How to edit Model / Graphical Properties with the Rational Rhapsody API

Question & Answer

Question

Author: Chris Sutton

How do you edit Graphical Properties with the IBM Rational Rhapsody application programming interface (API)?

Cause

You want to programmatically modify the contents of a Rhapsody diagram.

Answer

Accessing and Editing model properties with the Rhapsody API

Rhapsody diagrams consist of graphic representations of model elements: graphic elements. Diagram graphic elements consist of just three types: IRPGraphNode, IRPGraphEdge and IRPGraphElement.
The attributes of graphical elements are determined by their graphic properties. They are not accessible in the user interface, but can be read and modified with the API methods: getGraphicalProperty() and setGraphicalProperty().
The getGraphicalElements() method returns an IRPCollection containing these elements.

You can retrieve the model element from any corresponding graphic element using the getModelElement() method. However, not all graphic elements have a matching UML model element. For example, Notes and Swimlane Frames do not represent a model element in the browser. In this case getModelElement() will return a null pointer, so you must be careful when processing their properties. In the example below, you can see how a try/catch statement can be used to handle graphic elements with and without a matching model element.

As always, check the API reference guide in the <RhapsodyInstallation>\Doc\java_api directory.

import com.telelogic.rhapsody.core.*;

public class ReadGraphicProperties {

    public static main(String[] args) {

        IRPApplication app = RhapsodyAppServer.getActiveRhapsodyApplication();
        IRPModelElement el = app.getSelectedElement();
        if (el instanceof IRPDiagram) {
            IRPDiagram diagram = (IRPDiagram)el;
            System.out.println(diagram.getMetaClass());
            List<IRPGraphElement> diagramElements = diagram.getGraphicalElements().toList();

            for (IRPGraphElement graphElement : diagramElements) {


                List<IRPGraphicalProperty> graphicalPropeties = null;

                try { /// in case the diagram graphic has no corresponding model element

                    System.out.println(graphElement.getModelObject().getMetaClass());
                    System.out.println("==========");


                    graphicalPropeties = graphElement.getAllGraphicalProperties().toList();

                    for (IRPGraphicalProperty graphProp : graphicalPropeties) {

                        System.out.println(graphProp.getKey() + "\t" + graphProp.getValue());
                    }
                }
                catch (Exception e) {	// diagram graphic has no corresponding model element.
                    // graphic element may contain a "Type" graphical property
                    System.out.println("<Unknown> Model Element");
                    System.out.println("=======================");

                    IRPCollection gps = graphElement.getAllGraphicalProperties();
                    for (int i=0; i < gps.getCount(); i++) {
                        IRPGraphicalProperty gp = (IRPGraphicalProperty) gps.getItem(i);
                        if (gp != null) // Null graphical properties may exist
                            System.out.println(gp.getKey() + "\t" + gp.getValue());
                        }

                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

List of Graphical Properties

Note: All property values must be set as strings.

Attribute Name	Applicable to	Possible Values	Notes
`AttributesDisplay`	Class	`None` or `All` or `Public` or `Explicit`
`BackgroundColor`	All	Int,int,Int
`ForegroundColor`	All	Int,int,Int
`GUID`	All	Standard Rhapsody GUID
`Height`	Class, Object, State	Int
`LineStyle`	Association, Port	`Straight` or `Spline` or `u dRectilinear`
`LineWidth`	All	Integer
`OperationsDisplay`	Class	None or All or Public or Explicit
`Position`	All	Int, Int
`ShowName`	All	Full_Path or Relative or Name_Only or Label
`ShowStereotypeLabel`	All	`TRUE` or `FALSE`
`SourcePosition`	Association, Port	Int, int
`TargetPosition`	Association, Port	Int, Int
`StructureView`	Class, Object, State	`True` or `False`
`Text`	All	`String`
`TextColor`	All	Int, Int, Int
`TextFontBold`	All	700 or 400 (`True` or `False`)
`TextFontItalic`	All	1 or 0 (`True` or `False`)
`TextFontName`	All	Check font list
`TextFontSize`	All	Int
`TextPosition`	All	Int, Int	Read only
`Type`	All	`String`
`Width`	Class, Object, State	Int

Related Information

API Reference Manual

ReadGraphicProperties.java

[{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB59","label":"Sustainability Software"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU059","label":"IBM Software w\/o TPS"},"Product":{"code":"SSB2MU","label":"IBM Engineering Systems Design Rhapsody"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8m50000000CjZTAA0","label":"Rhapsody->Tools->Java API"}],"ARM Case Number":"TS005962709","Platform":[{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"All Versions"}]

Product Synonym

Rational Rhapsody

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Document Information

Modified date:
27 May 2022

UID

swg21383978

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