Object Editor
The Object Editor allows objects of the chosen class
to be created or edited. To start the object editor, click on the
"Manage Objects" tab and then select the class of the object(s)
to be created or edited.
To create a new object, click on the "Create" button.
To import an object, click on the "Import" button.
To edit an object, select (left-click) the object. Right-click the selection
and a menu will appear. Choose edit. Double clicking
an object will also load it into the Object Editor.
All of these actions start the Object Editor.
The class's Attributes and Relationships, as specified by your
repository's data model, will be listed on the left side of
the screen. The fields are color-coded. Required fields are shown
in red.
Optional fields are shown in black. Fields which have been
given at least one value are shown in blue.
See help documentation on
Repository Properties / Data Model Editor for more information
about the data model and what the fields mean.
How to use the Object Editor
Clicking on a field brings up its typein box in the workspace. Click
in the box and type in the field's value, either text or a url.
- "Add Field" button: enabled
for fields that can have multiple values. Click to get
another input box.
- "Save Object" button: not enabled until
all required fields have been given a value. Used to save the
object.
- "Cancel" button: used to abort creating
or editing the object. Objects made as the targets of relationships
are still available.
- "Delete" button: used to delete a field's
value.
What to supply for each field:
A brief description of the Attribute or Relationship should appear
in the blue box at the bottom of the workspace.
- Attributes: For attributes, enter a value for the field.
The type of typein box that is offered depends on the field's data type
(as specified in your repository's data model).
If a class has an Attribute called "DateOfInformation",
its value will automatically be set to the current date when an
object of that class is edited or created. The field's value can
still be changed manually if desired.
- Relationships: For relationships, enter a url that
points to
an object of the relationship's destination class. This can be done two ways:
- Type in a url that can point to an object in another
repository, if desired. Supplying a value that is not a url
will cause RIB to
generate an error message when the "Save Object" button
is clicked.
- Use one of the following options to point the relationship
to a local object.
- "Browse" button:
click here to see a list of the local objects
that already exist in your repository for the relationship's
destination class.
Select one of these objects by clicking on it.
- "New" button:
Clicking this button will cause your current
progress to be saved. Then a new instance of the object
editor will start which allows you to create a new object
of the relationship's destination class.
After saving the new object, its url will
appear in the original object's typein box for the
relationship's value.