View Dependencies

  3 minute read  

Introduction

The analysis and presentation of dependencies can be done in two ways: either via the Dependency View or the Dependency Center. The Dependency View offers both a Diagram and a Tabular View, each with specific menu functions. In contrast, the Dependency Center shows dependencies in a clearly structured, grouped list.

Dependency View

The Dependency View is accessible through the Analysis area or can be called up for each object in the detail view via the “Dependencies” menu item. It consists of a diagram and a tabular view. The menu in the diagram offers various functions:

  • Expand: Expands the selected object in the diagram by one level of dependency.
  • Reduce: Reduces the dependencies of the selected object by one level.
  • Grouping: Objects can be grouped in the diagram according to object types. A control panel displays all available object types, allowing users to quickly and easily select and group specific types.
  • Show Segments: When activated, swimlanes for the segments are displayed; when deactivated, they are hidden.
  • Edit Object: Opens the object editor for the selected object.
  • Refresh: Reloads the current view.
  • Reset: Resets the diagram to its original state.
  • Visio Export: Allows exporting to Visio format.

Various functions are available through the context menu, which can be opened by right-clicking on an object in the diagram. These include “Expand”, “Reduce”, “Group” and “Edit Object”. When the mouse pointer moves over a dependency, the type of dependency is displayed, and the connected objects are highlighted. The diagram itself can be zoomed in or out using the mouse wheel. Additionally, a small preview window allows for moving the diagram.

Diagram Functions

  • Search Function: Allows targeted searching of the diagram for specific objects or criteria.
  • Filter Options:
    • Object Type: Expands or reduces the diagram view to specific objects, such as displaying all software products in a system expansion. Selective filtering allows hiding irrelevant elements to improve clarity.
    • Dependency Type: Offers filtering and displaying of dependencies based on their type.
    • Criticality: Allows filtering of dependencies by their urgency or importance. When this filter is activated, only the dependencies that meet the set criteria are displayed (e.g., only critical dependencies when selecting “Critical: Yes”).

Tabular View

This view presents the information visualized in the diagram in tabular form. Changes to the diagram, such as the expansion or reduction of objects, are reflected in the table. The table includes the following columns: Source Object, Source Segment, Dependency Type, Target Object, Target Segment, Criticality (Yes/No), Label. The tabular view also offers the following functions:

  • Column Options: Adding and removing columns.
  • Export: Functionality for exporting in CSV and Excel format.

Dependency Center

The Dependency Center is activated in the segment lists (such as Hardware, Systems, etc.) via the dropdown option “Dependencies”. The Dependency Center then appears on the right side of the screen. For a selected object, whether in the segment list or in the detailed information, the dependencies are displayed. By default, the dependencies are grouped according to the associated segment. The display can be adjusted by the dropdown menu “Grouping” to group by dependency type or criticality if desired. In the Dependency Center, the diagram view can also be switched by clicking on the icon next to the dropdown menu for grouping. This opens a separate dialog that shows the Dependency View. Filter and type selection options facilitate the search for specific objects.