Diagrams

ARCAD Observer can generate different types of diagrams. The types of diagram you can generate depends on the type of element chosen (database relationships, components, application, etc.)

Input / output diagrams

The input / output diagram is intended to graphically represent interactions between a program and the files it uses, or between a file and the programs that use it.

Flow diagrams

Flowcharts are a representation of the interactions between different types of components. They can include use and calling links.

Database diagrams

Database relationship diagrams are graphical representations of the existing relationships between database tables. These links are extracted by a reverse engineering engine that functions on the IBM i server.

Macroscopic views

For this specific type of diagrams, refer to Macroscopic views.

You can access the existing diagrams for an application or see all the diagrams created for all your applications from the navigator under  Document >  Diagrams.

Diagram can be generated from any view displaying components, database relationship, etc.

To generate a diagram, right-click on an element and select Diagrams, then select the type of diagram you wish to generate.

The type of diagrams available in the contextual menu depends on the type of element selected (components, database relationships, etc.)

Once they are generated, you can still edit the diagrams.

In the Diagram list dialog ( Navigator >  Documents >  Diagrams), you can rename the diagram. Right-click on a diagram and select Rename in the contextual menu.

To add a text note to the diagram, right-click anywhere you wish in a diagram (on an element, a connector, in the background...) and select Add Note in the contextual menu.

To export the diagram to image formats, right-click in it and select File > Save as image file. Define the image parameters in the dialog. Click OK.

Diagrams can be added to the documentation of your application. The documentation generates automatically diagrams for the components if the corresponding documentation section are included in the plan. You can add other diagrams to the documentation, such as the ones that you generated manually, and add them to the documentation by using customized sections in the plan.

To delete a diagram, right-click on the item in the diagram list dialog and select Delete. Click OK to confirm or click Cancel to keep the diagram in the dialog.