Drag-and-Drop in the Model Contents Tool Window – Concept

Use drag-and-drop to change owners or the order of elements or for creating, copying, moving, referencing and typing elements.

Purpose

You can use drag-and-drop to change the order, change the position of elements in the model hierarchy, assign types to diagram elements and insert model elements in other areas.

How to proceed

Click a node with the left mouse button, keep it pressed and move the mouse to start drag-and-drop. It is irrelevant if the node is selected before or not.

If you want to drag more than one node you need to select them all before you start drag-and-drop. Then click in this selection with the left mouse button and drag the mouse keeping the button pressed. All selected nodes are affected.

Change the Owner

Elements can be moved into another package (or below another permissible owner). The mouse pointer shows the insert icon if you can drop the element there. You can see a shadow behind the package which the mouse pointer is hovering over. The target element becomes the new owner of the dragged element once you release the left mouse button. If necessary, the subtree is expanded so that the elements can be seen.

Moving a reference does not move the original element. The reference is moved to the new position instead.

Change the Order

The sort order of elements can be modified within a hierarchy level. One or more elements are dragged to a spacing distance between two nodes or to the start or end of the list. A thick blue line shows that the element can be inserted. Elements are sorted there once the mouse button is released.

References are always found at the end of a list and cannot be mixed in with the actual elements.

Copy

It is possible to copy model elements. One or more elements are dragged on the element which should own the copies. This can be the same element that the originals also belong to.If the insert icon appears and the node has a shadow behind it, press and hold Ctrl while releasing the mouse button. Copies of the elements are inserted below the target element. If necessary, the subtree is expanded so that the copies can be seen.

The actual elements are copied when copying references.

Create References

References can be created from model elements. One or more elements are dragged on the element which should contain the reference. If the insert icon appears and the node has a shadow behind it, press and hold Shift + Ctrl while releasing the mouse. The references are inserted below the target element. If necessary, the subtree is expanded so that the references can be seen.

If references of references are created, further references of the original elements are created.

Insert in a Diagram

Model elements can be inserted into open diagrams. Drag them to a free point in the diagram to do this. If insertion was allowed, all elements appear in the diagram. Multi selection is possible.

Assign Types to a Diagram Element

Most model elements have types, e.g. attributes of classes. If an element is visible in the diagram, the type can be assigned by dragging an element (e.g. a class) on the typed element. The type can also be dragged over from the model structure.

Insert in the Result Region

You can insert any selection into the result region. Elements are dragged into the result region for this. If the result region is not visible but its tab is shown this means that it can be made visible by moving the mouse pointer over the tab whilst dragging the elements.