Message Definition editor: Outline view

When you open a message definition file, the hierarchy for the selected file appears in the Outline view. You use the Outline view to select objects so that you can view and edit their message definition details in the editor area.

Global actions

The Outline view toolbar icons provide a number of global actions that apply to all levels of the displayed hierarchy. The icons in the toolbar and their actions are shown in the table below.

Icon Label Action

Find element icon
Find Element Finds the specified message definition construct.

Sort icon
Sort global constructs If selected, global constructs are sorted alphabetically. If not selected, global constructs are displayed in the order that you create them.

Collapse all icon
Collapse All Collapses all the levels that are currently displayed in the Outline view.

You can also select these global actions from the toolbar drop-down menu, which appears when you click theMenu icon icon.

Common editing and navigation actions

The Outline view provides the following common actions, which are also available in the Overview editor. Right-click in the Outline view or Overview editor to display the menu items.

  • Copy and Paste provide standard editing functions.
  • Undo and Redo allow you to undo and then redo changes that you have made. To undo a change, click Undo. If you undo a change, you can reinstate it, if you want to, by clicking Redo.
  • Go To Declaration takes you to the appropriate point in the hierarchy (global group from a group reference, global attribute from an attribute reference, global element from an element reference, global element from a message) either in the same or in a different message definition file.
  • Go to Type Definition takes you to the appropriate point in the hierarchy.
  • Delete deletes the selected message set object.

Options for adding message model objects

The Outline view provides options for adding the message model objects listed below. These options are also available in the Overview editor.

  • Messages
  • Complex types
  • Simple types
  • Attribute groups
  • Groups
  • Elements
  • Attributes

Right click the appropriate level of the displayed hierarchy to display a pop-up menu with the menu items available for the selected level.