User:DVT/UserDocumentation/DVT Solution Builder Guide GSB

NOTE: This page is work in progress. In the meantime download DVT documentation here.

Graphical Solution Builder

The Graphical Solution Builder (GSB) is a graphical tool used to:

• build solutions
• view solutions
• and modify solutions.

GSB Toolbar - The toolbar provides options to help you organize and alter display options for components in the work area. For more details, see the Toolbar Section.

Work Area - The work area is the editor where you place components and build your solution. For more details, see the [file://///go-ralph/Help/Drag_and_Drop.htm Graphical Solution Builder] section.

Palette - The palette provides access to reusable components and selection options needed to build your solution.

Palette

The Palette is a tool within the Graphical Solution Builder which provides access to cursor options and reusable components, which are required to build a solution in the DVT.

The palette is initially minimized in the DVT, and appears as a small vertical bar to the right of the Work Area. Placing the cursor over the bar will temporarily expand it and reveal a list of available palette options. Moving the cursor away will return the palette to its minimized form.

The palette also has a small arrow on in the top right hand corner. This arrow is to keep the Palette in its expanded form. Click the arrow once to expand the palette and lock it into position. Click the arrow again to unlock the palette and return it to the minimized position.

Palette Components

Components on the Palette have been sorted by type and are kept in folders for each. The six component types are:

• Data Processor
• Label
• Sink
• Source
• Tap
• View

Data Source:

The Data Source introduces data into a solution at its root. The Data Source that you select for your solution must be capable of accessing your particular data.

Note: New Data Sources not present in the Palette may have to be created to access your data. Contact the TI DVT team for assistance.

If data is in a text file then use the Test File Data Source, if data is coming over TCP/IP the use the TCP/IP Data Source. (see … for details on the data sources, the format they support, their capability and output)

Data Processor:

The DVT provides a number Data Processors, including Decoders, Symbolic lookup, Count Statistics, etc.

Tap:

The Tap is used for managing data flow. Its functionality includes providing multiple outputs for a single data stream, merging of multiple data streams, data filtering, etc.

Sink:

The Sink is used to store data that is steamed down from the Data Source, through Data Processors and Taps. Data stored in the Sink is periodically accessed by the View components.

Views:

A number of different types of generic viewers are supported by DVT. These Views take data from Sinks and visualize them

Labels:

Labels are used to add comments to your solution.

Using The Paletette

Click on any of the folders to see a drop-down list of components for a particular component type.

Each folder will automatically close when another folder is accessed. You may wish to keep certain folders open for faster access as you are browsing other folders for their components.

To keep a folder open, click the pin icon () located to the right of the folder's label on the Palette.

Marquee

The Marquee is a selection tool. It has three options:

Toolbar

The main toolbar provides quick mouse access to options which aid in the design of solutions. Groups within the toolbar can be removed or re-added

The main toolbar provides the following functionality:

Button	Name	Description
	Edit New Solution	Launches a new GSB Editor to create/edit a new solution.
	Edit Existing Solution	Launches a new GSB Editor to edit an existing solution.
	Edit Loaded Solution	Launches a new GSB Editor to edit a solution that is already loaded (in Memory).
	Save the current solution	Saves the solution currently in the work area.
	Save the current solution to a different location	Opens the file browser dialog box and saves solution as a file in a specified location.
	Close The current solution	Closes the solution currently in the Active GSB Editor.
	Run/Resume	Runs/resume the Active GSB editor solution.
	Step	Step (in debug) the Active GSB editor solution.
	Stop	Stops the running solution in the Active GSB editor.
	Reset	Resets the Active GSB editor solution to its default values before it was run.
	Open a View

Working with Components

Adding components to the work area

1. Click on a folder on the Palette to expand it.

2. Select a component and click the left-mouse button.

3. Move the cursor to the work window and then click the left-mouse button again.

Connecting components

1. Click on a component's node. The Selection cursor changes to the Connection cursor.

Note: Selecting the Connection mode from the Palette sidebar will also replace the Selection cursor with the Connection cursor.

2. Click the node of a second component to create a wire between the two components.

Removing a connection

1. Click the Select cursor from the Palette menu to use the Selection cursor.

2. Click on the wire connecting two components to highlight it.

2. Right-click on the wire and select Delete.

Selecting multiple components

1. Hold the CTRL key while clicking on multiple components.

or

1. Use the Selection cursor and click on any white space in the work area.
2. Hold the left mouse button to drag a box around the desire components.
3. Release the mouse button.

Copy, Clone, and Paste

• A Single or multiple components may be cloned inside the same solution. For that, the user
  • Select the desired components
  • Right Click
  • Click on Clone
  • The Editor will create a copy of each component and their connections
  • The new clone entities and their connections are in select state.
  • Hence the user may move them to another locations
  • The component of the components are also cloned.

• The user may copy a single or multiple components to a clipboard (to be later pasted). For that the user:
  • Select the desired components
  • Right Click
  • Click on Copy
  • GSB saved a copy of the components to a GSB-Clipboard

• The user may paste, components that have been previously copied to the same solution or to a different solution. For that the user:
  • Select the desired GSB Editor
  • Right Click in the 'Work area'
  • Click on 'Paste'
  • The Editor will create a copy of each component and their connections
  • The new clone entities and their connections are in select state.

Properties Window

The Properties Window displays all of the properties of any component in the work area.

Launching the Properties Window

1. Click the Select cursor from the Palette menu to use the Selection cursor

2. Select a component in the work area to highlight it.

3. Right-click on the component and select Properties to launch the Properties Window.

Simply select any component to see a listing of its properties and their values.

Toolbar

Button	Name	Description
	Show Categories	Arranges listed properties by category
	Show Advanced Properties	Displays additional rows in the table for advanced properties
	Restore Default Value	Restores altered values to their default settings

Outline View

Launching the Outline view window

1. From the Window menu, select Show View and click Other...

2. In the Show View window, expand the Basic folder.

3. Select Outline from the list of views, then click OK.

Using the Outline view:

The Outline view has two mode buttons: (Show Categories) and (Mini-Map). These buttons are accessible from the window's toolbar.

The Show Categories mode provides a listing of all components currently in the work area, arranged by the component type they belong to. Selecting any component from this list will highlight the actual component in the work area, enabling you to quickly find and access its properties.

The Mini-Map mode provides a condensed view of the entire work area. A blue box appears in the view, indicating the portion of the map that is currently displayed in the work area. You can slide the box around the map to scroll the visible portion of the work area.

Labels and Tool Tips

The DVT software provides you with viewing options to properly identify components and their node configurations.

Changing Component Labels

1. Click the Select cursor from the Palette menu to use the Selection cursor.

2. Select a component in the work area to highlight it.

3. Right-click inside the component and select Rename or press the F2 key.

4. Enter a new name for the component in the highlighted field.

Viewing Component Tool Tips

Scroll the cursor over any component to see a Tool Tip pop-up box describing its type. A listing of the component's output nodes is also shown.

Viewing Node Properties

Scroll the cursor over an individual node of a component to see a Tool Tip pop-up box describing its properties.

Solution Debugging

GSB Solution Debugging capabilities provides the user with the following capabilities:

• Single step
  • Single step can be initiated on a halted solution.
  • Single step will result in a halted at the next output connection that has traffic
  • The Connection where the solution is halted is colored in red
  • The current record is shown in the top part "GSB Watch View" under "Local"
  • User may edit the record by clicking on the "Edit" button next to the "Local" record. This will popup a dialog where the user may modify some of the field
  • User can resume execution from a single step halt by running the solution or executing another single step

• Breakpoint
  • User can set breakpoint on any data processing connection in the solution
  • Breakpoints can be conditional
  • The solution will be halted whenever there is traffic on that connection and the breakpoint condition is met
  • User can resume execution from a halt by running the solution or executing a single step
  • User shall be able to Set, Remove, Disable, Enable, Remove All, Disable All, Enable All breakpoints
  • A Connection with a breakpoints will contain a 'red' circle as a decoration in the middle of the connection
  • When the breakpoint is disabled the color of the decoration changes to 'Gray'

• Watch View
  • A single watch view can be opened: One per system similar to the property View
  • Watch view will be automatically opened whenever a GSB editor is opened
  • Watch view will show content of the record at the current connection
  • User shall be able to edit content of current record
  • Watch View will also show the content of any "Watch Record" that have been added to a connection

• Watch-Record
  • Right click on a connection and add a watch-Record
  • Watch point is added to the watch view.

• Data Trace View (not Implemented yet)
  • A Data trace view can be hooked up to any connection
  • The Data Trace View will keep track of all records passing through that connection during the life of the Data Trace View
  • User shall be able to Reset content of Data Trace View
  • User shall be able to disable/enable/remove individual/all Data Trace Views
  • This will be based on Its a buffer (ask the user for the type) with the table view
  • The buffer and view (No tap) should be located in the same solution. They should preferably be hidden

• Flow Control (future requirement)
  • Flow control can be used to turn on/off data traffic at a connection
  • User should be able to set, remove, disable, enable, remove all, disable all, enable all flow control points

• Connection (future)
  • Add record counter: show it in the watch view.

• Multi –Solution Support
  • The debugging feature support the debugging of multiple solutions concurrently
  • All GSB buttons in the toolbar are context sensitive and act on the solution housed in the current active GSB editor

• Debugging Buttons in the GSB Toolbar
  • Run/Resume
  • Stop
  • Step
  • Reset