Tagged Values for Diagram Elements

Tagged Values

Tagged values are additional pieces of information that can be associated with an element, such as notes, descriptions, or custom properties. They can be added, edited, and removed using the Properties dialog, which can be accessed by right-clicking on an element and selecting "Properties" from the context menu.

Tagged Value Types

• Text - allows you to assign a string value to an element. It can be used to store a variety of information such as descriptions, notes, or other textual information.
• Reference - allows you to assign a reference to another element in the project. This can be useful for linking elements together, such as linking a use case to the class that implements it.
• Integer - allows you to assign an integer value to an element. This can be useful for storing numerical information such as quantity, version number, etc.
• Decimal - allows you to assign decimal values to an element. This can be useful for storing precise numerical information such as measurements, prices, etc.
• Date - allows you to assign a date value to an element. This can be useful for storing dates such as deadlines, release dates, etc.
• Boolean - allows you to assign a true or false value to an element. This can be useful for storing information such as whether an element is active or inactive.
• Multiline text - allows you to assign a longer text value to an element. This can be useful for storing information such as detailed descriptions, notes, etc.
• Formatted text - allows you to assign a formatted text value to an element. This can be useful for storing information such as rich text with emphasized parts of text, bulleted lists etc.
• Enumerated value - allows you to assign a value from a predefined list of values to an element. This can be useful for storing information such as status, priority, etc. This type also enables you to make sure that the value is correct and also to pick value from a list instead of typing it.

Show Tagged Values in Diagram

When working with diagrams in Software Ideas Modeler, you may want to display the tagged values of elements in the diagram. This can be useful for providing additional information about an element directly in the diagram editor, or for troubleshooting.

There are several ways to show tagged values in a diagram. One way is to use the context menu option in the diagram editor. To access this, right-click on an element in the diagram, and select the "Show Parts" option. This will bring up a submenu where you can select "Tagged Values" or "Field Tagged Values".

Tagged values in a diagram

Also, the Parts tab in the Properties dialog allows you to show and hide different parts of an element, including its tagged values. To show tagged values, simply check the box next to "Tagged Values" in the Parts tab.

Once enabled, the tagged values will be displayed inside curly braces {} below the element name in the diagram. This can be useful when you want to quickly view the tagged values associated with an element without having to open the Properties dialog and navigate to the Tagged Values tab. Additionally, it's also possible to show field tagged values in the same way, you can check the box next to "Field Tagged Values" to show them. Selecting "Field Tagged Values" will display the tagged values of the element's fields (such as attributes or operations) in the diagram.

Element Tagged Values

The Tagged Values tab in the Properties dialog allows you to view and edit the tagged values associated with a specific element. The tab contains a grid that displays the name, value, and a plus button (for multi-value tagged values) of each tagged value.

Tagged Values tab in the Properties dialog

To add a new tagged value, you can click the "Add" button, which opens the Tagged Value dialog. In this dialog, you can enter the tag name, select the type from a drop-down menu (text, reference, integer, decimal, date, boolean, multiline text, formatted text, enumerated value), choose whether the tag should be always hidden in the diagram, and enter the value. Click "OK" to add the new tagged value to the element.

If you wish to edit an existing tagged value, you can select it from the grid and click the "Edit" button. This will open the Tagged Value dialog, where you can make changes to the tag name, type, hidden status and value.

The Remove button allows to delete the selected tagged value.

It is important to note that the Tagged Values tab can be used for viewing and also editing the tagged values associated with a specific element.

Predefined Tagged Values for Element Types

Software Ideas Modeler also allows you to create predefined tagged values for specific element types. To access this feature, you can open the Tagged Values dialog by clicking on the ribbon / Process tab / Lists group / Tagged Values button. This dialog lists all the available tagged values for the selected diagram type and element type. You can also filter the list by stereotype by checking the Stereotype checkbox. The grid lists the tagged values, their types, and whether they can have multiple values or not. You can add new tagged values by clicking the Add button, edit existing ones by clicking the Edit button, and remove them by clicking the Remove button.

Tagged Value Manager

Tagged Value Editor

The Tagged Value editor dialog, accessible from the Tagged Values dialog, allows you to define and edit predefined tagged values.

Tagged Value Editor

The General tab allows you to specify the basic properties of the tagged value. The Name field is used to specify a name for the tagged value. The Type field is used to specify the data type of the tagged value, which can be text, reference, integer, decimal, date, boolean, multiline text, formatted text, or enumerated value. The Multiple Values checkbox allows you to specify whether the tagged value can have multiple values. The Hidden checkbox allows you to specify whether the tagged value can be shown or should be always hidden in the diagram. The Default Value field allows you to specify a default value for the tagged value.

The Applies To tab allows you to specify which element types the tagged value should be associated with. The List of associated element types shows the element types that are currently associated with the tagged value.

• Add Stereotyped button allows you to associate the tagged value with an element type and one or more stereotypes.
• Add Types button allows you to associate the tagged value with one or more element types.
• Remove button allows you to remove an element type or stereotype association.

The OK button saves the changes and closes the dialog, while the Cancel button discards the changes and closes the dialog.

Tips & Tricks

• Use tagged values to store additional information that is not directly related to the visual representation of the element.
• Use predefined tagged values to ensure consistency across your diagrams and projects.
• Use the Hidden option to keep certain tagged values from cluttering your diagrams.
• Use the Applies To tab in the Tagged Value editor to specify which element types should contain the tagged value in their lists of tagged values.
• Use the Stereotyped options in the Applies To tab to further refine which elements should contain the tagged value.