UML Designer User's Guide


Retrieving multiple classes at once

The procedure described above is useful for bringing a single existing class into your model. Sometimes, though, you'll need to create class designs for a whole group of existing classes. This is particularly true in situations where you're modeling an entire system that has already been implemented.

Rather than bringing each class into the model one at a time, you can retrieve them all at once from the Relationships Browser or the Class Diagrammer. To do this from the Relationships Browser, follow these steps:

  1. In the leftmost pane of the Relationships Browser, select the model you want to contain the new class designs.
  2. Select Retrieve Classes from the pop-up menu.
  3. In the Classes list, select all of the classes for which you want to create class designs in the model. Use the Filter field to limit the list to classes with a specified prefix. Select All Classes if you want to see all classes in the image; select Visible Classes to see only the classes visible from the current model.

    The visible classes are those in the current model's Smalltalk application or its prerequisites. If the classes you want to select are not visible, you can use the VisualAge Application Manager to make the application containing the classes you want a prerequisite of the model application.

  4. If you want to automatically create corresponding protocols as well as class designs, select Retrieve Protocols. (If you are retrieving only a single class, you can also specify a name for the protocol; if you are retrieving multiple classes, UML Designer uses the default, which is the same as the class name.)
  5. If you are retrieving protocols, use the Categories list to select the method categories you want to include in the retrieved protocols. You must select at least one category to include any message specifications in the generated protocols.
  6. Use the Options and Methods fields to control the details of how methods are retrieved. (See the previous section for more information about these fields.)
  7. Select OK. Class designs (and protocols, if selected) are now generated and included in the current model.


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