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<h1>Graphiti Introduction</h1>
<h2>Development of High-Quality Graphical Model Editors</h2>
<p>Graphiti supports the fast and easy creation of homogeneous graphical editors
that visualize an underlying Domain Model using a tool-defined graphical
notation and make editable. We locate Graphiti in the Eclipse Modeling arena and
distinguish the framework from GMF and GEF. Then, we give an overview of the
architecture and an introduction into the basic concepts of Graphiti.</p>
<p>Typical examples are class diagram editors (using the UML notation) or process
flow editors (using the BPMN notation).</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img alt="" height="379" src="visio/class-editor.gif" width="810"></p>
<p><strong>Figure: Example screenshot of a class diagram editor</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img alt="" height="576" src="visio/process-editor.gif" width="739"></p>
<p><strong>Figure: Example screenshot of a process flow editor</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If one tries to build a graphical editor for a Domain Model using Eclipse, he
will soon come across the Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF) and the Graphical
Editing Framework (GEF). While EMF provides the basis for modeling, GEF supports
programming graphical editors.</p>
<p>But it is immediately noticeable, that GEF is fairly complex and it needs a
notable amount of work to get used to the framework. Therefore, and also to
homogenize their tooling, SAP built a framework that hides GEF&#39;s complexities
from the developer and bridges EMF and GEF to ease and speed up the development
of graphical editors.</p>
<p>After SAP AG decided in 2009 to donate the framework to the eclipse
community, the development team was able to deliver the 0.7.0 incubation release
of the Graphical Tooling Infrastructure (Graphiti) in October, 2010 and 0.8.0
with Indigo in June 2011. We should emphasize that already the SAP-internal
predecessor of Graphiti was in productive use.</p>
<p>Graphiti provides the following benefits for development and usage:</p>
<ul>
<li>low entry barrier: platform specific technologies (GEF/Draw2D) are
hidden</li>
<li>incremental development: fast payoffs by using default implementations,
short development cycle (program, debug)</li>
<li>homogeneous editors: editors on top of Graphiti look and behave
similarly</li>
<li>optional support of different platforms: diagrams are defined platform
independently, in principle they can be rendered on any platform</li>
</ul>
<p>Graphiti is an alternative to the <em>Graphical Modeling Framework (GMF)</em>
that exists for some time at Eclipse. Basic differences in the paradigms of
Graphiti and GMF are listed in table below.</p>
<p>
&nbsp;</p>
<table class="ms-grid5-main" style="width: 500" cellspacing="1">
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<td class="ms-grid5-tl" style="width: 20%; height: 19px"></td>
<td class="ms-grid5-top" style="width: 40%; height: 19px"><strong>Graphiti</strong></td>
<td class="ms-grid5-top" style="width: 40%; height: 19px"><strong>GMF</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="ms-grid5-left" style="width: 20%"><strong>Architecture</strong></td>
<td class="ms-grid5-even" style="width: 40%">runtime-oriented</td>
<td class="ms-grid5-even" style="width: 40%">generative</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="ms-grid5-left" style="width: 20%"><strong>Interface</strong></td>
<td class="ms-grid5-even" style="width: 40%">self-contained</td>
<td class="ms-grid5-even" style="width: 40%">GEF-dependent</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="ms-grid5-left" style="width: 20%"><strong>Client-Logic</strong></td>
<td class="ms-grid5-even" style="width: 40%">centralized (feature concept)</td>
<td class="ms-grid5-even" style="width: 40%">distributed functionality</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="ms-grid5-left" style="width: 20%"><strong>Look &amp; Feel</strong></td>
<td class="ms-grid5-even" style="width: 40%">standardized, defined by SAP usability experts</td>
<td class="ms-grid5-even" style="width: 40%">simple, adaptable in generated code</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p><strong>Table: Graphiti vs. GMF</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>As paramount difference between the architectures of the frameworks we rate
that GMF follows a generative approach, while in Graphiti one programs against a
plain old Java interface. Graphiti&#39;s approach has the big advantage, that no
generated source code must be manipulated to adapt the editor – in contrast to
GMF where one has to change generated sources, which can cause headaches when
regenerating. </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Architecture</h2>
<p>Naturally, communication between a user and a Graphiti based tool happens via
the screen as well as by mouse and keyboard (see figure).&nbsp; An Interaction
Component will receive requests such as resizing, drag-and-drop, or deleting.
The actual processing of these requests happens in a so-called <strong>Diagram
Type Agent</strong>, which will be discussed in the following section in more
detail.</p>
<p>It is the objective of the Rendering Engine to display the current data on
the screen. Rendering Engine and Interaction Component together form the
framework components of Graphiti - and thus the actual Graphiti runtime. The
technical realization of the Graphiti runtime is based on the Graphical Editing
Framework (GEF) in conjunction with Draw2d. Graphiti’s defaults ensure a uniform
user interface (look and feel) of all Graphiti based tools.</p>
<h2>Diagram Type Agent </h2>
<p>As mentioned already above, the Diagram Type Agent is addressed via the
Interaction Component. This happens over a standardized interface. The Diagram
Type Agent has to be implemented and made available by the developer. For this
implementation developers can make use of lots of various services as well as
many meaningful standard implementations. </p>
<p>Assistance of the services and standard implementations can support a
developer to create his own graphical editor really fast. For example, actions
like move, resize, delete, remove, and print are available immediately. One
should not regard a first version as a prototype which has to be thrown away
later. Rather the initial version can be extended to a complete product
incrementally with increasing Graphiti know-how and rising requirements.</p>
<p>In other words: In the beginning a developer comes to a functional editor
very quickly. This editor can be adorned gradually (e.g. color gradients) and
can be equipped with additional functionality (e.g. direct editing, extension of
the context menus and context buttons).</p>
<p>A Diagram Type Agent’s major task is to modify the <em>model data</em>. On
the one side we have the <em>Pictogram Model</em> (incl. <em>Link Model</em>)
whose <em>metamodel</em> is made available by Graphiti and on the other side we
have the <em>domain specific model</em> which comes from the developer. These
models are explained in the following.</p>
<h2>Domain Model </h2>
<p>The Domain Model contains the data which has to be visualized graphically. A
developer would for example use the Ecore metamodel for a graphical Ecore
editor. An editor for BPM (Business Process Management) would use the Businesses
Process Modeling Notation.</p>
<p>It is of advantage (however not absolutely necessary) if this model is
available in EMF just like the Pictogram Model. But Graphiti can deal also with
models outside EMF. In Graphiti, the data of the Domain Models are called
<strong>Business Objects</strong>.</p>
<h2>Pictogram Model</h2>
<p>The Pictogram Model contains the complete information for representing a
diagram. That implies that each diagram can be represented without the presence
of the Domain Data. This requires a partially redundant storage of data, which
is present both in the Pictogram Model and in the Domain Model. Imagine the
class names in case of an Ecore editor. Since data redundancy always draws the
problem of the synchronization, Graphiti offers a concept to update this data.
Data which is out of sync can be visualized graphically and can be corrected
(semi-) automatically by the use of so-called<strong> Update Features</strong>.
This approach enables an editing of Domain Data with different tools and a
subsequent updating of already existing diagrams.</p>
<p>A detailed discussion of the Pictogram metamodel would blow up the content of
this article. Further information can be found in the „<em>org.eclipse.graphiti.mm</em>
“-plugin which contains the metamodel and some diagrams. The diagrams can be
viewed with the help of the Ecore tooling.</p>
<p>Th<a name="Hyperlink to tutorial"></a>e tutorial will show where data of the
Pictogram Model is produced for the graphical representation.</p>
<h2>Link Model</h2>
<p>The Link Model is responsible for connecting data from the Domain Model and
the graphical representation (that is, data from the Pictogram Model). These
connections are again needed by many actions in the graphical editor. For
instance, a deletion or a move of a graphical object needs also access to the
associated object of the Domain Model in order to be able to make the necessary
changes.</p>
<h2>Tasks of the Diagram Type Agent </h2>
<p>The tasks of the Diagram Type Agent can be explained most conveniently on the
basis of a small example - in this case we use a create operation which is
initiated by the user through the Interaction Component. The user clicks into
the tools palette of the graphical editor and draws a rectangle in the diagram
to indicate size and position of the object to be created. Now the Diagram Type
Agent does the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>&nbsp;Create a new object in the Domain Model.</li>
<li>Create the graphical visualization in the Pictogram Model. E.g., create
Graphics Algorithms like a <span class="keyword">RoundedRectangle</span> or
a text element. Initialize them with colors and fonts and do the layout.</li>
<li>Create the link between<em> Pictogram Model object</em> and<em> Domain
Model object</em> (<em>Link Model</em>).</li>
</ul>
<h2>The Feature Concept </h2>
<p>Figure 2 displays the internal structure of the Diagram Type Agent. The
actors shown there are to be provided by the developer. This means he has to
implement an amount of so-called Features which are similar to operations. Here
are some typical examples for Graphiti Features:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Add Features</em> create the graphical representation of Domain
Model elements in the Pictogram Model.</li>
<li><em>Create Features</em> produce new objects in the Domain Model as well
as the appropriate graphical representations. Here it makes sense to reuse
existing <em>Add Features</em>.</li>
<li><em>Remove Features</em> delete graphical representations in the
Pictogram Model.</li>
<li><em>Delete Features</em> delete both, a Domain Model object and its
graphical representations, in the Pictogram Model.</li>
</ul>
<p>A <strong>Feature Provider</strong> supplies the needed features considering
the given context. Processing the features leads to the modification of the
appropriate data specified above.</p>
<p>Further diagram type specific and tool specific requests to the <strong>
Interaction Component</strong> are handled by the <strong>Diagram Type Provider</strong>.
This includes the selection of the appropriate update strategy, that is, the
decision when synchronizations between Domain and Pictogram Model have to be
done.</p>
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