Introduction to report writer user interface

When Report Writer is launched you are taken to the Report Writer environment where you can create and edit your reports. Three distinct panes are presented on the screen: the Project Explorer, Template Pane and the Writer Pane.

Report writer

Diagram navigator

The Diagram Navigator displays all diagrams within the project in a form of a project tree and organizes them by their diagram type. Through the use of a folding tree structure you can browse the names of these diagrams by either expanding or collapsing the folders and perform sorting by diagram type and name.

Diagram navigator

Details of each button in Diagram Navigator are show as below:

Button	Description
	To collapse all the nodes within the project tree.
	To expand all the nodes within the project tree.
	To show only diagrams but not models in the tree.
	To sort diagrams within the project tree by alphabetical order of their names.
	To sort diagrams within the project tree by their diagram type.
	To sort diagrams within the project tree by their diagram type.

Details of diagram navigator

Model tree

The Model Pane displays models within the project in a form of a project tree. Notice that not all the model elements are displayed, and only the elements that are available for generating report content are shown.

Model tree

Details of each button in Model Tree are shown as below:

Button	Description
	To collapse all the nodes within the project tree.
	To expand all the nodes within the project tree.
	To display the models within the project without sorting. Ordering of models will be based on their order of creation.
	To sort models within the project tree by alphabetical order of their names.
	To sort models within the project tree by their model type.
	To refresh the project tree within the Model Pane.

Details of model tree

Template pane

The Template Pane displays all the templates available for the model or diagram selected in Project Explorer.

Template pane

Each template represents the corresponding report content of a particular model or diagram. By dragging a template into the Writer Pane, the report content will be printed on the report. There are three types of template: Text, Image and Table. Each of them has its own appearance in the report content.

Button	Description
	The generated element block is mainly composed of text. It is mainly used in the documentation template of elements.
	The generated element block is mainly composed of images. It is used in the diagram template for UML Diagrams.
	The generated element block is mainly composed of tables. Most of the content-related templates use this type of template.

Details of template pane

Writer pane

Writer Pane embeds a word processor to provide a report editing environment.

Writer pane

Toolbar

Toolbar is the horizontal bars placed below the menu bar. They store all the frequently used commands that appear as a row of buttons.

Button	Description
	To create a new report.
	To save modified reports.
	To import an external document (either an .sxw or a .doc file) as a report.
	To export the current report as an .sxw or .doc file.
	To export all the reports within the current project.
	To update the content within the current report from the VP-UML models.
	To print the current report by supplying the printer name.
	To undo the last action you performed.
	To redo the last action you performed.
	To select a report from the current project for editing.
	To remove the existing report(s).
	To display the stylist dialog box for modifying the style.
	To copy the style settings defined in another report.
	To display bookmarks that outlines the boundary for each generated element.
	To insert a hyperlink.
	To insert index or table
	To include documentation of model when generating content.
	To close Report Writer and go back to VP-UML.

Details of toolbar

2. Creating report

Table of Contents

4. Constructing report