How the Model Explorer Works

The Model Explorer provides a method of creating and modifying model objects. Rather than present a picture of a model like the diagram window, the Model Explorer provides an organized, ordered view of your model and its contents. The Model Explorer enables you to create, display, navigate, and modify your model using a model view or subject area view.

The Model Explorer displays changes based on the type of model, target server, and notation that you select. For example, in a physical model that uses Oracle as the target server, only physical objects display in the Model Explorer, and include physical objects specific to Oracle, such as clusters. Physical objects do not display in the logical model. Each object in the Model Explorer has a corresponding icon that represents its role in the model.

When you make changes to an object in the Model Explorer or in the diagram window, the change is immediately updated in the other view. For example, if you rename a table in the Model Explorer, the new table name replaces the existing name in the diagram window. When you make changes in the Model Explorer and the object that you change is not displayed on the diagram window, you can choose Go To from the Edit menu to locate the object on the diagram window.

Another feature of the Model Explorer is the Model Explorer toolbar. The toolbar provides an easy way to access Model Explorer functionality.

You can use the Model Explorer along with the diagram window to do the following:

  • Copy or move objects. For example, you can drag any domain from the Model Explorer to an entity, table, or view in the diagram window to create an attribute or column, which inherits its properties from the domain from which it was created.
  • Copy an attribute to an entity by pressing the CTRL key and dragging the attribute from the Model Explorer to an entity on the diagram window.

    Note: If the CTRL key is not pressed, the attribute that you drag will be removed from the original location and moved to the new one.

  • Add an object to the model.
  • Open property editors to edit objects in the Model Explorer. For example, if you select a table and click Property Editor, the Table Editor opens. You can right-click on an object and select Properties to open the editor as well.
  • Use the Model Sources object in the Model Explorer to identify sources that contribute objects to the model.

More information:

Identify Model Sources in the Model Explorer

Modify Object Properties Using the Model Explorer

Rename an Object in the Model Explorer