Shortcut Ctrl-N.

This initializes a new project within ArgoUML. The project is created without a the name. It contains a (top-level) Model named untitledModel and two empty diagrams: a class diagram and a use case diagram.

	Caution
	untitledModel is not a conventional model name (most processes suggest models should be build from lower case letters). ArgoUML permits you to use any case letters, but a critic will trigger to warn that this is not conventional. See Section 16.2, “ The Model ” for a discussion of this.

If the model has been altered (as indicated by the "*" in the titlebar of ArgoUML's window), then activating the "New" function is potentionally not the user's intention, since it will erase the changes. Hence a confirmation dialog appears to allow the user to save his work first, or cancel the operation completely.

Figure 10.1.  The confirmation dialog for New.

Shortcut Ctrl-O.

This opens an existing project from a file. Selecting this menu option will open a file selection dialog (see Figure 10.2, “ The file selection dialog for Open Project.... ”).

Figure 10.2.  The file selection dialog for Open Project....

The main body of the dialog is a text area with a listing of all directories and files in the currently selected directory which match the current filter (see below).

Navigating in the directory tree is possible by selecting a directory in the drop down selector at the top of this dialog. Navigating deeper in the tree may be done by double clicking button 1 on the directory shown in the main text area.

In the lower portion of the dialog is a text box labeled File name: for the name of the file to be opened. The file name may be typed directly in here, or selected from the directory listing above using button 1 click.

Beneath this is a drop down selector labeled Files of type: to specify a filter on the files to be shown in the directory listing. Only files that match the filter are listed. The available filters are listed below. The default filter is the first one, which combines all available formats.

Shortcut Ctrl-S.

This saves the project using its current file name. Use Save Project As... to save the project to a different file. If no filename is given yet (e.g. after New), then this function works exactly as Save Project As....

	Note
	In certain circumstances, there is nothing to save, and this menuitem is downlighted. E.g. when the user did not yet alter a loaded project. The presence of a “*” in the titlebar of ArgoUML's window indicates that the current project is “dirty” (has been altered), and can be saved.

This opens a dialog allowing you to save the project under a different file name (or to specify a file name for the first time if the project is a new project).

The dialog box is almost identical to that for Open Project (see Figure 10.2, “ The file selection dialog for Open Project.... ”). The extension of the filename is automatically set.

This menu-item allows you to throw away all your recent changes, and reload the last saved version of the current project. It works a bit like an Undo feature, but only restores changes done since the last time the file was saved.

This menu-item is downlighted unless the currentproject has been saved or loaded before (i.e. it has a name), and it has been altered.

When this menu-item is activated, a small confirmation dialog box opens, as shown in the figure below. This warning that all recent changes will be discarded, is needed because the action can not be undone. Selecting No cancels the whole action as if you did not select the menu-item in the first place. Selecting Yes reloads the last saved file.

Figure 10.3.  The warning dialog for Revert to Saved.

This menu-item allows to load an UML 1.3 or 1.4 model which was exported by e.g. another tool, as a XMI file, according the XMI V1.0, V1.1 or V1.2 standard. The extension of such file should be .xmi.

If the model has been altered (as indicated by the "*" in the titlebar of ArgoUML's window), then activating the "Import XMI..." function is potentionally not the user's intention, since it will erase the changes. Hence a confirmation dialog appears to allow the user to save his work first, or cancel the operation completely.

Figure 10.4.  The confirmation dialog for Import XMI....

When the menu is activated, the standard filechooser appears, see Figure 10.5, “ The dialog for Import XMI.... ”. Beware the fact that this file will only contain the model, not any diagram layout. Hence, the new project will not contain any diagrams.

Figure 10.5.  The dialog for Import XMI....

This menu-item allows to save the complete structure of the UML 1.4 model as a XMI file, according the XMI V1.2 standard. Beware the fact that this file will only contain the model, not any diagram layout. Hence, if the XMI file is reloaded with the File - Open Project... menu, then the diagrams are lost.

When the menu is activated, the standard filechooser appears, see Figure 10.6, “ The dialog for Export XMI.... ”.

Figure 10.6.  The dialog for Export XMI....

A very powerful feature of ArgoUML is that it can “Reverse Engineer” Java code to yield a class diagram. This sub-menu entry specifies Java code to be imported for reverse engineering.

The dialog box is similar to that for Open Project (see Figure 10.2, “ The file selection dialog for Open Project.... ”), but with two extra tabs placed alongside the directory listing, as shown in Figure 10.7, “ The file selection dialog for Import Sources.... ”).

Figure 10.7.  The file selection dialog for Import Sources....

Those fields that are the same as Open Project behave in the same way (see Section 10.3.2, “ Open Project... ”).

Next to the "All Files" file filter, there is the default filter "Java Source File (*.java)".

The first of the two tabs is labeled General and is selected by button 1 click on its tab. It provides a combo box for the language selection (in V0.18 of ArgoUML only Java can be chosen), and the following selections:

The second of the two tabs is labeled Java and is selected by button 1 click on its tab. It provides two pairs of radio boxes.

This brings up the standard dialog box provided by the operating system to adjust printer paper size, orientation, and other options.

Shortcut Ctrl-P.

This brings up the standard dialog box provided by the operating system allowing the current diagram to be printed out.

In some cases, when the printing is started, the dialog box of Figure 10.8, “ The diagram exceeds page size dialog. ” appears. Selecting the "Fit to page" button does print the whole diagram fitted on one page by scaling it down. Which might cause all text to be too small to read in case of big diagrams, but it is a quick and easy way to get an usable printout. Selecting the "Multiple pages" option does print unscaled, by dividing the diagram in pieces, on as many pages as needed. Pressing the close button of the dialog does the former option.

Figure 10.8.  The diagram exceeds page size dialog.

Warning

If the current diagram contains no selected model elements, then the whole diagram is printed. However, if one or more model elements are selected, then only the area they cover is printed! If scaling is selected (by the "Fit to page" choice in the dialog box descibed above), then the scaling is done on basis of the selected model elements only. If scaling is not chosen (or in case it is not needed), then all pages containing a selected model element are printed.

This menu entry brings up a dialog box allowing the currently selected diagram (in the editing pane) to be saved in one of a number of graphic formats.

The dialog box is identical to that for Open Project (see Figure 10.2, “ The file selection dialog for Open Project.... ”), except for the Files of type:. The chosen filetype specifies the graphics format used for saving. The filename is automatically extended with the corresponding ending (if not entered already). A default filename is generated based on the diagram name.

The available graphics types are:

The graphics format that is selected by default is set in the dialog under the menu entry Edit - Settings...

This menu entry brings up a dialog box to select a directory. In this directory, for all diagrams in the current project, a graphics file is generated.

The names of the files are deducted from the diagram names. The graphics format that is produced is set in the dialog under the Edit menu (see Section 10.4.5, “ Settings... ”).

This sub-menu presents a radio button selection for notation, i.e. the language in which all textual adornments are shown on the diagrams.

This feature defines the project's notation language.

There are 2 ways to set the notation language:

The following 2 notations are build in ArgoUML:

The following choices are only available if the corresponding plugin languages are installed.

Besides UML, only Java is partly implemented in V0.22 of ArgoUML.

This menu entry brings up a dialog box, which allows the user to set various options of the currently loaded project.

All settings in this dialog are stored in the project-file together with the model.

Figure 10.9.  The dialog for Project Properties - the User tab.

In the User tab, you are able to set the following fields:

Figure 10.10.  The dialog for Project Properties - the Profiles tab.

In the Profiles tab, you are able change the following settings:

Figure 10.11.  The dialog for Project Properties - the Notations tab.

In the Notations tab, you are able to set the following fields:

Figure 10.12.  The dialog for Project Properties - the Diagram Appearance tab.

In the Diagram Appearance tab, you are able change the diagrams font.

ArgoUML remembers a few of the most recently saved files, and lists them here, to enable loading then in the most simple way.

The maximum number of files that is listed here, can be adjusted in the Edit -> Settings... menu. The list of files is stored in the argo.user.properties file in the .argouml directory under the user's home directory.

Shortcut Alt-F4.

This closes down ArgoUML. A warning message will pop-up if you have a project open with unsaved changes asking if you wish to save it. See Figure 10.13, “ The save changes dialog. ”. The options are:

Figure 10.13.  The save changes dialog.