Browse diagrams

A browse diagram is a temporary, non-editable diagram that shows the results of a query on a context diagram element in a model. You can use browse diagrams to navigate through a model to view the details of its elements and relationships. For example, you can create a browse diagram to show a dynamic view of a class and its related elements to understand how it fits into the model.

Browse diagrams provide a view of a context element that you specify and are similar in functionality to a Web browser. A browse diagram retains the history of what you view. You can navigate backward and forward to view previously viewed context elements and their relationships without creating another diagram. For example, you can browse a specific class to see its relationships to other elements. You can double-click an element in a browse diagram to make it the context element and to update the diagram to show the new context.

You cannot control the format of a browse diagram. Depending on the elements in the diagram, a browse diagram is displayed using either a radial layout that shows the context element at the center of the diagram, or as a generalization tree layout that shows the general classes at the top of the diagram and the subclasses at the bottom.

Browse diagrams do not persist, but you can refresh them to reflect the changes to their underlying elements.

A browse diagram is not editable; you cannot change its underlying model elements. However, you can convert a browse diagram to a freeform modeling diagram to add and modify its elements in a model, and you can also save it as an image file.

Related tasks
Exploring relationships by browsing models
Creating browse diagrams from models
Navigating in browse diagrams
Converting browse diagrams to editable diagrams
Refreshing topic and browse diagrams
Exploring relationships in models

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