This Guide Article has been written for Version 2.1 of the DATAFLOW Software. For Previous Releases use the version selection in the navigation bar at the top of this page.

 

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)
• Data Type Editor (Multiple)
• Property Inspector
• Message List
• Annotation List
• Search

 

System Explorer Window

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

System Explorer Window

 

The System Explorer offers different view modes:

• Decomposition View
• Solution View
• Namespace View
• Category View

See the this page for more details:

 

Diagram Toolbox Window

 

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

• Common Items
• Components
• Elements
• Software Channels
• Hardware Channels
• Protocols
• Signals
• Interfaces
• Annotations

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 view port 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 view port. 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.

DATAFLOW Internal Source Code Editor

 

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

 

Toolbox Window for Data Type Context

 

When editing a data type, the Toolbox only shows the related items and elements that can be used with data types.

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

• Edit the selected type (or switch to the editor if it is already open) (Only for Protocol and Enumeration).
• Add to Favorites
• Collapse all
• Expand all

 

Data Type Editor Window

 

Read more detailed Information about the Data Type Editor Window.

 

 

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
• Accept 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.

 

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.

 

Action List

The Annotation List displays all annotations added to the solution. This way the user can track to-dos, bug, review notes or just leave comments.

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.

 

Required Module: DATAFLOW Designer

This Article has been written based on V2.1.1 of the DATAFLOW software. 
Latest update 2023-06-02 by WUM.