How to: Examine Data in Detail
[This content is no longer valid. For the latest information on "M", "Quadrant", SQL Server Modeling Services, and the Repository, see the Model Citizen blog.]
With Microsoft code name “Quadrant” you can view any object in detail by opening it in its own workpad. You can either double-click the object in the Explorer or a workpad, or you can drag the object onto the workspace.. Your data viewing experience is thus not bound by existing windows (a workpad in “Quadrant”). Objects that can be double-clicked are designated with an appropriate icon. Opening an object in its own workpad allows you to view related records as well as observe data changes in multiple locations simultaneously.
The tutorial uses sample data that is installed in How to: Install the "Quadrant" Sample Data.
To examine an object in the Explorer
If you have not connected to the Repository database before, use the steps outlined in How to: Connect to a SQL Server Database with "Quadrant" to connect to the Repository database.
If you have connected to the Repository database before, on the View menu, click Explorer, and then click Repository.
Expand the Database node.
Expand the Microsoft.Samples.Organization node.
Double-click the People node. A new workpad titled People opens, showing all People in the People table.
The new workpad is always opened on the right of the existing workpad. If the screen is not large enough to accommodate the new workpad, the workspace is automatically panned to show the new workpad in its entirety.
Alternatively, in the Explorer, drag the square icon for the People node to the workspace. An identical workpad titled People opens. Click the X on the upper-right corner of the workpad to close it.
Edit the FileAs field of the first row in the table and shift focus away. Note the asterisk that indicates that the data has changed.
On the File menu, click Save Changes to commit this change to the database. Note that the asterisk disappears in the table view.
When you locate something in the explorer or a workpad that you want to view or edit, double-click its icon to view it in a new workpad. The default view of the workpad depends on the cardinality of the object. Single objects are shown in Properties view, whereas collections are shown in other views.
To examine an object in a workpad
In the People workpad, double-click the circle icon for Akers, Kim.
In the Akers, Kim workpad, double-click the Current Events icon under the Responsibilities header.
The complete set of events that belongs to the person is displayed in a table viewer in the new Events workpad.
On the Data menu, click Insert Item to add a new event to the table. A New Events Record workpad displays fields for this new event.
The Subject field of the new record has a red underline. This indicates an input error that must be corrected. If you pause the mouse over the input, a tooltip displays the exact error (in this case, “This value cannot be set to null”). To fix this error, change the Subject field from null to New Event.
In the Organizer field, select Akers, Kim.
In the Folder field, select Events.
On the File menu, click Save Changes to commit this new record to the database.
In the Akers, Kim workpad, note that the count of Current Events has been incremented by 1.
By double-clicking icons in a workpad, you can view related content on the workspace. You can also examine a record in detail by viewing it in its own workpad, which displays the record in the default viewer for that record type.
See Also
Tasks
How to: Use the Explorer to Examine Databases
How to: Use Queries in "Quadrant"
How to: Use Viewers in "Quadrant"