Overview of Activity Editor

Using Activity Editor, you can specify the flow of activities for a specific transformation rule graphically, without knowing programming or Java code. For each transformation rule in Map Designer Express, you can display one activity and its subactivities. You can view the associated attribute's transformation code graphically, modify it, and have the tool generate the corresponding Java code.

You launch Activity Editor directly from Map Designer Express (see Starting Activity Editor). At startup, Activity Editor communicates with System Manager to discover the set of activities allowed. After you have finished designing the activity for a particular transformation rule, you save the changes in Activity Editor, and they are communicated to Map Designer Express.

This section covers the following topics to introduce you to Activity Editor:

Starting Activity Editor

You launch Activity Editor through the transformation rule column of the Table or Diagram tabs of Map Designer Express. Perform the following steps to do this:

  1. Select the attribute you want to work with.
  2. Do one of the following:

Result: Map Designer Express responds to these actions depending on the following:

Layout of Activity Editor

Activity Editor has two main views: Graphical view and Java view. Depending on the nature of the activity, at any given time, only one view is visible. Thus, if Map Designer Express invokes Activity Editor to display a graphical activity, Activity Editor will startup with the Graphical view. If you choose to translate this graphical activity into Java code, the Java view will display in place of the Graphical view.

Restriction: Once the activity has changed to Java code, it will not be converted back to the graphical nature.

Both views have common Window elements in their Design and Quick view modes, as described in Table 26.

Table 26. Common Window elements
Window element Description
Title Bar Contains the name of the application (Activity Editor), application icon, and the main activity's name.
Menu Contains the primary menus (Design mode only).
Toolbar Contains dockable toolbars with shortcuts to various functions and tools (Design mode only).
Document Display Area Displays the representation of the activity definition. It is organized with a workbook look.
Status Bar Displays status information and some handy shortcuts.

Working in Graphical view

If Map Designer Express opens Activity Editor with an activity definition that has a graphical nature, Activity Editor will display the activity definition in Graphical view in one of two available display modes: Design mode or Quick view mode.

Initially, when an activity definition that has a graphical nature opens, Activity Editor displays the top-level view of the definition in a tabbed window. Inside the tab window is the editing canvas. For information on working with activity definitions on the editing canvas, see Working with activity definitions.

Working in Java view

If Map Designer Express opens Activity Editor with an activity definition that contains only custom Java code, Activity Editor displays the activity definition in Java view. Similar to Graphical view, Activity Editor is available in Java view in two display modes: Design mode and Quick view mode.

Figure 50. Java view in Quick view mode

Tip: To change from Quick view mode to Design mode, click the >> button on the status bar. If you do not see the >> button, resize the Quick view window horizontally until the button appears.

Note:
Initially, the Java view will be in read-only mode. To enter customized Java code, click the Edit Code toolbar button, or select Edit Code from the Tools menu.

Using Activity Editor functionality

You can access Activity Editor's functionality using any of the following:

Activity Editor pull-down menus and keyboard shortcuts

Activity Editor provides the following pull-down menus:

The following sections describe the options of each of these menus and their associated keyboard shortcuts.

Functions of the File menu: The File pull-down menu of Activity Editor provides the following options:

Functions of the Edit menu: The Edit pull-down menu of Activity Editor provides the following options:

Functions of the View menu: The View pull-down menu of Activity Editor provides the following options:

Functions of the Tools menu: The Tools pull-down menu of Activity Editor provides the following option:

Functions of the Help menu: The Help pull-down menu of Activity Editor provides the following options:

Context menu

Activity also provides a context menu for performing many tasks on the editing canvas. You access the Context menu by right-clicking the editing canvas. The Context menu provides the following options:

Activity Editor toolbars

Activity Editor provides three toolbars for common tasks you need to perform.

The functions of the toolbar buttons are the same as their corresponding menu items.

Tip: To identify the function of each toolbar button, roll over each button with your mouse cursor.

Standard toolbar: Figure 51 shows the Standard toolbar.

Figure 51. Activity Editor Standard toolbar

Table 27 provides the function of each Standard toolbar button (left to right) and the corresponding menu command.

Table 27. Functions of Standard toolbar buttons
Function Corresponding menu command
Save Activity File > Save
Print Activity File > Print
Cut Edit > Cut
Copy Edit > Copy
Paste Edit > Paste
Delete Edit > Delete
Help Help > Help Topics

Graphics toolbar: Figure 52 shows the Graphics toolbar.

Figure 52. Activity Editor Graphics toolbar

Table 28 provides the function of each Graphics toolbar button (left to right) and the corresponding menu command.

Table 28. Functions of Graphics toolbar buttons
Function Corresponding menu command
Back View > Go To > Back
Forward View > Go To > Forward
Up One Level View > Go To > Up One Level
Home View > Go To > Home
Zoom In View > Zoom In
Zoom Out View > Zoom Out

Figure 53 shows the Java toolbar.

Figure 53. Activity Editor Java toolbar

Table 29 provides the function of each Java toolbar button (left to right) and the corresponding menu command.

Table 29. Functions of Java toolbar buttons
Function Corresponding menu command
Edit Code Tools > Edit Code
Undo Edit > Undo
Redo Edit > Redo
Find Text Edit > Find
Goto Line Edit > Goto Line
Expression Builder Tools > Expression Builder

Status bar elements: Activity Editor also provides a Status bar, as shown in Figure 54.

Figure 54. Activity Editor Status bar

Table 30 describes the functionality of each Status bar element, left to right.

Table 30. Functions of Status bar elements
Element Function
Zoom: 100% Edit box for specifying a zooming percentage
Ready Status message
10.9 Navigation pane showing the current position of the I-bar in the Java editor
>> (Shown in Quick view mode)

<< (Shown in Design mode)

Toggle between Design mode and quick view mode

Copyright IBM Corp. 2004, 2005