BROWSER specifies whether a property and its value shows up in the Properties box of System Architect’s Explorer when the respective diagram, symbol, or definition is selected in the explorer.
The following explorer control statements are permitted (the word ‘object’ is used to mean a diagram, symbol, or definition).
“Under conditions in which it otherwise would” is used because the explorer often does not display some (or all) key properties when the object is being displayed subordinate to one of its key objects, and often does not display the type when it is being displayed subordinate to a type header.
In the specification of a property
BROWSER { SHOW }
Display the value of that property when displaying the object containing that property.
BROWSER { HIDE }
Do not display the property when displaying the object containing that property.
BROWSER { NAMEONLY }
Where the property is a reference-type property to a keyed definition, display the name, instead of the fully qualified name.
In the specification of an object but not in the description of a property
BROWSER { OMITKEY }
Do not display key properties of the object under conditions in which it otherwise would.
BROWSER { OMITTYPE }
Do not display the type of the object under conditions in which it otherwise would.
Not in the specification of an object
BROWSER { OMITKEY }
Do not display key properties of any object under conditions in which it otherwise would.
BROWSER { OMITTYPE }
Do not display the type of any object under conditions in which it otherwise would.
Example 1
In this example, the value of the package property is shown, even though it is normally not shown.
In this example, the stereotype property is hidden, even though it is normally shown.
DEFINITION "Class" { PROPERTY "Stereotype" {EDIT Text LIST "Class Stereotype" INIT_FROM_SYMBOL Default"" LENGTH 20 BROWSER { HIDE } } }
Example 3
In this example, a class attribute is a definition of type “Class Attribute”. By default, this would be shown in the explorer, which would be redundant. Without the BROWSER { OMITTYPE } command, the explorer would display attributes.
Using the BROWSER { OMITTYPE } command makes the explorer display an attribute.
Example 4
In the following example, the value of the “Class Roles” property is displayed in the explorer (since the classes that an association attaches to is important information to know), even though it normally is not shown.
