this Active Part/Active Part Interrupt.

DATAFLOW Designer Code Editor is designed to allow you to develop and implement a whole project without the need for an external IDE or compiler.

The DATAFLOW Designer Code Editor supports the following features

• Line numbering
• Source code highlighting
• Code folding
• Context-sensitive auto-completion for source code
• Search/replace in source code

DATAFLOW Internal Source Code Editor

 

Interface Toolbox Window

The Interface Toolbox shows all drivers, interfaces, protocols and signals that can be dragged into the Diagram Editor or the components themselves. Protocols and signals can be dropped onto output ports inside an active part where they can be assigned.

 

Protocol Explorer Window

 

The Protocol Explorer shows the tree of all protocols in the project. By double-clicking on a protocol or enumerating it, the corresponding type is opened in an editor window.

With the buttons at the top of the window, the project configuration can be opened and new groups, enumerations and protocols can be created. By right-clicking on a group, new entries can be created in that group as well.

 

The context menu (right mouse button) contains the following actions:

• Rename the selected type (Only for Protocol, Enumeration and Type Group).
• Edit the selected type (or switch to the editor if it is already open) (Only for Protocol and Enumeration).
• Delete the selected type (Only for Protocol, Enumeration and Type Group).
• Collapse and Expand a
• Collapse and Expand a

 

Protocol Editor Window

In a protocol editor, a single protocol is displayed. The name and description can be edited. The identifier can be defined by disabling the automatic identifier and entering a number in the field.

 

NOTE

If the identifier is defined manually, the user is responsible for ensuring that every protocol has a unique identifier.

 

Fields can be created by dragging a native type, enumeration or protocol from the Protocol Explorer to the list of fields.

Enumerations and Protocol fields can be expanded to view the contents. Changes to those nested protocols can only be made in their corresponding protocol editor window.

 

NOTE

To create a signal (identifier without any fields), create a protocol with no fields.

 

The context menu (accessed by right-clicking on a protocol field) provides the following actions:

• Rename the selected field.
• Edit the selected type (or switch to the editor if it is already open) (Only for protocol and enumeration Fields).
• Delete the selected field.
• Show the Properties of the selected field.
• Collapse and Expand the fields/enumerators of the type. (Only for protocol and enumeration Fields).
• Collapse and Expand the field list.

 

Enumeration Editor Window

 

In an enumeration editor, a single enumeration is displayed. The name and description can be edited. The base type can be defined in order to reduce the number of bytes required to store the enumeration.

 

 

The context menu (accessed by right-clicking on an enumerator) provides the following actions:

• Rename the selected enumerator.
• Delete the selected enumerator.
• Show the Properties of the selected enumerator.

 

Property Inspector Window

Property Inspector

In the property inspector, the properties of the selected element are listed. The properties can be changed if not grayed out. If no element or more than one elements are selected, no properties will be displayed.

 

Message List Window

Code Generator Message List

The code generator will write any output (information, warning and error) to the message list window. The list is automatically cleared at the start of the code generation procedure. The arrow down icon in the top left corner toggles the auto-scroll function during code generation.

 

Double-click (or right-click and select “Show”) on a message in the message window to navigate to the corresponding element.

Right-click any message in the message list to open the context menu:

• Show the related element
• Clear all messages
• Copy selected messages
• Accepted warning
  • for a single element or
  • for the whole project

 

Select one or multiple messages by using CTRL/SHIT + Click the messages that you wish to select in Windows Explorer.

 

Output window

Simulation Output Window

Running the simulation from the DATAFLOW Designer starts the compiled application and launches the DATAFLOW Simulator with the respective simulation project. The “Output” window lists all interactions between the application and the simulation, which happens over the TCP server. For example, the user can watch the Output while interacting with the simulation to see if a communication happened between the client and server if a button was pressed or an LED was turned on or off.

 

Search Window

Search Window (CTRL + SHIFT + F)

The search window is used to find a search expression in the whole project. It is opened automatically when the ‘Find’ button in the ‘Home’ ribbon is pressed or Ctrl + Shift + F is pressed on the keyboard.

 

The text to find is entered in the search bar at the top of the window. All matching elements are displayed in the list below. On the right-hand side of the window, a preview of the found element is displayed. By double-clicking an element, the respective editor is opened centered on the element.

 

You can use the buttons on the left side to change the behavior of the search:

• Go to the previous
• Go to next
• Toggle case sensitive
• Toggle word matching.
• Toggle regular expression
• Toggle the preview pane.
• Repeat the search.
• Cancel the search.

 

Status Bar

DATAFLOW Designer Status Bar

The status bar displays the path to the current project. This folder can be opened in Windows Explorer with a double-click. The progress of ongoing operations, such as save, load, or code generation, is also displayed in the status bar.