N-Squared Diagram

Using N-Squared Diagrams

Function	Description
Creating N-Squared Diagrams	Using ‘Diagrams View’ in Innoslate, you can create a new ‘N-Squared Diagram.’
Viewing N-Squared Diagrams	You can ‘View an N-Squared Diagram’ of any new or existing entity of the Action class via the ‘Open’ drop-down menu, where available.
Adding an Action Entity	An Action entity can be added to an ‘N-Squared Diagram’ via drag-and-drop.
Adding an Input/Output Entity	An Input/Output entity can be added to an ‘N-Squared Diagram’ via drag-and-drop.
Removing an Entity	An entity can be easily removed from an ‘N-Squared Diagram.’

The ‘N-Squared Diagram’ is a matrix used to visualize the relationships between Actions and Inputs/Outputs.

The ‘N-Squared Diagram’ is not composed of special diagram constructs. In fact, an ‘N-Squared Diagram’ can be generated by Innoslate on the fly based on the current contents of your project’s database. The ‘N-Squared Diagram’ is built using entities in the database of the ‘Action’ and ‘Input/Output’ classes. The actions are displayed as blocks within the matrix and the I/Os are shown as text within the matrix.

Creating N-Squared Diagrams

Within the ‘Diagrams Dashboard,’ users can create a new diagram by clicking the ‘ Create Diagram’ button in the top right corner of the page.

Clicking the ‘ Create Diagram’ button will open the Create Diagram dialog where you will be directed through the process of creating a new diagram.

Create an N-Squared Diagram

1. Choose Which Type of Diagram to Create
   In step 1, select ‘N-Squared Diagram,’ under ‘General’, as your diagram type.
   
                    

    

   Click the ‘Next’ button.

                    
2. Specify New Root Action Information
   In step 2, you will be prompted to input a diagram ‘Name,’ ‘Number’ (optional), and ‘Description’ (optional). Then, click the ‘Finish’ button.
   
   

Viewing N-Squared Diagrams

In Innoslate, you can view an ‘N-Squared Diagram’ from wherever the ‘Open’ drop-down menu is available on the toolbar (Entity View, Database View, within a Diagram).

View an N-Squared Diagram

1. Locate and click the ‘Open’ drop-down menu in the toolbar. Select ‘N-Squared Diagram.’
2. This will navigate you to view an ‘N-Squared Diagram,’ where you can begin adding and removing entities. Click the ‘Save’ button located on the toolbar to persist your changes to your project’s database.

Adding An Action Entity

An entity can be added to an ‘N-Squared Diagram’ via drag-and-drop.

1. Within an ‘N-Squared Diagram,’ ensure you do not currently have an Action selected, and click the ‘Action’ icon in the ‘New’ tab of the left sidebar and continue to hold down the left mouse button.
   
2. Drag the ‘Action’ icon over to the adjacent diagram canvas.
   
3. Release the left mouse button while over the diagram canvas to drop the new ‘Action’ and add it to the diagram. Notice the ‘Action’ stays selected once it has been dropped. Since it is selected, the toolbar changes to include buttons for functions that can be used on the construct. The sidebar also changes to show the ‘Metadata,’ ‘Attributes’ and ‘Relationships’ tabs.
   
   
4. Enter a meaningful ‘Name’ for your new ‘Action’ via the ‘Attributes’ tab of the left sidebar (focused automatically for convenience).
   
   
5. Click the ‘Save’ button located on the toolbar to persist your changes to your project’s database.
   
   

* Note: The above process describes using the ‘New’ tab of the left sidebar, which automatically generates a new entity to represent each new block. If you would like to reuse existing entities from your database in your diagram, use the ‘Existing’ tab instead.

Adding An Input/Output Entity

An 'Input/Output' entity can be added to an ‘N-Squared Diagram’ via drag-and-drop.

1. Within an ‘N-Squared Diagram,’ ensure you have an Action in the diagram first then click the ‘Input/Output’ icon in the ‘New’ tab of the left sidebar and continue to hold down the left mouse button.
   
   
2. Drag the ‘Input/Output’ icon over to the adjacent diagram canvas.
   
   
   
   
3. Release the left mouse button while over the diagram canvas to drop the new ‘Input/Output’ to your desired highlighted green box and add it to the diagram. The name will automatically change to indicate where the 'Input/Output' is generated by and/or received by. Notice the ‘Input/Output’ stays selected once it has been dropped. Since it is selected, the toolbar changes to include buttons for functions that can be used on the construct. The sidebar also changes to show the ‘Metadata,’ ‘Attributes’ and ‘Relationships’ tabs.
   
   
   When you drop an 'Input/Output' onto the diagram, its name will automatically change to indicate the Actions that generated by it and/or received by. An example of these names for the Input/Output connections are in the white boxes with their respective names they are automatically changed to in the image below. 
   
   
4. Enter a meaningful ‘Name’ for your new ‘Input/Output’ via the ‘Attributes’ tab of the left sidebar (focused automatically for convenience).
   
   
   
   
5. Click the ‘Save’ button located on the toolbar to persist your changes to your project’s database.
   

Note: The above process describes using the ‘New’ tab of the left sidebar, which automatically generates a new entity to represent each new block. If you would like to reuse existing entities from your database in your diagram, use the ‘Existing’ tab instead.

Removing an Entity

An entity can be easily removed from an ‘N-Squared Diagram.’

1. Within an ‘N-Squared Diagram,’ select the entity you wish to remove. This will make the toolbar appear with applicable functions which can be used on the selected entity.
2. Click the  ‘Remove’ button to remove the entity from the diagram (as the default action).

   * Note: The  ‘Remove’ button also includes a drop-down menu where you can select ‘Delete from Database’ or the default option of ‘Remove from Diagram.’

To continue learning about General Diagrams, Click Here.

(Next Article: N-Squared Diagram Modifications & Settings)