Connection Detangler V1.2 for VisualAge for Smalltalk ----------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the Connection Detangler for VisualAge for Smalltalk This file contains information you need to install the Connection Detangler and additional information not included in the product documentation. This README file is divided into the following categories: - WHAT IS SILVERMARK'S CONNECTION DETANGLER? - Before You Install the Connection Detangler -Software requirements -Hardware requirements - Getting Help - Installing the Connection Detangler - Known Problems - Your Satisfaction - Trademarks WHAT IS THE CONNECTION DETANGLER? --------------------------------- The Connection Detangler is an add-on to VisualAge for Smalltalk that adds the following three facets to the VisualAge development environment: Advanced instrumentation - enables you to clearly see the dynamic relationships between parts in terms of connections. Advanced navigation - enables you to locate and navigate to the Composition Editor in which a particular part is defined or used. This can tremendously reduce the time it takes to learn the structure of an unfamiliar application. Advanced debugging - enables you to set breakpoints on specific connections and trace through their execution without having to add halts or breakpoints to your code. Creating applications visually using parts and connections can tremendously improve the speed at which you develop applications. You can define relationships such as event dependencies between objects by creating visual connections, instead of by writing code. Unfortunately, with more than a few connections, understanding those relationships, especially interactions between parts over time, becomes very difficult. This shortcoming leads to difficulty in debugging, increased maintenance costs and reduced reusability. To avoid these problems, many developers find themselves not taking full advantage of the power visual programming has to offer. The Connection Detangler for VisualAge solves this problem by displaying VisualAge parts and connections within an object interaction diagram. This type of diagram shows connections sequenced over time in the order in which they fire, so you can see exactly how your parts interact. The Connection Detangler is integrated with the VisualAge Composition Editor, but does not modify any Composition Editor code and has no effect on your run-time code. What can the Connection Detangler do for you? The Connection Detangler can start helping you as soon as you install it. Simply launch the Connection Detangler and exercise your applications. The Connection Detangler displays details about all connection interactions in an easy-to-follow format so you can gain immediate insight into your application's behavior, and helps you navigate to interacting components. Operations: The Connection Detangler enables you to: o View connections in the order in which they fire. o Set breakpoints on connections without adding halts. o Single-step through your connections. o Locate and navigate to the Composition Editor for a part where a particular connection is defined. o Locate and navigate to the Composition Editor for a part where a particular subpart is used. o Inspect parts, connections, or connection parameter values. o View details about connection activities. Benefits: The above operations help you to rapidly understand your applications. For example, you can use the above navigation facilities to zero in on parts and connections where they are used or defined, without having to hunt haphazardly with browsers, or set halts. This also means that you don't have to spend countless hours trying to figure out how an unfamiliar application is constructed. By being able to view connections in the order in which they fire, you can uncover subtle performance problems caused by connections firing too often due to unanticipated side effects. Before You Install the Connection Detangler ---------------------------------------- Software requirements --------------------- You need an installed and configured license of VisualAge Smalltalk on Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows NT, or IBM OS/2 Hardware requirements --------------------- 2 Mb of additional disk space. License agreement ----------------- Please read the license agreements for evaluation (scdLAEvl.txt) or purchase (scdLA.txt) of the product before installing the Connection Detangler on your system. Getting Help ------------ Documentation ------------- Documentation is provided on-line in HTML format. You will need a web browser that supports tables and client-side image maps to view it properly. Open your web browser on index.htm to begin reading the documentation. Service and technical support ----------------------------- For service and technical support, send E-mail to support@silvermark.com. SilverMark may provide additional support in the form of forums or technical reports. You will be notified of how to access this information when it becomes available. Defect reporting ---------------- For defect reporting, send E-mail to support@silvermark.com. Please provide as much detail as possible, as well as specific information on the operating system you are running on. Installing the Connection Detangler: ----------------------------------- 1. Create a directory and download or copy the correct self extracting zip file for your version of VisualAge into it. The files can be downloaded from http://www.silvermark.com/detangler.html or copied from your product diskette: | File | Files included ----------------+---------------------+--------------------------------------- VisualAge V4.0 | scdv125.exe | scdV124.dat, scdEV124.dat, | | scdV140.ctl, scdV145.ctl, scdV150.ctl | | scdEV140.ctl, scdEV145.ctl, scdEV150.ctl 2. Execute the file to extract its contents. 3. Copy the *.ctl files into your VisualAge Feature directory. This is usually the subdirectory under the directory where you installed VisualAge. This directory is specified in abt.ini as the 'installationPath' 4. Copy the *.dat file into your VisualAge Import directory. This is usually the subdirectory under the directory where you installed VisualAge. This directory is specified in abt.ini as the 'importDirectory'and may be located on a server machine specified by 'importServerAddress'. 5. Select the Load Features... item of the VisualAge Organizer Options menu or the Load Features... item of the System Transcript Smalltalk Tools menu. 6. Select the feature named Connection Detangler to install it. 7. If you want to load the examples, select the feature named Connection Detangler Examples, as well. 8. When you first run the Connection Detangler, you will be prompted to register the product. You can either purchase the product at this time (you'll need a key) or begin the free, 30-day evaluation period. Purchasing the product ---------------------- Please contact SilverMark at sales@silvermark.com or one of the following phone numbers for ordering or bulk purchase pricing information: Toll free: 888-588-0668 Phone: 919-858-8300 Fax: 919-858-8308 Installing the Connection Detangler Documentation ------------------------------------------------- 1a. WEB: Follow the product download links at the SilverMark web site http://www.silvermark.com/detangler.html to download the self extracting zip file, scddoc1.exe, and execute it to extract the documentation files. 1b. DISKETTE Copy the self extracting zip file, scddoc1.exe, from the product diskette and execute it to extract the documentation files. 1c. COMPACT DISK: The documentation files are automatically installed in \SILVERMARK\SCD 2. Use any web browser to view the documentation. Open your browser on index.htm. Known Problems -------------- The following problems are known at the time of shipment: Uninstalling ------------ If you uninstall the product, the 'Connection Detangler.' menu item may still appear in the VisualAge Organizer Options menu. This is due to a bug in VisualAge. Workaround: ----------- Execute: System abtScrubImage This will cause a new instance of the Organizer to be created without the menu item. Under certain circumstances, you will not be able to uninstall the product because of instances of ScdRegistrationView. Workaround: ----------- Execute: ScdRegistrationView allInstances do: [ :i | i become: nil ] before removing the product. Repaint: -------- Occasionally, one of two repaint problems in the diagram may appear. This causes the feature text to either look unclear or sections of it to be the wrong color. Workaround: ----------- Force a repaint by covering and uncovering the Connection Detangler window with another window. All registered customers will be notified of any fixes made to the product as soon as they are available and where to download them. Release History --------------- Note: Installing updates to any 1.x version does not affect your license. That is, if you install and obtain a license for a V1.0.0 release of the product and then install V1.1.0, your existing registration remains valid. June 12, 1999: Version 1.2.8 - Updated for VisualAge Smalltalk V5.0 support. July 4, 1998: Version 1.2.6 - Updated for VisualAge for Smalltalk V4.5 support, breakpint visual indicator, icon toolbar added, deeper connection event tracing March 26, 1998: Version 1.2.2 - Enhanced tracing for optimized connections November 8, 1997: Version 1.2.1 - Added support for VisualAge for Smalltalk 4.0.2 August 10, 1997: Version 1.2.0 - Added support for filtering by part. June 15, 1997: Version 1.1 - VisualAge for Smalltalk V4.0 support. March 28, 1997: Version 1.0 - Original release. Version naming convention ------------------------- Version names are composed of four digits separated by a '.' in this order: 1) Major version 2) Minor version 3) Fix level 4) Version of VisualAge supported. Downloading fixes ----------------- Fixes are delivered in the form of complete product downloads. If you replace your copy with a new one of the same major version (for example, V1.x), your registration status will remain unchanged. Your Satisfaction ----------------- Your satisfaction with SilverMark, Inc. is important to us. If you are not totally satisfied with this product, please let us know. Tell us what is not meeting your expectations and why you are dissatisfied. Provide your name, your organization's name, your telephone number, and Internet e-mail address so that we can contact you. We will work with you to resolve your concerns. To contact us, use any of these: - Internet - World Wide Web: www.silvermark.com - e-mail: support@silvermark.com - Telephone - In the USA 888-588-0668 (toll free) - World wide: 919-858-8300 - Fax - World wide: 919-858-8308 Trademarks ---------- Connection Detangler is a trademark of SilverMark, Inc. OS/2 and VisualAge are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.