Copyright: Oracle Designer Online Help - 9.0.4.4  Copyright © 1995, 2004,  Oracle Corporation.  All Rights Reserved


Introducing Oracle Designer

Oracle Designer is a toolset for modeling, designing and generating client/server databases and database applications. Integrated with Oracle Forms and Oracle Reports, Oracle Designer provides a solution for developing second generation enterprise client/server systems.

By combining business and design modeling with an extensive choice of generators in an integrated modeling and generation environment, Oracle Designer supports the whole development process for a wide choice of target databases and types of applications. Sophisticated client/server applications can be 100% generated using application logic and reusable module components. Oracle Designer also enables the design capture of existing systems, so safeguarding current investment.

Oracle Designer data is stored in a central repository, enabling easy team working and project management. Oracle Designer supports a choice of development approaches.

To:	Use:
Model system requirements
• define and model business processes	Process Modeler
• show a hierarchy of business activities	Function Hierarchy Diagrammer
• define what information a system must manage and process	Entity Relationship Diagrammer
• detail how information is used by business activities	Dataflow Diagrammer
Transform preliminary designs
• create a database design	Database Design Transformer
• create an application design	Application Design Transformer
Design and generate databases and client applications	Design Editor
Manage the repository
• identify the relationships between objects and determine the impact of change	Dependency Manager
• create and show associations between repository elements	Matrix Diagrammer
• install, upgrade and maintain a repository	Repository Administration Utility
• create and maintain workareas	Repository Object Navigator
• display information about the contents of the repository	Repository Reports
Development approaches supported by Oracle Designer	Overview


Getting started with Oracle Designer

This topic has been superseded by Introducing Oracle Designer.


Oracle Designer Repository Administration Questions

What do I need to do before users can run Oracle Designer?

Why do I need to create workareas?

How do I create a workarea?

How do I create and maintain repository users?

Oracle Designer User Questions

How do I fill in the Connect dialog box?

What is a workarea?

Where should I start?

What do I need to do before users can run Oracle Designer?

Oracle Designer must be installed correctly on your system before everyone can use it. Ensure that the following have been performed:

•	client-side installation on the repository owner's workstation (must include installation of Repository Administration Utility)

•	repository installation or migraton, server-side (see Note)

•	client-side installation on each user's workstation

Note:	If you do not want to use a repository from a previous version of Oracle Designer, follow the instructions in the Oracle Designer Installation Guide for installing a new repository. If you are using an existing repository, follow the instructions in the Installation Guide for migrating an existing repository.

Before performing repository installation or migration, you should be familiar with the system requirements for installing Oracle Repository. Details of system requirements can be found in the Oracle Designer Installation Guide.

You will also need to create at least one workarea for users to work in.

Why do I need to create workareas?

Most of the Oracle Designer tools require at least one workarea to exist before anyone can use those tools. The correct use of workareas prevents different users interfering with each others' work, a problem that could have serious consequences for the systems under development.

How do I create a workarea?

You can create workareas only through the Repository Object Navigator, one of the few tools that does not operate in the context of a particular workarea. Start the Repository Object Navigator and, if you see the Welcome screen, choose the option named Invoke Workarea Wizard. If you do not see the Welcome screen, click the [OPEN] toolbar button, click Private WorkAreas and click OK. When the window named Navigator appears, choose Tools → Workarea Wizard from the menu. Follow the instructions on the screen (the quickest way is to choose the option named Create a Default Workarea).

How do I create and maintain repository users?

To create new repository users, or change the system privileges of existing ones, you need to use the Repository Administration Utility. Normally access to the Repository Administration Utility is limited to the username identified during repository installation or migration as the repository owner.

Start the Repository Administration Utility by clicking its icon on the Oracle Designer Window, or by chosing it via the Start button. When the Repository Administration Utility window is displayed, you can follow the instructions for maintaining repository users.  More...

How do I fill in the Connect dialog box?

To get into Oracle Designer, you need to fill in the Connect dialog box, which acts as a security check for the system.

You'll definitely need a username and password. If you don't have these already, ask your system administrator to give you an account on the system. For security reasons, the password is shown as asterisks as you type it in.

You might also need to enter a connect string consisting of a database alias name. This alias name enables you to connect to the database that you will be using with Oracle Designer. However, your system administrator may have coded the alias name into the Windows Registry, in which case you can leave this field empty.

When all the fields are filled in correctly, either press RETURN or click OK. Oracle Designer then displays the Workarea dialog box.

What is a Workarea?

Many other users might be working in the same repository that you are using. So that you don't see other people's work if you don't want to, Oracle Designer allows you to create individual workareas. A workarea enables you to see only those parts in which you are interested of the database or application under development.

Where should I start?

As you've probably discovered, Oracle Designer provides you with an extensive set of tools for designing and generating your database and applications. Choosing the best tool to get you started depends on the development approach you want to take, as this table shows:

If you want to...	Also known as the...	Start with
Perform business analysis to model your business processes, before proceeding with systems analysis, design and generation	Process Modeling approach	Process Modeler
Perform systems analysis to model your business system requirements, before proceeding with design and generation	Information Engineering (IE) approach	Entity Relationship Diagrammer, Dataflow Diagrammer or Function Hierarchy Diagrammer
Use as much of an existing database and/or application as possible	Design Capture approach	Design Editor (Design Capture utilities) or SQL*Plus (Schema Registration utility)
Design and generate an application as quickly as possible	Rapid Application Development (RAD) approach	Design Editor


 What's new in Release 6i?

There are many new features in Oracle Designer 6i. For example, the introduction of version control for the repository and improved management of the dependencies between repository objects.

For full details of the changes relevant to the main Oracle Designer tool groups, follow the links below:

New features for systems modeling

New features for design and generation

New features for repository management

What's new in Release 9i?

Release 9i incorporates the features of Oracle Designer 6i, enhanced to work with the Oracle9i product set.

Exclusive generation of three-tier architecture systems

A major development in the Oracle9i product set is that Oracle Forms and Oracle Reports now generate exclusively three-tier architecture systems.  This is reflected in changes made to Oracle Designer 9i Forms Generator and Reports Generator.


What's new in the Oracle Designer Window for this release?
What's new in the Oracle Designer Window?

Related Topics

What's new in the Oracle Designer Window in Oracle Designer Release 6.0?

What's new in the Oracle Designer Window in Oracle Designer Release 2.1.2?


What's new in the Oracle Designer Window in Oracle Designer Release 6.0?

Related Topics

New features in the Oracle Designer Window for Release 6.0

No changes have been made to the design of the Oracle Designer Window for Release 6.0.


What's new in the Oracle Designer Window in Oracle Designer Release 2.1.2?

Related Topics

New features in the Oracle Designer Window for Release 2.1.2

The layout of the buttons on the main view of the Oracle Designer Window has been altered slightly to improve clarity.

There is now a menu option (View → Vertical Layout) to change the layout from the (default) horizontal workflow layout to the vertical layout that was used in Oracle Designer Release 1.3.2.

The tools invoked by clicking on buttons on the main view are now accessible from the Tools menu.

On displays showing 32,000 or more colors you will see a patterned gray background to the main view.

The Toolbar mode can now be invoked from a menu option (View → Toolbar) when running in the main view.

The Toolbar can now be minimized through the minimize icon in the toolbar title bar.

The tool buttons in the main view now have a right mouse button menu which can be used either to invoke the tool or to get help on the tool.

The default look of the tool buttons on the main view has changed to a 'flat' look. For compatibility with earlier releases, the buttons can be changed back to the traditional 'raised' look (using View → Raised Buttons). The three minor buttons remain 'raised'.

The Toolbar mode uses the 'flat' look buttons and cannot be changed back to the 'raised' look.


How to get help for Oracle Designer

Three help systems are provided with Oracle Designer:

•	Modeling business system requirements

•	Designing and generating databases and client applications

•	Managing the repository

Displaying help while you are working

•	Help menu

•	Context-sensitive Help toolbar button

•	Dialog box Help

•	F1 key

Help menu

Each Oracle Designer tool has a Help menu providing access to the following kinds of information:

Help menu option	What it displays
Help→Help Topics	A list of the main subject areas in the help system.
Help→Show Keys	A list of the shortcut keys for the tool.
Help→How to Use Help	General information about using Windows Help.
Help→Customer Support	A message enabling you to complete a problem report form online.
Help→About	Version and copyright information about the tool.
Context-sensitive Help toolbar button

The last button on the toolbar for each Oracle Designer tool provides access to context-sensitive help information about the menu options and toolbar buttons for this tool.

Selecting this button, or pressing SHIFT+F1, and then selecting a menu option or toolbar button, displays the help topic for the chosen item.

Dialog box Help

You can obtain help for a dialog box by selecting the Help button on the dialog box itself.

F1 key

Pressing F1 while a tool is active normally displays the Contents list for that tool's help system.

Exceptions to this are:

•	Pressing F1 while a menu option is active displays context-sensitive help for the menu option.

•	Pressing F1 while a dialog box is active displays help information for the dialog box.

•	Pressing F1 while a Navigator item is highlighted displays help information about that item.

•	Pressing F1 while a property is highlighted in a Property Palette displays help information about that property.


Your comments are welcome

We value and appreciate your comment as an Oracle Designer user and reader of the online help. As we write, revise, and evaluate our documentation, your opinions are the most important feedback we receive.

If you feel there are ommissions, or you have difficulty finding information in the online help, please send your comments and suggestions to the following e-mail address:

docdes@uk.oracle.com

Please specify the following information within your mail:

Oracle Designer tool name and version	Choose Help→About from the Oracle Designer tool you are using.
Oracle Designer Help version	Display any Oracle Designer help topic, then choose Help→About.
Oracle Designer Help topic title	If your comments refer to a particular topic.


Connect dialog box
Connecting to Oracle

Related Topics

From the Connect dialog box, you connect your workstation to the Oracle database where the Oracle Designer repository resides.

Fill in the fields and click the OK button.

Username

Your username in the Oracle database.

Password

The password for the given username. The password is displayed as asterisks.

Connect String

An alias name for the database to which you want to connect.

Note:	Your system administrator may have coded the database alias into the Windows Registry, in which case you can leave this field blank.

After you successfully connect to the database, you will see the Workarea dialog box, from where you can choose an existing workarea, or access Oracle Designer without choosing a workarea.

Click here to see some common error messages

If you have any other problems connecting to a database, please refer to your system administrator.


!!! BELOW - COPY ERROR MSGS FROM THE INSTALLATION GUIDE (CLIENT-SIDE INSTALL)


Common error messages

Some error messages that you might see while trying to connect to the repository are:

Message	Possible Cause and Action
CDI-20039: This user does not have an installed repository.	Repository not present. If you are about to install a new repository, click Yes. If you are trying to connect to an installed repository, ensure that the repository has been installed correctly and that you are using the correct username for the repository owner.
CDI-21704: Running incompatible versions of client and server software.	Repository has not been upgraded. Perform a server-side upgrade - see the Oracle Designer Installation Guide.
CDI-21706: Invalid installation. Cannot retrieve server version. Cannot continue	Repository may have been installed incorrectly, or incorrect username entered for repository owner. Ensure that the repository has been installed correctly (check log files if still available) and that you are using the correct username.
CDI-21742: No network notification service has been configured for this repository instance. A desktop-only notification session has been started.	Broadcast server has not been activated (this provides repository users with immediate notification of changes to repository objects). If this network notification service is to be used, activate the broadcast server.   If the network notification service will not be used, you can prevent this message from being displayed. To do so, choose Options  →  Broadcast Options  →  Disabled on any tool.
ORA-01004: default username feature not supported; logon denied ORA-01017: invalid username/password; logon denied	Incorrect or missing username, password and/or database alias for the database connection. Check the username/password combination and database alias you are using and try again. If the error persists, contact the database administrator for a valid username and password or database alias.
ORA-01034: ORACLE not available	The specified Oracle database has not been started up. Contact the database administrator to request startup of database.
ORA-01045: user lacks CREATE SESSION privilege; logon denied	This username does not have the necessary system privilege to connect to Oracle. If the username is that of the repository owner, it is likely that the GRANT CONNECT, RESOURCE... statement shown in the installation instructions has not been issued correctly.
ORA-01547: failed to allocate extent	Space available in named tablespace is not sufficient to create object or perform insert or update. Repository owner can extend tablespace by adding extra data files to it.
ORA-01562: failed to extend rollback segment	System was unable to extend the rollback segment. This message is usually followed by another stating the cause of failure. Click "More" on the message box and examine any other reported errors for specific details of the cause.  If other errors are listed, request the database administrator to shut down and restart the database and correct the reported errors.  If no other errors are listed, cause is probably lack of space in the rollback segment tablespace. Request the repository owner to extend the tablespace used for the rollback segment.
ORA-01658: unable to create INITIAL extent for segment in tablespace	The data file for a repository tablespace has become full. Request the repository owner to extend the tablespace.
ORA-03121: no interface driver connected - function not performed	1) SQL*Net Client missing or incorrectly installed; contact the network administrator. 2) Old-style entry in Connect String field; use a valid database alias. Leave field blank only if alias has been defined in Windows Registry.
ORA-12154: TNS: could not resolve service name	1) The database alias specified in the Connect String field is not one that has been defined. Use a valid database alias, or leave field blank if alias has been defined in Windows Registry. 2) The SQL*Net configuration file SQLNET.ORA is missing. Request repository owner to configure SQL*Net for the database connection.
ORA-12203: TNS: unable to connect to destination	1) Database server configuration details incorrect or missing; contact the database administrator. 2) Network connection unavailable; contact the network administrator. 3) TNS Listener service not started; request the database administrator to start the TNS Listener.
ORA-12224: TNS: no listener	TNS Listener service not started. Request the database administrator to start the TNS Listener.
ORA-12500: TNS: listener failed to start a dedicated server process	1) Database not started. Request database administrator to start the database. 2) Database does not exist. Ensure that you have entered the desired database alias. If so, contact the repository owner.
ORA-12505: TNS: listener could not resolve SID given in connect descriptor	Database name (SID) missing or incorrect in the LISTENER.ORA file. Request database administrator to create the desired listener entry.
RME-00220: Failed to connect to repository	Click "More" on the message box and examine the other reported errors for specific details of the cause.
RME-02006: Missing user name in connect string RME-02007: Missing password in connect string RME-02008: Missing host name in connect string	Type the missing username, password and/or database alias in the appropriate fields and click OK.
RME-02020: Failed to connect to Oracle database	Click "More" on the message box and examine the other reported errors for specific details of the cause.


Workareas

Related Topics

From the Workarea dialog box, you can:

Option	What you do
Work with the current workarea	Click the OK button.
Choose a workarea to work with	Click the name of the workarea, then click the OK button.
Access Oracle Designer without choosing a workarea	Click the Cancel button. You can use the Repository Administration Utility, the Repository Object Navigator and SQL*Plus without choosing a workarea. For all the other tools, you have to choose a workarea as soon as you start the tool.


Oracle Designer Window

After you connect to your Oracle database, and optionally choose a workarea, the next screen you see is the Oracle Designer Window. From here you can access all the tools and utilities you need to model, design and generate your business applications.

To use a tool or utility, just click its icon once. To read online documentation relating to a particular tool or utility before using it, click the [image] button at the top of the Oracle Designer Window, then click the icon. If you'd like to take a look at the complete Oracle Designer online documentation system, click the Online Help icon at the bottom right of the Oracle Designer Window.

The status line at the bottom of the Oracle Designer Window shows your username, the database alias (if any) that you used to connect to the repository, and the name of the workarea that you are currently working with.

To see more about the tools in each panel of the Oracle Designer Window, click a panel name below.

Modeling System Requirements

Generating Preliminary Designs

Designing and Generating

Utilities


System modeling tools

The Modeling System Requirements panel on the Oracle Designer Window contains a number of tools that you can use to create models of your organization and its requirements. All this information is held in the Oracle Designer repository, a storehouse for all kinds of data about what your business is and what it does. This data, together with that entered in the later stages of modeling and design, is what Oracle Designer uses to generate your databases and business applications.

 The Process Modeler tool enables you to draw diagrams of the business or other processes that your company or organization uses, or would like to use. You can use the diagrams to record information such as your organization structure and the various stages of each of your processes.

The three other tools in this panel enable you to record a detailed description of the particular business needs that you want your databases and applications to meet. These tools create three different types of diagrams used in systems analysis: entity relationship, dataflow and function hierarchy.

 With the Entity Relationship Diagrammer you can record information about any items (entities) that are significant to the application, as well as any relationships between these items.

 The Dataflow Diagrammer can show the flow of data between the various business functions that are relevant to your application.

 You can use the Function Hierarchy Diagrammer to arrange your business functions in a hierarchy, and to identify which parts of your business can be automated.


Generating preliminary designs

When you have gone through the system requirements modeling stage to plan all the information that your databases and applications will need and how this information interrelates, you can run the Design Transformers in the Generating Preliminary Designs panel. These create preliminary designs for the database that your applications will use, and for the applications themselves.

 The Database Design Transformer creates preliminary database designs based upon entity models recorded in the repository. It creates tables to record instances of each entity, columns to store the attributes, and constraints to implement the relationships between entities. It also creates constraints to enforce any unique identifiers that you have defined, and indexes to support your foreign keys.

 The Application Design Transformer creates preliminary application designs based on an existing database design and on the functions and business unit definitions created in the repository during the systems requirements modeling stage.

You can use the Design Editor in the next panel to view the output from the transformers, then modify this output directly.


Design Editor

The Designing and Generating panel on the Oracle Designer Window includes the Design Editor, which you use to record and modify the design for your database and business applications.

 Using the Design Editor, you can create one or more data diagrams to model the design of a database. The diagrams are graphical representations of database design objects such as tables, views, snapshots, clusters and integrity constraints.

The Design Editor also enables you to create module diagrams to model the design of an application. These diagrams are graphical representations of application modules and their components. You can define the logic of these modules, their layout and behavior (showing what data is to be accessed and how it is to be displayed), and you can define the order in which modules are called and how they interact. You can also define all kinds of preferences that control the look and feel of the user interface for your applications.

When you have completed the design you can generate your database and applications. All the generators run from within the Design Editor. For applications, you choose a generator that corresponds to the type of application you want to generate.

•	Server Generator creates the database objects that have been defined in the repository.

•	Form Generator and Report Generator create Oracle Forms and Oracle Reports applications.

•	Library Generator creates Oracle Forms library modules.

•	Visual Basic Generator creates Microsoft Visual Basic applications.

•	Web PL/SQL Generator creates Web PL/SQL applications.

•	MS Help Generator creates context-sensitive Help files for use with generated Windows applications.


Repository management tools

The Utilities panel on the Oracle Designer Window includes a number of tools for managing the repository and also provides access to Oracle Designer help.

 The button labeled Navigator takes you to the Repository Object Navigator, a graphical tool that enables you to enter and edit information in the repository.

 The Matrix Diagrammer provides a means of cross-referencing elements in the repository, for example, showing which elements are used by a particular business function.

 The Repository Reports are a comprehensive set of reports on the contents of the repository. There are about 100 predefined reports, and you can also define your own.

 The Repository Administration Utility is the tool you use to install a repository (or upgrade an existing one), to control user access, to backup and restore the repository, and to define your own custom extensions to the repository structure.

 You also have access to SQL*Plus, Oracle's interactive SQL-based language.

 The Online Help system provides complete online information about all the Oracle Designer tools and utilities. It also has a glossary of Oracle Designer terms, and an online index where you can find out more about a specific topic.


!!!MENUS START HERE


File menu:


Change Connection (File menu)

Related Topics

Enables you to connect to a different Oracle database, and optionally to choose a workarea.

If you subsequently open Oracle Designer tools from the Oracle Designer Window, these tools will be connected to the chosen database (and workarea) by default.

You can also change the database connection and the workarea from within a tool, but any changes you make apply only within that tool.


Change Workarea (File menu)

Related Topics

Enables you to choose a different workarea to work with.

If you subsequently open Oracle Designer tools from the Oracle Designer Window, these tools will be connected to the chosen workarea by default.

You can also change the workarea from within a tool, but any changes you make apply only within that tool.


Minimize on Use (File menu)

Causes the Oracle Designer Window to be minimized when you start one of the tools. A check mark (ü) next to the menu option indicates that this feature is active.


Recent workarea list (File menu)

Displays a list of workareas to which connections have recently been made, from which you can choose one.


Exit (File menu)

Closes the Oracle Designer Window. Doing so does not affect any Oracle Designer tools that are running; their windows remain open.


View menu:


Vertical Layout (View menu)

Displays a vertical panel view.


Horizontal Layout (View menu)

Displays a horizontal panel view.


Toolbar (View menu)

Switches the display from the default panel view to a toolbar format.

Return to the panel view by clicking [image] in the toolbar.


Flat Buttons (View menu)

Makes every tool button on the panel appear flat until the mouse pointer is moved across it.


Raised Buttons (View menu)

Makes every tool button on the panel appear raised, irrespective of where the mouse pointer is.


Tools menu:


Process Modeler (Tools menu)

Opens the Process Modeler. Use this to define high level business processes using organization units and process steps (business functions).


Entity Relationship Diagrammer (Tools menu)

Opens the Entity Relationship Diagrammer. Use this to define information needs using entities, attributes and relationships.


Dataflow Diagrammer (Tools menu)

Opens the Dataflow Diagrammer. Use this to define business functions and the flow of information between datastores, external entities and functions.


Function Hierarchy Diagrammer (Tools menu)

Opens the Function Hierarchy Diagrammer. Use this to define business functions and the information (entities and attributes) used by functions.


Database Transformer (Tools menu)

Opens the Database Transformer. Use this to transform entity models into database designs. View the result in the Design Editor.


Application Transformer (Tools menu)

Opens the Application Transformer. Use this to transform business functions into application designs. View the result in the Design Editor.


Design Editor (Tools menu)

Opens the Design Editor. Use this to design and generate databases and modules.


Dependency Manager (Tools menu)

Opens the Dependency Manager. Use this to create and maintain dependency analysis information in the repository.


Repository Object Navigator (Tools menu)

Opens the Repository Object Navigator. Use this to browse and update repository contents, and to perform repository management, including creation and management of workareas.


Matrix Diagrammer (Tools menu)

Opens the Matrix Diagrammer. Use this to browse, update and cross-reference repository contents.


Repository Reports (Tools menu)

Opens the Repository Reports tool.  Use this to report on repository contents.


Repository Administration Utility (Tools menu)

Opens the Repository Administration Utility. Use this to install and configure the repository and manage user access, and to define custom extensions to the repository.


SQL Plus (Tools menu)

Opens the SQL*Plus tool.


Online Help (Tools menu)

Opens the Oracle Designer online help at the top level.


Object Database Designer (Tools menu)

Opens Object Database Designer.


Help menu:


Oracle Designer Window (Help menu)

Displays a detailed description of the Oracle Designer Window.


What's New (Help Menu)

Displays information about new and changed features in this release of Oracle Designer.


 Getting Started (Help menu)

Displays information to help you get started in using Oracle Designer.


First Practice (Help Menu)

Starts the First Practice online training program, if installed.


Other help items:


 Context-sensitive help button

Related Topics

Displays context-sensitive help information about any part of the Oracle Designer Window.


 Switch display mode

Switches the display between the default window view and a toolbar format.


About... dialog box

Displays copyright and version number information about this application. You might need to know the version number for product support purposes.


Development approaches supported by Oracle Designer

Many different approaches to database and application development currently exist. Oracle Designer does not enforce the use of any specific approach but instead provides a set of tools which enable you to use the development approach of your choice.

Oracle Designer supports all the following development approaches:

End-User Driven - Rapid Application Development (RAD)

Information Driven - Information Engineering (IE)

Process Model Driven

Design Capture Driven

Oracle Corporation also supplies a development methodology and toolkit based specifically around Oracle Designer called Oracle CDM Advantage. CDM Advantage is a full life-cycle methodology for delivering custom solutions: it defines a set of organized and flexible process steps to guide all people working on a project through the custom development process.


Rapid Application Development

Rapid Application Development (RAD) promotes an iterative approach to systems development, an approach which is optimized by the high productivity possible from Oracle Designer and Oracle Developer. The RAD approach is usually focused on small applications, and uses iterative development to build prototypes which can then be refined and rebuilt quickly. This enables systems to be delivered rapidly and ensures user involvement in the prototypes.


Information Engineering

The Information Engineering (IE) approach provides a more formal framework for planning top-down systems development, with the development flowing down a number of successive stages. These stages involve identifying the global information needs and then mapping onto these the requirements for gathering, managing, accessing and processing the information.


Process Model Driven

Process Modeling is increasingly used as a start point for systems development. It involves identifying the fundamental processes in an organization before considering the information systems needed to support them.


Design Capture Driven

Design Capture allows you to take existing systems and reverse engineer them into the tool you are using. Once reverse engineered you can then do impact analysis on the data, and, if required, modify and generate a new system from the old definitions to give it a new interface or added functionality. This enables new business requirements to be easily met with the minimum of time and expense.


CDM Advantage

Oracle CDM Advantage is a development methodology and toolkit that standardizes and accelerates the process of developing custom applications. It is a set of well-defined custom development processes that can be managed in several ways to guide you through a custom development project.

CDM Advantage is a process-based methodology in which a process is a categorical grouping of tasks that meet a specific project objective (such as Business Requirements Definition, Testing, Data Conversion) rather than a chronological grouping of tasks. This organization provides a more natural view of tasks for project team members and allows you to construct a development approach of your own incorporating only the elements you need, or to choose a ready-made CDM Advantage software model.

CDM Advantage offers support for several different development approaches to meet the needs of different projects:

•	Classic approach for larger, more complex projects

•	Fast Track approach for medium-sized, generator-based development

CDM Advantage also includes project workplans for both classic and RAD-based development, and templates for generating key deliverables used in designing, building, and implementing custom applications, such as the system testing model or data conversion strategy.

CDM Advantage:

•	provides seamless integration with Oracle Designer

•	clearly states when a task can be executed with Oracle Designer

•	offers a wide range of very detailed standards and guidelines for Oracle Designer.


File - Close
Close (File Menu)

Closes the active window without quitting the tool. To quit the tool use File→Exit.


File - Summary Information
Summary Information (File Menu)

Related Topics

Displays information about the active window and enables you to record additional information about the window.

The database connection and the current workarea cannot be changed using this menu option, but can be changed using File→Change Connection and File→Change Workarea.

Dialog box options

When the active window is a diagram, the dialog box has the following tabs:

Summary Details

Text

Otherwise, the Summary Information (without tabs) dialog box is displayed.


Summary Information - Summary Details

The Show checkbox adjacent to each field determines whether or not the information in the field is displayed in the print legend on the active window.

Note:	Summary information cannot be saved against a diagram unless that diagram has already been saved in the repository.

When a diagram is copied, i.e., you open a read-only copy of a currently open diagram, the summary information about that diagram does not get copied.

Diagram

The name of the active diagram.

Title

The title of the active window. The title can be used for displaying additional information on the window.

Created

The date and time on which the contents of the active window was created.

Last Modified

The date and time on which the contents of the active window was last modified.

Author

The author of the contents of the window.

Container

The name of the container that you are currently using.

Username

The username for the Oracle database that you are currently using.

Connect String

The connect string for the Oracle database that you are currently using.

Workarea

The name of the workarea that you are currently using.


Summary Information - Text

Related Topics

Used to enter free format multi-line text for the text types associated with the active diagram, such as notes and description.

Note:	Multi-line text can be entered only for named diagrams.

Text Type field

Defines which text type you want to enter multi-line text for. A list of currently defined text is available.

Text Editor button

Opens the ASCII editor, which enables you to attach ASCII text to the selected multi-line text property.

HTML Editor button

Opens the HTML editor, which enables you to attach HTML text to the selected multi-line text property.


Summary Information dialog box

Related Topics

Displays information about the Navigator. The checkbox adjacent to each field determines whether or not the information in the field is displayed in the print legend.

Workarea

The name of the workarea that you are currently using.

Username

The username for the Oracle database that you are currently using.

Connect String

The connect string for the Oracle database that you are currently using.


File - Change Connection
Change Connection (File Menu)

Related Topics

Changes the Oracle database to which the current tool is connected.

Connect dialog box


Connect dialog box

Specifies or changes the Oracle database to which the current tool is connected.

Username

The name of the user that must be specified to gain access to the database account.

You can specify the full connect string in this field, in the format:

username/password@database_alias

For example, to connect to a database with the alias HQ8 using the username and password scott, you would enter:

scott/scott@HQ8

Note:	If you specify the full connect string here, you do not need to complete the Password and Connect fields.

Password

The password for the given username. The password is displayed as asterisks.

Connect String

The database alias required to access the database account. You must ensure that the database alias is specified in the TNSNAMES.ORA file in your Oracle home directory, usually d:\oracle_home\NET80\ADMIN.


File - Change Workarea
Change Workarea (File Menu)

Related Topics

Changes the workarea for the current tool and provides access to the Workarea Wizard which allows you to create new workareas.

Note, you must have the repository management privilege before you can create workareas.

Workarea dialog box


Workarea dialog box

Specifies or changes the workarea for the current tool, and enables you to create a new workarea.

Workarea list box

Lists the workareas that you can choose, together with various details about them. You can choose a workarea by selecting it and clicking OK.

Workarea

The names of the workareas that have been defined in the repository.

Owner

The username of the repository user who created the workarea.

Type

Indicates whether this is a private or shared workarea. Private workareas can be accessed only by the user who created them. Shared workareas can be accessed by any user to whom the owner grants access.

Check In Branch

(Versioned repositories only) The default branch, if any, to which versioned objects are checked in if they are updated via this workarea.

New

Enables you to create a new workarea. Clicking this button starts the Create Workarea Wizard, a predefined set of screen forms that takes you step by step through the process of creating a workarea.


Create Workarea Wizard: Options

The Create Workarea Wizard: Options screen provides the following four options for creating a workarea:

Option	Description
Create a default workarea	Simplest option - just enter the workarea name
Copy a workarea	Copies an existing workarea, but allows you to modify workarea details in the copy
Create a workarea based on a file-stored workarea specification	Uses rules and configurations stored in a file to create the workarea; you can modify these and other details
Create a custom workarea	Provides greatest choice - you can manually define all the details of the workarea
Note:	To edit an existing workarea, select the workarea and choose Edit→Edit Workarea.

Additional fields are displayed from each of the four available options. These allow you to name the workarea, provide a suitable description for the new workarea and, where appropriate, name a workarea to copy from.

Once you have made your selection, the wizard takes you step by step through the process of creating the workarea.

When you create a workarea, it is initially a private workarea, meaning that only you can access it. Subsequently you can, if you wish, grant one or more other users access to it, thus making it a shared workarea. If you later revoke access to the workarea from all other users, the workarea becomes private again.

For all except a default workarea, you can specify a default checkin branch if the automatic branching policy is enabled. You can also change the rules and configurations that make up the workarea specification.

A basic workarea specification, consisting merely of the rule LATEST (MAIN), is applied to all new workareas by default. This rule specifies that each time the workarea is refreshed it will display details of the latest version of all objects to which you have access on the MAIN branch. It is not necessary for a workarea to have any other rules or any configurations specified for it, but if you want to refine the workarea specification, you can do so using the wizard.


Application System dialog box

Specifies or changes the application system for the current tool.

Application System entry box

Identifies the name of the application system you want to use. If an application system is selected in the list box, then the name of that application system is displayed in this field.

Application System list box

Lists the names and owners of all the application system that you may use. If you select an application system from this list, its name is displayed in the application system entry box.


File - Print
   Print (File Menu)

Related Topics

Prints the contents of the active window. This option enables you to specify the range of pages to be printed, the print quality, the number of copies, the destination printer and other printing options.

Dialog box options

Printer

The name of the current printer. The current printer can be changed using the Setup button. If the current printer is the system (that is, the default) printer it is stated in this field.

Print Range

All

Prints all pages. All is the default print range value.

Pages

Prints a range of pages specified by the From and To fields. For example, entering 2 in the From field and 6 in the To field prints pages 2 to 6 inclusive.

Print Quality

Specifies the print density. The higher the print density, the better the print quality, but higher-quality copies may take longer to print.

Copies

The number of copies of the print job that you want to print.

Print to File

Determines whether or not the print job is printed to a specified file instead of being sent to the printer. When checked, the Print to File dialog box is displayed.

Page Numbers

Determines whether or not page numbers are printed at the bottom of each page of the print job.

Print to ASCII

Prints the textual content of the Navigator window to a text file. If this box is checked, a dialog box is displayed for you to specify the name and location of the text file. Note this option is available from the Repository Object Navigator only.

Page Title

Determines whether or not the title is printed at the top of each page of the print job.

Page Boundaries

Determines whether or not indicators are displayed showing the outermost edges of the printable area of the page.

Scale to Pages

X:

Determines the number of pages in the horizontal axis on which the data will be printed.

Y:

Determines the number of pages in the vertical axis on which the data will be printed.

Fit to Page

Determines whether or not the data is printed so that it fits onto one sheet of the currently selected paper size.

Setup button

Allows you to view or change the configuration of the current printer, or to choose a different printer if more than one is available. Selecting this button displays the Print Setup dialog box.


File - Print Preview
Print Preview (File Menu)

Related Topics

Displays the contents of the active window as it will appear when printed, and provides options for navigating through, and for changing the magnification of, the pages within the Print Preview window. The contents of the active window can also be printed directly from this preview window.

Print preview buttons

Print button

Displays the Print dialog box, allowing you to specify how and where the data is printed, and to initiate the print job. Selecting this button cancels the Print Preview window.

Next Page button

Shows how the next page of the data will appear when printed.

Prev Page button

Shows how the previous page of the data will appear when printed.

One Page/Two Page button

Specifies whether one or two pages are previewed at a time.

Zoom In button

Enlarges part of the page preview display.

Zoom Out button

Reduces the magnification of the page preview display.


File - Print Setup
Print Setup (File Menu)

Related Topics

Configures printer settings such as the destination printer, the paper size and the paper orientation. Advanced document properties set within an application can also be set. These settings will override the default settings made in Windows.

Dialog box options

Printer

Determines whether you want to use the default printer or one of the other currently connected printers. A dropdown list of currently connected printers is available. The default printer can be changed, and other printers connected, from the Settings option on the Windows Start menu.

Orientation

Determines whether the printout will appear in portrait or landscape format. Selecting the appropriate option button changes the image of the page accordingly in this field.

Size

Determines the paper size for the printer.

Source

Determines the source of the paper for the printer.

Options button

Displays the Options dialog box for the currently selected printer, allowing you to set some of the more advanced document printing options. Third party printer help is available for the Options dialog box.


File - Recent File
Recent file (File Menu)

Opens any of the four most recently opened files (diagrams or logic text) in the current workarea. Diagrams or logic files in other workareas which have been opened recently may also be listed, but cannot be opened using this option.


File - Exit
Exit (File Menu)

Exits from the tool.


Browse dialog box

Directories

The directory where the file that you want to embed or link to is located.

Drives

The drive where the file that you want to embed or link to is located.

Network... button

Locates a file on the network. For more information, select the Help button on the Connect Network Drive dialog box.


Print to File dialog box (Description not used by Designer in 2.1)

Related Topics

Allows you to specify the name of the file to which a print job is to be saved.

File Name

Specifies the name of the file (maximum of eight characters, plus a three-letter extension), including its path, to which you want to print the diagram.

Attention:	The filename must be different from the original filename, or the diagram must be saved to a different drive or directory.

Note:	If no file of this name currently exists, one will be created.

All the files of the specified type in the specified directory are listed below the File Name field.

Save File as Type

Specifies the file extension for the file. It also filters the File Name list so that only files of the specified type are listed.

Drives

Select the drive on which you want to store the file.

Directories

Select the directory where you want to store the file.

Network button

Opens the Connect Network Drive dialog box so that you can make a connection to a network drive. For more information, choose the Help button in that dialog box.


Help - Help Topics
Help Topics (Help Menu)

Related Topics

Displays a list of the main subject areas in the online documentation system.


Help - Show Keys
Show Keys (Help Menu)

Displays the shortcut keys for the current tool.


Help - How to use Help
How to Use Help (Help Menu)

Related Topics

Displays general information on how to use the Microsoft Windows help.


Help - About
About (Help Menu)

Displays copyright and version number information about this application. You might need to know the version number for product support purposes.


Help - Customer Support
Customer Support (Help Menu)

Displays an Oracle Support Problem Report (displayed in your default ASCII text editor) that you are requested to complete before contacting Oracle Support for assistance. The report asks for details about you, your environment setup and details about the problem, including any steps to reproduce the problem. By completing this form prior to contacting Oracle Support, you will aid the processing and response to your request.

A default text editor is set up for ASCII text based on the settings in the Windows Registry. You can specify an alternative editor by using Options→Text Editor Options.


Context-Sensitive Help button
   Context-Sensitive Help

Related Topics

Provides access to context-sensitive help information about the menu options, standard toolbar and drawing toolbar buttons.

Selecting this button, or pressing SHIFT+F1, and then selecting a menu option, standard toolbar button or palette button, displays help information for the chosen item.


Edit - Undo/Redo
Undo/Redo (Edit Menu)

Related Topics

Undoes the last action performed on the active window. Only certain actions can be undone. If the last action was performed using Edit→Undo, and the action can be redone, the menu option changes to Edit→Redo.


Edit - Cut
Cut (Edit Menu)

Related Topics

Removes the selection and places it on the Clipboard. Any text and graphics that you place on the Clipboard remains there until you replace it with a new item. The contents of the Clipboard can be pasted back using Edit→Paste. This option does not remove data from the repository.

Note:	When working in the Property Palette, the changes you make are not immediately stored in the repository. The changes will only be committed to the repository when you change the focus (by making another window active in the application) or by saving recent property changes.


Edit - Copy
Copy (Edit Menu)

Related Topics

Copies the selection onto the Clipboard. Text or graphics that you copy to the Clipboard replaces the previous contents. The contents of the Clipboard can be pasted back using Edit→Paste.


Edit - Paste
Paste (Edit Menu)

Related Topics

Inserts the contents of the Clipboard at the insertion point, replacing any selection if the selected text or graphic can be replaced. To place items on the Clipboard use Edit→Copy or Edit→Cut.


Edit - Edit Workarea
Edit Workarea (Edit Menu)

Related Topics

This option enables you to perform various workarea operations. About

Note:	In the Repository Object Navigator, this option is available when you select the name of the workarea in the Navigator window, or when you select an object visible in that workarea.

You can:

•	edit the workarea properties (name, description)

•	edit the workarea specification (the rules and configurations that determine which objects appear in the workarea)

•	specify a default checkin branch for versioned objects in a particular workarea

In either case, the menu option starts the workarea wizard at the appropriate point.


Edit - Refresh Workarea
Refresh Workarea (Edit Menu)

Related Topics

Enables you to reapply the workarea specification rules, updating the display of the workarea contents as a result.

This option displays a dialog box from where you can:

•	synchronize the repository with a file system

•	preview the changes that will be made before refreshing

Refreshing re-evaluates the workarea contents according to the workarea rules specified. For example, if a rule specifies that the workarea is to include the latest object versions on a particular branch and a user has updated an object on that branch, refreshing the workarea will show the new version of the object.

Dialog box options

Synchronize

Synchronize mapped folders/files after refresh

Synchronizes the repository with a file system to which a container in the workarea is mapped. Selecting this box performs the synchronization when the workarea is refreshed.

Include (create) files new to the repository

If synchronization would normally result in the creation of new files in the repository, selecting this box causes this to happen. Clearing the box prevents creation of new repository files (i.e., only files that have been changed will be refreshed). This box is activated only if you select the previous one.

Preview

Preview changes before refreshing

Select this box if you want to see the effect on the workarea of the refresh operation before it is performed, otherwise leave the box clear. The preview lists which objects will be added to, updated in, and removed from, the workarea when it is refreshed.


Preview Changes in Workarea Before Refreshing dialog box

Related Topics

Dialog box options

Changes in repository

If you chose on the previous screen to preview changes in both the repository and the file system, you can choose between the two options here.

New

Lists the objects that will be added to the workarea when it is refreshed.

Changed

Lists the objects that will be updated in the workarea when it is refreshed.

Removed

Lists the objects that will be removed from the workarea when it is refreshed.


Edit - Requery All
   Requery All (Edit Menu)

Related Topics

Compares all the elements displayed in the active window with their repository elements and, if there are differences, makes the display consistent with the repository.


Edit - Requery Selection
   Requery Selection (Edit Menu)

Related Topics

Compares one or more selected elements in the active window with their repository elements and, if there are differences, makes the diagram consistent with the repository. This option is dimmed if no elements are selected in the active window.


Edit Workarea Wizard: Properties

Enables you to rename a workarea and change the workarea description.

The workarea you are currently working in is the one selected for editing.

Note: 	You cannot select an alternative workarea to edit using this window.

If you choose to rename your workarea, the new name must be unique in the repository.

Dialog box options

Name

The name of the workarea selected to edit. You can enter a new unique name to rename the workarea.

Description

The description of the workarea selected to edit. You can enter a new description.


Create / Edit Workarea Wizard: Rules Specification

Displays the rules, configurations or both that make up the current workarea specification.

Using this dialog you can:

•	load an existing workarea specification from a template file in your file system

•	edit the workarea specification

•	save the workarea specification to a file

If you are creating a new workarea by using a specification file or by copying an existing workarea, any included rules and configurations are displayed.

If you are creating a custom workarea and have not specified any other workarea or specification file as its basis, the default rule LATEST(MAIN) is displayed.

If you are editing an existing workarea, any rules and configurations associated with the workarea are displayed.

Dialog box options

Load from file

(Edit Workarea Wizard only) Enables you to load an existing specification from a file. Specification files are given the .CWS extension by default.

Edit

Displays the Edit Specification dialog box for you to edit the current specification by:

•	adding new rules and/or configurations to the specification

•	deleting rules and/or configurations from the specification

•	rearranging rules and/or configurations within the specification

Save to file

Allows you to save the specification to a template file in your file system. The file is assigned the .CWS extension unless you choose otherwise.


Edit Specification dialog box

A workarea specification or a configuration can be built from objects from a variety of sources. For example, you may base a configuration on the contents of a workarea and then include an existing configuration together with additional rules and specific versions of individual objects.

The Edit Specification dialog box allows you to do the following to the selected workarea specification or configuration:

•	add or remove rules

•	add or remove configurations

•	reorder the list of included rules and configurations

•	include or exclude specific objects

Dialog box options

For

Displays the name of the workarea or configuration whose specification you are editing

Rules tab

Enables you to select a rule to include in the list of member rules and configurations.

The fields displayed on the Rules tab depend on the selected rule. About

Configurations tab

Latest version

When checked, displays only the latest version of the configurations to which you have access. When clear, displays all versions of all configurations.

Configurations

Displays all configurations under version control that you have access rights to.

Filter

Allows you to enter search criteria to locate specific configurations. You can use wildcard characters, for example "%" to specify "any character".

	moves selected rule or configuration into the Member rules and configurations list
	moves selected rule or configuration out of the Member rules and configurations list
Member rules and configurations

Lists the rules and configurations currently associated with the workarea or configuration.

	moves the selected rule or configuration up one position in the member rules and configurations list
	moves the selected rule or configuration down one position in the member rules and configurations list
	includes objects in the workarea or configuration
	excludes objects from the workarea or configuration


Create / Edit Workarea Wizard: Default Checkin Branch

Displays all branches available to you, and enables you to set the default checkin branch.

The value <None> causes objects to be checked in by default on the branch from which they were checked out. In some cases, described below, the wizard sets this value automatically and you cannot change it.

If you want to use a branch other than those listed, create a new branch. How

If you are creating a default workarea or a workarea based on a specification file, the wizard selects the value <None>.

If you are creating a workarea based on an existing workarea, the default checkin branch for the workarea you are copying is selected.

If you are editing a selected workarea, the current default checkin branch for that workarea is selected.

Before setting the default checkin branch, the wizard checks the repository automatic branching policy. If the automatic branching policy is not enabled, the wizard selects the value <None>.

Dialog box options

Select the workarea default checkin branch

All available checkin branches for the repository are listed. Select the one you want to use as the default.

Remind me to merge objects to the new checkin branch

(Displayed for Edit Workarea only) Invokes the Merge Wizard at the end of an edit workarea operation. If you are changing the default checkin branch, you can use the wizard to merge changes from object versions on the old branch with versions on the branch to which you are changing.


Edit - Requery
Requery (Edit Menu)

Refreshes the version tree for the object currently displayed in the Version History Viewer, enabling you to see any recent changes that have been made.