Changing Notation of Diagram Elements

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Go Up to Customizing Diagram Appearance and Viewing Diagrams

The Modeling supports several notations of UML graphical elements on modeling diagrams.


Customizing notations of groups of UML elements

Using the Diagram Appearance page ( Modeling > (level) > Diagram > Appearance ) of the Options dialog box (Tools > Options ), you can customize appearance of groups of UML elements on a particular diagram or on all diagrams in projects. You can use the following options:

  • Diagram detail level -- Defines how much information to display for UML elements in diagrams. Available options:
    • Analysis -- Names only.
    • Design -- Names, types, and visibility signs.
    • Implementation -- Names, types, parameters for the methods, initial values of attributes, and visibility signs.
  • Member format -- Defines the format of members in class diagrams.
    • UML -- Format members as accepted in the UML standard.
Methods are displayed as:
<name> (parameters) : <type>
Fields are displayed as:
<name> : <type>
  • Language -- Methods are displayed as implemented in the currently used programming language (Delphi or C++).
  • Enable UML in color -- Defines to use the UML in color profile, then the color of a diagram element depends on the stereotype selected for this element.
  • Font in diagrams -- Defines the Font Name, Font Size, Italic, Bold, and other parameters of the font to use in diagrams.
  • Show grid -- Defines whether to show the design grid in diagrams.
  • Diagram background color -- Defines the background color for diagrams.
  • Diagram background image file -- Defines the file that stores the image to use for filling the background of diagrams.
  • Gradient ON -- Defines whether to use the gradient coloring of nodes.
  • Show compartments as line -- Defines to display lines instead of compartment names (fields, methods, classes, and properties) in nonselected diagram nodes.
  • Show imported classes with fully qualified names -- Defines whether to show imported class names in the fully qualified or short form.
  • Show referenced classes with fully qualified names -- Defines whether referenced class names are shown in the fully qualified or short form.
See descriptions of these and other diagram appearance options in Diagram Appearance options.


Customizing the notation of a particular UML element

To customize the appearance of a particular UML element, you can use properties of this element in the Object Inspector.

  • To specify a new stereotype you can use the Stereotype property in the Object Inspector. You can edit an existing stereotype by double-clicking its name directly in the diagram element and then editing this stereotype name.
  • You can customize such color parameters of UML elements as Foreground and Background colors, Gradient colors, and others.
  • In UML 2.0 projects, you can additionally customize the appearance of the following UML graphical elements:
  • You can represent interfaces as rectangles or small circles ("lollipops"). To switch between these representations, use the View as Class property in the Object Inspector.
  • You can change the notation of required and provided interfaces. The default is "ball and socket". To switch between the available representations use the View as Class property in the Object Inspector.

See Also