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Optimized computer diagramming method

  • US 7,480,673 B2
  • Filed: 07/06/2005
  • Issued: 01/20/2009
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2005
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A computer method of diagramming comprising computer implemented steps of:

  • providing a diagram of a subject model, the subject model being semantic data and the diagram being a graphical representation of the semantic data;

    in response to a primary edit to the subject model, generating a non-persistent view representative of the primary edit for secondary edits to the diagram, the non-persistent view being contained in an non-persistent container element that is associated with but detached from a persistent container element of the diagram; and

    upon a user viewing the diagram, displaying the diagram and the non-persistent view to the user as if the non-persistent view were a persistent part of the diagram by displaying both attributes of the persistent and non-persistent container elements of the diagram; and

    wherein the non-persistent view is ignored when the diagram is subsequently saved if the displayed non-persistent view is not edited by the user;

    in response to the user directly modifying the displayed non-persistent view, transforming the non-persistent view into a persistent view that persists with the diagram by assigning the attributes of the non-persistent container element to the persistent container element; and

    wherein the diagram is formed of notational elements corresponding to model elements of the subject model; and

    the method further comprising the step of providing a notation meta-model for persisting the notational elements with references to corresponding model elements, wherein the notation meta-model allows notational elements to be recreated and changed dynamically in a manner free of replacing original notational elements; and

    wherein the notation meta-model provides extension of a notational element by aggregation or composition instead of by inheritance; and

    wherein for each notational element, the notation meta-model (i) models only properties that are fundamental to characteristics of the notational element, and (ii) provides generic slots for abstracting other properties of the notational element; and

    wherein the notation meta-model enables properties of the notational elements to be dynamically added and removed; and

    wherein the notation meta-model avoids modeling non-team properties in favor of holding those properties in a preference store; and

    wherein the notation meta-model models properties substantially used by a team, said modeling being in a manner that reduces amount of compare and merge deltas which arise from changes to said properties;

    wherein the diagram is a state diagram of a state machine with the subject model and the primary edit is addition of a new state;

    the step of generating generates the non-persistent view instead of automatically adding to the diagram a state view corresponding to the new state.

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