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  7. Adding an Input/Output

Adding an Input/Output

Last modified on May 3rd, 2022.


An 'Input/Output' construct can be added to an 'Action Diagram' via drag-and-drop.

  1. Within an 'Action Diagram,' click the 'Input/Output' icon in the 'New' tab of the left sidebar and continue to hold down the left mouse button.
  2. Drag the 'Input/Output' icon over to the adjacent diagram canvas.
  3. Release the left mouse button while over the diagram canvas to drop the new 'Input/Output' and add it to the diagram.
  4. Select the generating 'Action' construct, then click one of the green circles and continue to hold down the left mouse button.
  5. Drag the green circle to your newly created 'Input/Output' construct.
  6. When the 'Input/Output' highlights bright green, release the left mouse button to add a generated by/generates relationship.
  7. Select your newly created 'Input/Output' construct, then click one of the green circles and continue to hold down the left mouse button.
  8. Drag the green circle to the receiving 'Action' construct of your choice.
  9. When the receiving 'Action' highlights green, release the left mouse button to add the appropriate relationship. Releasing over the "Trigger" section will automatically add the received by/receives relationship with the Trigger relationship attribute set to "Yes," while releasing over the "Optional" section will automatically add the received by/receives relationship with the Trigger relationship attribute set to "No."
  10. Once added to the diagram with the proper relationship, enter a meaningful 'Name' for your new 'Input/Output' via the 'Attributes' tab of the left sidebar (focused automatically for convenience).
  11. Click on one of the lines. Position the lines by selecting the blue dots and moving them to the desired location around the shape.
  12. Click the 'Save' button located on the toolbar to persist your changes to your project’s database.

Note: The above process describes using the 'New' tab of the left sidebar, which automatically generates a new entity to represent each new diagram construct. If you would like to reuse existing entities from your database to represent a new construct, use the 'Existing' tab instead.

I/O Decomposition

Action diagrams’ 'Input/Output' parents now can support I/O decomposition which will display children 'Input/Outputs' and display the relationship between them when inside a decomposed Action diagram.

  1. Enter a decomposed Action diagram by clicking the 'Decomposed' button on a parent 'Action' in an Action diagram.
  2. Once inside the decomposed Action diagram, when a parent 'Input/Outputs' has children Input/Outputs, selecting the Parent 'Input/Outputs' will cause the 'Decomposed Parent IO' button to appear.
  3. Click on the 'Decomposed Parent IO' button to generate the Child 'Input/Outputs'.

For more information on this construct and how it is represented in the database model, see Action Diagram Constructs.

Adding an Input/Output

Last modified on May 3rd, 2022. 


An ‘Input/Output’ construct can be added to an ‘Action Diagram‘ via drag-and-drop.

  1. Within an ‘Action Diagram,’ click the ‘Input/Output’ icon in the ‘New’ tab of the left sidebar and continue to hold down the left mouse button.
  2. Drag the ‘Input/Output’ icon over to the adjacent diagram canvas.
  3. Release the left mouse button while over the diagram canvas to drop the new ‘Input/Output’ and add it to the diagram.
  4. Select the generating ‘Action’ construct, then click one of the green circles and continue to hold down the left mouse button.
  5. Drag the green circle to your newly created ‘Input/Output’ construct.
  6. When the ‘Input/Output’ highlights bright green, release the left mouse button to add a generated by/generates relationship.
  7. Select your newly created ‘Input/Output’ construct, then click one of the green circles and continue to hold down the left mouse button.
  8. Drag the green circle to the receiving ‘Action’ construct of your choice.
  9. When the receiving ‘Action’ highlights green, release the left mouse button to add the appropriate relationship. Releasing over the “Trigger” section will automatically add the received by/receives relationship with the Trigger relationship attribute set to “Yes,” while releasing over the “Optional” section will automatically add the received by/receives relationship with the Trigger relationship attribute set to “No.”
  10. Once added to the diagram with the proper relationship, enter a meaningful ‘Name’ for your new ‘Input/Output’ via the ‘Attributes’ tab of the left sidebar (focused automatically for convenience).
  11. Click on one of the lines. Position the lines by selecting the blue dots and moving them to the desired location around the shape.
  12. Click the ‘Save’ button located on the toolbar to persist your changes to your project’s database.

Note: The above process describes using the ‘New’ tab of the left sidebar, which automatically generates a new entity to represent each new diagram construct. If you would like to reuse existing entities from your database to represent a new construct, use the ‘Existing’ tab instead.

I/O Decomposition

Action diagrams’ ‘Input/Output’ parents now can support I/O decomposition which will display children ‘Input/Outputs’ and display the relationship between them when inside a decomposed Action diagram.

  1. Enter a decomposed Action diagram by clicking the ‘Decomposed’ button on a parent ‘Action’ in an Action diagram.
  2. Once inside the decomposed Action diagram, when a parent ‘Input/Outputs’ has children Input/Outputs, selecting the Parent ‘Input/Outputs’ will cause the ‘Decomposed Parent IO’ button to appear.
  3. Click on the ‘Decomposed Parent IO’ button to generate the Child ‘Input/Outputs’.

For more information on this construct and how it is represented in the database model, see Action Diagram Constructs.

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