DTS Graphic Viewer User Guide
Version 2.2
Introduction
The Graphic Viewer is a DTS Module that provides an alternate graphics-based Apelon KB browser component.
Installation
Extract the files in GraphicViewer-2.2.zip into your DTSInstall directory. Be sure the Use folder names box is checked. This will place all the Graphics Viewer files into the appropriate folders:
Folder Files
DTSInstall\lib\modules graphicviewer.jar
pluginutils.jar
DTSInstall\docs graphicvieweruserguide.pdf
DTSInstall\docs\help graphicvieweruserguide.htm
Operation
The Graphic Viewer plug-in appears as an additional tab panel on the left side of the standard DTS Editor layout. It is also available as a floating panel by selecting Tools|New Graphic Viewer from the menu bar. The Graphic Viewer implements the DTS V4 Module Architecture and can be used in custom DTS Editor layouts.
The Graphic Viewer panel (see below) consists of an upper area for selecting the viewer Concept Context, the main display area, and a lower message area.
Display Area Concept Context Message Area
The Graphic Viewer opens in “neighborhood tree” view (see screen shot above) showing the (virtual) root of the Apelon KB (a.k.a. the KB Root) as the Focus at the upper left of the panel with its children, which are the KB Namespaces, descending to the right.
Double clicking on any of the Namespace names causes that Namespace to be the new Focus of the view. The parent of the Focus (the KB Root) is shown above and to the right of the Focus and its children (the “Root Concepts” of the Namespace) are shown below and to the right. Continue browsing by double clicking on any Concept name which will make that Concept the new Focus and display the Focus Concept’s parents and children (as determined by the View Axis value) as well as any requested Concept Attributes (see below). The blue icon next to each Concept (or KB Root/Namespace) name shows whether the corresponding element itself has parents or children. If an Ontylog Extension Namespace is being displayed, Extension Concept names are shown in italics, similar to the DTS Tree Panel. Hovering over any Concept with the cursor displays the full Concept name and relationship to the Focus Concept in the message area at the bottom of the panel.
The Concept Context area behaves in a similar manner to the corresponding area in the standard DTS Editor Tree panel. The first dropdown enables selection of a specific Namespace. All can be selected to return to the initial display. After a specific Namespace is selected, the Version Select widget is enabled and the desired Namespace Version can be selected for display.
The View Axis and Subset dropdowns are also available for further customization of the display. The View Axis defines the hierarchical relationship used to display parents and children of the Focus Concept. For Ontylog Namespaces, the default axis is Superconcepts/Subconcepts. For Thesaurus Namespaces, the Graphic Viewer uses the DTS default “Parent Of” Association Type (if one exists in the Namespace). A different View Axis can be used by selecting the desired Association Type from the drop down. The selected View Axis remains in effect until there is a change in the Focus Concept Namespace (or another View Axis is picked).
The Subset dropdown determines if Concepts participating in the selected Subset are identified (through different coloring). Only Subsets which have participants from the active Namespace are present in the dropdown. After a Subset has been selected, the Subset Version Select widget is shown, permitting selection of the Subset Version. Selecting a Subset also adds the Subset Hierarchy option in the View Axis dropdown. If Subset Hierarchy is selected as the View Axis, ONLY Concepts in the Subset are displayed using the inferred “subset” hierarchy. (Selecting Subset Hierarchy also resets the display to the KB Root since actively displayed Concepts may not be present in the Subset.) The selected Subset remains in effect until there is a change in the Focus Concept Namespace (or another Subset is selected).
The number of columns in the parent and child displays is dependent on the width of the Graphic Viewer panel. Increase the panel width to reformat the display to use more columns. See also the Field Width display option below. Increasing the (single column) Field Width will, in general, reduce the number of columns. Remember that the full name of any Concept is always available in the message area by hovering over the Concept with the cursor.
Right-clicking in any open (non-concept) area of the panel shows the Graphic Viewer popup menu. (Right-clicking on a concept is reserved for future use.) Popup menu actions are:
Root Concept Sets the focus to the KB Root.
Previous Concept Sets the Focus to the previously displayed Concept (go back one Concept).
Ancestor Tree Displays an “ancestor tree” view: a graphic rendering of all ancestors of the Focus Concept (relative to the current View Axis). (See Figure 1 below.) Click any mouse button to return to the neighborhood tree view.
Concept History Shows the recent history of displayed Concepts in a cascade popup. Selecting a history Concept makes it the new Focus.
Display Options Opens a cascade menu with the following options for configuring the display. Many of the menu items toggle display of Focus Concept Attributes to the right of the Focus Concept.
White on Black Changes the background of the Viewer to be Black rather than White. (Item alternates with Black on White.)
Field Width Opens a dialog box for setting the value of the minimum field display width for a column.
Show Rays Causes rays between the Focus Concept and parents, children and attributes to be shown. Set by default.
Show ToolTips Causes a ToolTip to appear showing the Concept or Attribute name when hovering over the element with the cursor. Set by default.
Show Preferred Term Displays a Concept’s Preferred Term rather than Name. If there is no such term, the name is used.
Show Defined State For Ontylog Concepts, displays a magenta, rather than blue, Concept icon when the Concept is Defined (not Primitive).
Show Namespace Displays Concepts with their Namespaces in standard qualified name format: Concept Name[Namespace]
Show Code Displays the Concept Code in the Attributes area.
Show ID Displays the Concept ID in the Attributes area.
Show Synonyms Displays Concept Synonyms in the Attributes area.
Show Properties Displays Concept Properties in the Attributes area.
Show Roles Displays Concept Roles in the Attributes area.
Show Inverse Roles Displays Concept Inverse Roles in the Attributes area.
Show Associations Displays Concept Associations in the Attributes area.
Show Inverse Associations Displays Concept Inverse Associations in the Attributes area.
Double clicking on any Role, Inverse Role, Association or Inverse Association sets the Focus Concept to that attribute’s target Concept.
Both the neighborhood and ancestor tree views support drag to and drop from other DTS Editor panels.
Figure 1 – Example Ancestor Tree
Revision History
Version 1 Initial release. Only Ontylog Namespaces are supported.
Version 1.1 Added Ancestor Tree view, selectable background (black or white), and ToolTips.
Version 1.2 Support for Thesaurus Namespaces (including Local) and selection of View Axis.
Version 1.3 Concept-dependent positioning of Attributes.
Version 1.4 Rebuild for Eclipse.
Version 1.5 Rebuild for DTS V3.4. Persistent and synchronized configuration (display options). Field width, preferred terms and rays as display options. Adaptive columns. User Guide available in DTS Help menu.
Version 2.0 Update for DTS V4.0. Compatible with V4 Module Architecture. Additions include Namespace, Namespace Version, View Axis, Subset and Subset Version display options. Support for Ontylog Extension Namespaces added. New Concept icons and Show Defined State option.
Version 2.1 Update for DTS 4.1 Module Architecture, Version added. Performance improvements.
Version 2.2 Update for DTS 4.3 Layout Manager. Graphic Viewer can be used as a Layout panel.