Groups > Group Manager Utility > Group Manager User Interface

Group Manager User Interface

The Group Manager utility contains five fixed menus providing options for managing the grouping of nodes. Additionally, a context menu and several toolbar buttons provide easily accessible subsets of similar functionality. Right-click a selected node entry to access its context menu. The context menu lists options that apply to the selected node, as well as other options that apply to a part of the hierarchy or to the entire hierarchy. Options that do not apply to the selected node or its position in the hierarchy appear in the list but are dimmed.

In addition to the menus, context menu, and toolbar command options accessed via the user interface, the Group Manager utility provides an interactive tree view of nodes as well as a special property sheet called the Group Service Explorer, that combines the tree view with Group Service (GRP) node details.

See Nodes in a Tree View for more information about how nodes are displayed in the utility interface.

See Group Service Explorer for more information about using the as-built hierarchy view.

Menu, Context Menu, and Toolbar Options

The following tables list and describe command options accessible from the available menus, and their availability via the context menu and/or toolbar buttons. Although command names vary slightly between the various access options, the functions are nearly identical.

Menu options and their equivalents are as follows.

Service Menu

The following table lists and describes Service menu options.

Service menu

Menu Option Description Context Menu? Toolbar Button

Select Service

Enables you to select an appropriate GRP to which a group hierarchy applies. You can also click or press Ctrl+S to select a GRP.

- Select Service button

Refresh

Enables you to refresh the group hierarchy displayed. You can also click to refresh the group hierarchy displayed.

Check Refresh button

Exit

Closes the CygNet Group Hierarchy Manager utility.

- -

Edit Menu

The following table lists and describes Edit menu options.

Edit menu

Menu Option Description Context Menu? Toolbar Button

Properties

Opens the properties dialog box appropriate to the selected group node.

Check Properties button

Delete

Deletes the selected group node.

Check Delete

Add Root

Enables you to add a new component hierarchy root. If one already exists, this option adds another root to your group hierarchy.

When you select Add Root, the Add Component Hierarchy Root dialog box appears. The default Description for the root is Component Hierarchy. Change this placeholder to suit your needs.

You can add navigation hierarchies at this level; they appear as children to the Hierarchies node.

Check -

Add Hierarchy

Enables you to add a new navigation hierarchy. If one already exists, this option adds another navigation hierarchy to your group. A navigation hierarchy is a prioritized, branching list of defined nodes. It is displayed vertically in a tree view in CygNet Group Hierarchy Manager utility.

You can create multiple views in the same navigation hierarchy. You can also create multiple navigation hierarchies based on the same rules and/or components. An advantage of creating multiple views for one navigation hierarchy is when using the Group Navigation Bar Tool in CygNet Studio. View options can be selected from the drop-down menu in CygNet Studio to provide additional options for filtering and displaying data.

When you select Add Hierarchy, the Add Navigation Hierarchy dialog box appears. The default Description for the additional navigation hierarchy is Navigation Hierarchy n. Change this placeholder to suit your needs.

Options on the Add Navigation Hierarchy dialog box include Create Web Hierarchy and Create Additional Root for Each View.

  • Create Web Hierarchy: Depending on your specific needs, you might or might not need to set up a GRP Web navigation hierarchy. If you want your Web application to only display CygNet Vision or CygNet Studio files, you do not need to set up a GRP Web navigation hierarchy. If you want your Web application to interact with the GRP in any other way, you must set up a Web navigation hierarchy. For more information, see Web.
  • Create Additional Root for Each View: If you want to create a navigation root for each view in addition to a single navigation root for all child views, check Create Additional Root for Each View to designate each view as a navigational starting point. This is useful when creating custom views for different users or for Web applications.

To add a View to this navigation hierarchy, highlight the navigation hierarchy, right-click it, then click Add View.

Check -

Add View

Enables you to add a new view. If one already exists, this option adds another view to your navigation hierarchy.

Each unique hierarchy is called a view because it is one possible perspective or view of a collection of defined attributes. Multiple views may be created within a navigation hierarchy to provide different methods of filtering and displaying relevant data. Additionally, you can link views together, making one stand-alone view a child view of another stand-alone view.

You have two view options:

Note: Although both rule-based views and component-based views are supported by CygNet, best practice recommends using rule-based views instead of component-based views. Rules provide a more comprehensive and fine-tuned way to create views.

  • Component-Based View: A hierarchy that depends on defined, single-attribute components as its building blocks. Components may be defined on an ad hoc basis or predefined for selection from the Components node.
  • Rule-Based View: A rule-based view does not use components. Instead, it relies on multi-attribute rules specified for each level to indicate which facility records to include and how to relate the records to the previous level of the hierarchy.

To add a Level to this navigation view, highlight the navigation view, right-click it, then click Add Level.

Check -

Add Level

Enables you to add a new level. If one already exists, this option adds another level to your view. Levels are rule based or component based. The order of levels from top to bottom determines the subordination of components within the view hierarchy where top = highest priority.

A level represents a prioritized node within a view. It can be defined by rules or by a component. Both rules and components cannot exist within the same level, but a navigation hierarchy can support both rule-based and component-based levels.

If this level is for a rule-based view, define and add rules to suit your needs. Highlight the view and click Add Level. Then add and define rules on the Hierarchy Level dialog box. For more information, see Defining Rules.

If this level is for a component-based view, add defined components to suit your needs. Highlight the view and click Add Level. Then select a defined component. You can also define components on an ad hoc basis by clicking Add on the Select Components for this Level dialog box, then defining a new component. Finally, you can link multiple components to the same level. For more information, see Defining Components.

Check -

Link Component to Level

Enables you to link predefined components to a component-based level. Multiple components can be linked to a component-based level.

Check -

Define New Component

Enables you to define components for use in a component-based view. DDS components are properties of a remote device that reside only in the DDS, such as device ID, device manufacturer, and device category. FAC components are the descriptive attributes of a facility. Most facility attributes are user-defined.

By default, a Component list only includes facilities that have a value assigned to an attribute. However, you can include facilities that have blank values. In such cases, another placeholder labeled (blank) is included at the attribute value level.

Right-click in the tree view and select Define New Component or choose from pre-defined components in the Component node. Selecting this option generates a New Component Definition Entry dialog box. For more information, see Defining Components.

Check -
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Build Menu

The following table lists and describes Build menu options.

Build menu

Menu Option Description Context Menu? Toolbar Button

All for Group Service

Enables you to build all hierarchies for the selected GRP. This build option builds or rebuilds every hierarchy and component within the chosen GRP.

A build is an implementation of a group hierarchy. It makes a group hierarchy available in the GRP. Perform a build after you've assembled your hierarchy, rules, and components in the Group Manager utility.

Check -

All for Selected Root

Enables you to build all hierarchies for the selected root in a specific GRP.

Check -

Components for Root

Enables you to build all components for a specific root in a specific GRP.

Check -

All Hierarchies for Root

Enables you to build all hierarchies for a specific root in a specific GRP.

Check -

Selected Hierarchy

Enables you to build a selected hierarchy in a specific GRP.

Check -

Preview Selected View

Enables you to select a single view and to preview it in a tree format. It includes all as-built nodes subordinate to the selected view. You can export the previewed view to an .xml file.

Check -

Verbose Logging on Build

Activate this option if you want to collect and display verbose logging for any build. The Process Status dialog box for a verbose build shows all relevant details of the build. The verbose log file (GrpMgr###.txt) typically generates in the CygNet\Utilities folder; it is useful for troubleshooting.

Check -

View Menu

The following table lists and describes View menu options.

View menu

Menu Option Description Context Menu? Toolbar Button

Selected Record

Displays all fields in a group database record for a selected node. The record appears in an editable Group Node Record dialog box.

Check -

Component References

Enables you to locate all references to a specified component.

Highlight a component, right-click it, and the resulting Component References dialog box shows all places where the specified component exists in the group hierarchies.

Check -

As-Built Hierarchies

Enables you to view, edit, and export hierarchy, component, and root node information from the Group Service Explorer dialog box. Enables viewing of your fully built hierarchies, including all associated facilities.

See Group Service Explorer for more information.

Check -

Expand Item

Expands the selected item (node).

- Expand

Collapse Item

Collapses the selected item (node).

- Collapse

Expand Item and Children

Expands the selected item (node) and its children.

- Expand item and children

Collapse Item and Children

Collapses the selected item (node) and its children.

- Collapse item and children

Toolbar

Hide or Show the toolbar.

- -

Status Bar

Hide or Show the status bar.

- -

Help Menu

The following table lists and describes Help menu options.

Help menu

Menu Option Description Context Menu? Toolbar Button

About GrpMgr

Displays an About CygNet Group Hierarchy Manager dialog box to view application information.

Available information includes the following:

  • The application name, version, and release date
  • Copyright information
  • The CygNet Software website address, including a hyperlink to the website
  • The log file location, including a hyperlink to the log file
  • The location of the application's file executable

In addition to information about the application, the About box includes the following buttons:

  • Client Settings — opens the Client Settings dialog box to view and modify client log settings for the application on an ad hoc basis. See Client Log Settings in the Logging section for more information.
  • Diagnostics — access the following options for additional analysis from the drop-down menu:
  • Loaded Modules — use this option to view and search file information for modules loaded in your system. Double-click any result row to view properties for that module. See Loaded Modules for more information.
  • Gather Logs — accesses the Windows file directory where the open log files are located. Double-click to select and view an application log file.
  • User Local Crash Dumps — Local crash dumps are not enabled. See Generating Crash Dumps for more information.
  • Close — click to close the About box.
- About

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