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Please note : This help page is not for the latest version of Enterprise Architect. The latest help can be found here.

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Working Sets

As you perform work on your model, you open various windows, diagrams and views, and you will probably need to return to these same views in a later work session. At the end of your work session, you can capture your current work environment as a working set, which you use to return to that exact environment later, either when you choose to or by having the system automatically recreate it when you next log on to Enterprise Architect. You can also create a working set as an empty definition to which you add specific windows, diagrams and views, from either the 'Working Sets' tab or from a Working Set Artifact element.

You can use the working set to pick up your work from where you left off, or as a set of 'home pages' to start from each day. You can also open multiple working sets, which combines the views from each set. This can be useful to check the progression between different stages in a piece of work.

A working set is initially a personal list, not visible to or active for any other user. You can convert it into a global set to share with other users of your model; for example, if a working set shows a cross-section of an aspect of the model you want to demonstrate or have reviewed.

Access

Ribbon

Start > Personal > Working Sets

Manage Working Sets

Option

Action

See also

Create a working set from open diagrams or files

Either:

  • Click on the first icon in the toolbar, or
  • Right-click on the body of the tab and select the 'Create Working Set' option, or
  • Right-click on the body of the tab and select the 'Create Working Set From' option, and either the 'Open Diagrams' or 'Open Files' sub-option as appropriate

The 'Create Working Set' dialog displays, listing the diagrams and views that are currently open, in the order in which they were opened. If necessary, you can change the order using the 'hand' buttons at the bottom of the dialog.

Select the checkbox against each item that you want to retain in the working set, or click on the Include All button. If you selected the 'Create Working Set From' option, the checkboxes against the open diagrams or the open files are already selected.

In the 'Name' field, type a name for the working set.

You can either:

  • Immediately click on the OK button to create the working set from the selected items, or
  • Add other selections as described for Create a new working set

Create a new working set

Either:

  • Click on the first icon in the toolbar, or
  • Right-click on the body of the tab and select the 'Create Working Set' option, or
  • Switch to an open diagram, drag a 'Working Set' icon from the 'Dynamic Viewpoints' page of the Diagram Toolbox onto the diagram, right-click on the new Working Set Artifact element and select the 'Edit Working Set' option

The 'Create Working Set' dialog displays.

In the 'Name' field, type a name for the working set.

To add a diagram or view, click on the Add Other button and select an option from the list:

  • Add Diagram
  • Add Matrix Profile
  • Add Search
  • Add Library
  • Add Document Template
  • Add Resource Document

You are prompted to select the required diagram, profile, search, Library topic, document report template or Resource document name(s); each view is then added to the list with its checkbox selected.

Click on the Add Other button again, to select the next item.

When you have all the diagrams and views you need, click on the OK button to create the working set.

Artifact

Open an existing working set

A Working Set created on the 'Working Sets' tab is indicated by this icon Workspace tab.

A Working Set created as an Artifact element is indicated in the list by this icon Workspace artifact.

Click on a working set name and either:

  • Select the third icon in the toolbar or
  • Right-click and select the 'Open Working Set' context menu option

Enterprise Architect opens all the diagrams and views listed in that set.

If you already have a working set open, the 'new' set of views is added to the original set, with the last-listed diagram or view on top and in focus.

You open one Model Search, Matrix profile or Library at a time; therefore, the last-opened Search, profile or Library replaces the previous instances.

Automatically apply a working set when the model is opened

Right-click on the working set name and select the 'Apply when model opens' option.

This option is a toggle that turns the same option off for the previous working set on which it was selected.

The folder turns green, indicating that the option is 'on' for this working set.

When you close the model and subsequently open it, the diagrams and views in the working set are automatically opened.

Share a working set

Right-click on the working set name and select the 'Share Working Set' option.

The folder icon on the left of the working set name in the list now contains an icon depicting the globe, and the working set is available in the 'Working Sets' tab of every other user of the model.

This setting is not reversible; to make the global list into a personal list, make a copy of it.

Add an open view or diagram to a working set

If, in your work, you open a diagram or view that you decide to add to a working set:

  • Click on the 'Working Sets' tab, right-click on the required set name and select the 'Add Active View' option

The open view is added to the working set.

Duplicate a working set

If you want to use a variation of a working set without losing the original, you can create a copy and amend that copy as required.

Right-click on the source working set and select the 'Copy as New' option.

The 'Create Working Set' dialog displays.

In the 'Name' field, type a name for the working set.

Each of the listed diagrams and views is already selected; make any changes you require, and click on the OK button to save the list as a new working set.

Edit a working set

To change the diagrams and views in a working set, or change the set name, click on the set name and either:

  • Click on the second icon in the toolbar or
  • Right-click and select the 'Edit' option

The 'Create Working Set' dialog displays.

Make any changes you require, and click on the OK button to save the changes.

Refresh a Working Set

For shared or Global Working Sets, another user might make a change - such as to the items included - while you have that set applied. If there is a possibility of the Working Set being updated, right-click on it and select the 'Refresh Working Set Items' option to bring your view of the Working Set up to date.

Delete a working set, or a view in working set

Expand the working set and select a specific item (to remove that item) or the set name (to move the whole set)

Either:

  • Click on the fifth icon in the toolbar or
  • Right-click on the set and select the 'Delete Working Set Item' option

A prompt displays to confirm the deletion; click on the Yes button.

The item or set is removed.

If you delete a working set that you have opened, the diagrams and views from that set remain open until you specifically close each one or close Enterprise Architect.

Note:

  • When you create a Working Set on a diagram, using the icon from the 'Common' page of the Diagram Toolbox, the Working Set persists in the Personal Tasks view if you delete the element from the diagram, but not if you delete the element from the model via the Browser window

Save floating window layout in working set

If any of the selected diagrams or views in your working set are floating windows, the 'Create Working Set' or 'Edit Working Set' dialog includes the item 'Save Workspace Layout'.

Select this checkbox; the working set captures the complete current workspace layout, including the locations of the floating or docked views.

Next time you load the working set, the captured workspace layout is reapplied.

Workspace Layouts

Track working set/views last opened

You might use several working sets in a work session, and close some views and open others.

To capture the diagrams and views you actually have open when you close down Enterprise Architect, right-click on the body of the tab and select the 'Store Main Tab View History' option. A new, empty working set folder displays at the top of the list - 'Windows open when Model was last closed'.

When you reopen the model in a new work session, this new folder is automatically populated with a list of the diagrams and views that were open when you last closed the model; this is a read-only set that cannot be edited.

You can expand the set and double-click on specific windows to re-open them, or right-click on the set and use the 'Open Working Set' option to reopen all the diagrams and views you had open before.

However, it is recommended that you use the 'Apply when model opens' context menu option on the set; thereafter, whenever you open the model, all the diagrams and views you had open when you closed the model are automatically re-opened.

Locate a diagram from the working set in the Browser window

Either:

  • Right-click on the diagram name and select the 'Find in Project Browser' option, or
  • Click on the diagram name and click on the 'Locate in Project Browser' toolbar icon (Find in Project Browser icon.)

The section of the Browser window containing the diagram is expanded, and the diagram name is highlighted.

Locate a Working Set Artifact element in the model

Either:

  • Right-click on the element name and select the 'Find in Project Browser' option, or
  • Click on the element name and click on the 'Locate in Project Browser' toolbar icon (Find in Project Browser icon.)

The section of the Browser window containing the element is expanded, and the element name is highlighted.

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