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Working with Pages


This section describes the more important aspects of page handling.

Each diagram page must have a unique name for identification purposes. This name must be correct in accordance with the naming convention for pages in SDL. Each diagram must contain at least one page, and there is no maximum amount of pages that a diagram may contain.

The autonumbering facility available for pages relates to automatically updating the sequential numbering when pages are added or deleted.

When diagrams are opened, the default way of presentation is that the first page of the requested diagram is shown (first in accordance to the order in which pages have been added). This default can be overruled, and you can go directly to a specific page that has been predetermined.

Most of the page managing functions are available through the menu choices on the Pages menu.

A number of functions are available through the Edit menu choice in this menu:

Other page functions are also available in the SDL Editor:

Ordering Pages

Within an SDL diagram, page locations are set according to the order in which they are added (see Adding a Page). This order is reflected in:

To re-order pages, you use the Cut and Paste button.

Naming Pages

Whenever you name a page, the names that you use must strictly adhere to SDL naming conventions. If you use unacceptable notation (e.g. blank spaces or a semi-colon), you receive a message.

Applying Autonumbering on Page Names

If autonumbering is required, a feature can assign numeric names to the pages in the diagram. The page names will be assigned 1, 2, 3 and so forth.

  1. Select Edit.
  2. Select the page to autonumber in the page list.
  3. Toggle the Autonumbered toggle button to on in the Edit Pages dialog. You are then prompted if you want to autonumber the selected page only or all pages in the dialog which is issued.

Removing Autonumbering on Page Names

The autonumbering feature can be turned off. This must for instance be done if you want to assign a specific name to a page.

  1. Select Edit.
  2. In the page list, select the page to remove autonumbering on.
  3. Toggle the Autonumbered toggle button to off in the Edit Pages dialog. You are then prompted to confirm the operation in the dialog which is issued.
    • Clicking Yes transfers you to a Rename Page dialog where you assign the page a new name. Autonumbering is removed.

Adding a Page

To add a page to an existing diagram:

  1. Select Edit.
  2. In the list of existing pages, select the page to precede or succeed the new page to be added.
  3. Click the Add button. The Add Page dialog is issued.

A faster way to add a page before or after the current page is to select the Add menu choice directly. In this case, the Add Page dialog is issued directly.

In the Add Page dialog:

  1. Enter the required page name in keeping with SDL conventions. If the same name is given for two pages they are automatically renamed to name_1 and name_2. The enumartion character, where `_' is the default, used for naming pages with the same name can be set by the preference Editor*Page*EnumerationCharacter. Select Auto-numbered if you want the pages to be automatically renumbered to incorporate the new page.
  2. Select the position of the new page - before or after the current page.
  3. Select the type of page required. The dialog box automatically shows the page options that are available to you under SDL rules.
  4. Click OK. Control is returned to the Edit Pages dialog.
  5. Click Done.

Designating the Page to Open

When a diagram is opened without specifying a particular page, the default is that it is opened at the first page that has been added to the diagram, showing the upper left part of the page.

You can however open a diagram at a specific page in the SDL Editor.

To specify the page to be opened first:

  1. Bring up the Edit Pages dialog.
    The Open this page first field, below the toggle button, reflects the page to be opened first (page 1 in Figure 408).

Figure 408 : Specifying what page to open first

  1. To specify another page, select the page to be opened first in the Edit pages dialog.
  2. Turn the Open this page first button on. The identification of the page to be opened is then placed under the Open this page first button.
  3. Click Done.

Renaming a Page

  1. Select Edit.
  2. Select the page to rename.
    • To rename an auto-numbered page, first click the Autonumbered button off. Autonumbering is removed on the selected page and the Rename Page dialog is issued. Go to step 4.
  3. Click the Rename button. The Rename Page dialog is issued.
  4. Fill in the required new name in keeping with SDL naming conventions. For block and process diagrams, an option is available to also change the page type.
  5. Click OK. Control is returned to the Edit Pages dialog.
  6. Click Done.

Clearing (Deleting) a Page

If there is only page in a diagram, you cannot remove it. A message is then shown.

Caution!

Clear pages with caution as there is no Undo option available.

  1. Select Edit.
  2. Select the page to be deleted in the page list.
  3. Click on the Clear option and then on Clear to delete the page.
  4. Click Done.

Pasting a Page

  1. Open the SDL diagram where to paste the page.
  2. Select the Edit menu choice.
  3. In the list of existing pages, select the page to precede or succeed the new page to be pasted. Click the Paste button. The Paste Page dialog is issued.
  4. Enter the required page name in keeping with SDL conventions (the name must be unique within the diagram). Otherwise, select Autonumbered if you want the pages to be automatically renumbered to incorporate the page to be pasted.
  5. Select where to paste the page - before or after the current page.
  6. Click Paste. Control is returned to the Edit Pages dialog.
    If there are reference symbols on the pasted page all the underlying substructure is also pasted. See Cutting, Copying and Pasting Reference Symbols.
  7. Click Done.

Transferring to a Page

There are several ways to transfer to another page of the current diagram. When you transfer to a page, it will be placed on the top of the stack in the window if you are using one window only. Otherwise, that page will be displayed in a window of its own.

Transferring to a Specific Page

Transferring to the Referring Page

To transfer to the page where the current page is referenced from (i.e. where the SDL reference symbol referring to the current diagram is located):

  • Select Edit Reference Page from the Pages menu or the Reference Page quick-button.

Transferring to the Next or the Previous Page

You may transfer to the next or previous page in the diagram. The order is specified according to the listing order in the Edit Pages dialog.

To transfer to the next or previous page:

  • Use the quick-buttons for Previous Page or Next Page.

Transferring to the First Page

Select First from the Pages menu. You are transferred to the first page of the diagram.

Transferring to the Last Page

Select Last from the Pages menu. You are transferred to the last page of the diagram.

Printing a Page

The SDL Suite allows to print individual pages from the SDL Editor. You can also restrict the scope of printing to a part of the page. A number of options which affect the resulting printout are possible to specify.

Resizing a Page

  1. Transfer to the page to resize.
  2. Select Drawing Size from the Edit menu. A dialog is issued, showing the current width and height.
  3. Type in the new values. Click OK.

Note:

If you enlarge a page so that the page size becomes wider or larger than the physical page size defined in the Print Options, your printouts will require more pages than before, if you use a fixed printout scale.


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