Use the metachain navigation operation type, if you need to specify indirect (multilevel) relations between elements through the chains of properties.

Metachains allow searching for the indirectly related elements, thought they do not support loops and recursive relations.

 

To specify a metachain navigation as criterion

  1. Click Metachain Navigation on the left side of the dialog.
  2. Change the name of the operation, if there is a need.

  3. Select a color to represent the specified metachain navigation criteria.

    The color selection is available only in the Relation Criterion dialog.

  4. Click the Insert button to create a new step of the metachain. A new row is added to the list, which is described in the following table.

  5. Repeat the previous step to create as many steps of the metachain as you need for specifying the criteria.

    To remove a step from the metachain, click the Remove button below the Insert button.

ColumnDescription

Metaclass or Stereotype

Either a metaclass or a stereotype of a metachain step.
The first step, when created, already has a metaclass or a stereotype selected by default. This value is the context element type.
The default metaclass or stereotype of the first step can be changed.
The second step and all further steps are more specific: the values suggested for selection are limited according to the values selected in the first step, since you will not be able to add a new step until the current step is not specified.

PropertyA property of the selected metaclass or stereotype.

You can add a new metachain operation.

 

Manipulations in Expert mode

The Expert mode allows for changing the Contextual element of a metachain navigation operation as well as creating a new operation, where the result of the metachain navigation operation is used as an argument.

 

To change the Contextual element of a metachain navigation criterion

  1. On the left side of the dialog, expand the metachain navigation criterion and select the Context parameter.
  2. On the Context specification panel, click the Reset button.

    The value of the Context parameter becomes null. 

  3. Select a new context from the list of operations and element types.

    To restore the original context, expand the Other group and click Contextual Variable.

To use the expression of a metachain navigation operation as a parameter of another operation

  1. On the left side of the dialog, click Metachain Navigation.

  2. On the criteria specification panel, click the Use as button and select the appropriate command.
     

  3. Specify other parameters of the new operation.