Shapes represent comments or metadata objects (products, containers, groups or types). Implemented interfaces may be also represented with a small circle, linked through a connector to the related shape. Another kind of small circle-based shapes is used in instantiators, when public non-static constructors are expanded.
Create Shapes
- Drag and drop a product, container, group or type-based node from the Metadata tree in the diagram area.
- Drag and drop a navigable item outside its shape area.
- Click on the “Diagram It!” button, in a Metadata page from the website.
- Drag and drop the “<<Drag to add a node>>” top comment node from the Metadata tab into the diagram area.
Shapes are automatically created in collapsed state and filled with items. Shapes based on the same metadata object can appear only once in a diagram.
Shape Status
- Collapsed – initial status, no visible items. Can be expanded with click on the top-right corner chevron, which appears when the mouse moves over the shape area.
- Expanded – with scrollable visible items area.
- Minimized – with shape icon only. Used by default for arrays, collection types, bypassing objects. Minimize or restore shape status with click on the top-left selector of the selection frame.
- Dot – small circle, for implementors (implemented interfaces), instantiators (expanded public non-static constructors), annotation comments.
Shape Header Styles
- Background Color – Gradient color (all gray if Monochrome), depending on the kind of metadata object the shape is based on.
- Title Text – ” (alias)” suffix, if any, like in “Int32 (int)”.
- Title Style – Bold for static types. Italic for abstract types or surrogates. Underlined for sealed/final types.
- Title Color – Green for primitive types. Gray for private, protected or internal types.
- Border – Round corners for instantiable types. Bold for static types. Dash for abstract types.
- Icon – Additional info on the kind of metadata object. No indication on type’s visibility (private, protected etc).
- Stereotype – On top, like <<interface>>, <<enumeration>>, etc.
- Modifiers – Iteration of keywords below shape’s title, describing the metadata object, like Public Static Abstract…
- Chevron – Visible in the top-right corner, when mouse moves over the shape, to expand/collapse metadata shapes.
Comment Shapes
Comments are shapes not based on metadata objects. Comment shapes have no header and items.
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