Quick Linker Definition Format

In order to replace or change the Quick Linker menus that are displayed when a user drags the Quick Linker arrow from one of your profile elements on a diagram, you can create or edit the corresponding Quick Linker definition. This is a Comma Separated Value (CSV) text file consisting of records (rows), each record consisting of 23 comma-separated fields as defined in the table.

Some of these fields define the menu command and some act as filters, with the entry being ignored if the filter condition isn't met.

A Quick Linker definition can include comments: all lines in which // are the first two characters are ignored by Enterprise Architect. Quotes (" ") in the field values are not required.

Each record of the Quick Linker definition represents a single combination of entries on the Quick Linker menus; that is, for the selected source element, a specific connector type and specific target element type. A menu is populated from all rows that satisfy the filters; that is, the first menu lists all defined connectors that are legal and valid for the source element type, and the second menu lists all target elements that are legal and valid for the combination of source element and connector type.

Quick Linker Definition fields

Column	Title (enter as comment for guidance)	See also
A	Source Element Type Description: Identifies a valid source element in the Profile. To indicate that the source element can be any specialization of an abstract UML Metaclass, add the prefix '@' to the Metaclass name; for example, '@Classifier', '@NamedElement'. If a connector is being dragged away from this type of element, the row is evaluated. Otherwise, the row is ignored. If the source is another connector, prefix the connector type with the word 'link:'; for example, 'link:ControlFlow'.
B	Source Stereotype Filter Description: Identifies a stereotype of the source element base type (for example, an Event source element can be a normal Event, or a Start Event, Intermediate Event or End Event stereotyped element). The stereotype can be a fully qualified stereotype or the name of a stereotype within the current profile. If set, and if a connector is being dragged away from an element of this stereotype, the row is evaluated. Otherwise, the row is ignored.
C	Target Element Type Description: Identifies a valid target element in the Profile. To indicate that the target element can be any specialization of an abstract UML Metaclass, add the prefix '@' to the Metaclass name; for example, '@Classifier', '@NamedElement'. If set, and if a connector is being dragged onto this type of element, the row is evaluated. If blank, and if a connector is being dragged onto an empty space on the diagram, the row is evaluated. Otherwise the row is ignored. If the target is another connector, prefix the connector type with the word 'link:'; for example, 'link:ControlFlow'.
D	Target Stereotype Filter Description: Identifies a stereotype of the target element base type. If set, if Target Element Type is also set, and if a connector is being dragged onto an element of this stereotype, the row is evaluated. Otherwise, the row is ignored.
E	Diagram Filter Description: Contains either an inclusive list or an exclusive list of diagram types, which limits the diagrams the specified connector can be created on. Each diagram name is terminated by a semi-colon; for example: Collaboration;Object;Custom; Custom diagram types from MDG Technologies can be referenced using the fully qualified diagram type (DiagramProfile::DiagramType); for example: BPMN2.0::Business Process;BPMN2.0::Choreography;BPMN2.0::Collaboration; As a shorthand for all diagram types in a diagram profile you can use the '' wildcard, which must be preceded by the diagram profile ID; for example: BPMN2.0::; Each excluded diagram name is preceded by an exclamation mark; for example: !Sequence; This column overrides the 'Filter to Toolbox' setting for the Quicklinker, which is enabled by default on diagrams. To force a connector to be visible on all diagrams, you can exclude a diagram type that doesn't exist. For example: !TBFilter Note: the preferred mechanism for executing a diagram filter is now the toolbox filter. This automatically shows the relevant connector types based on the current diagram, including for diagram types as they are defined in the future by other technologies.
F	New Element Type Description: Defines the type of element to be created if the connector is dragged into open space, provided that the 'Create Element' field is set to True. This value cannot be a connector type.
G	New Element Stereotype Description: Defines the type of element stereotype to be created if the connector is dragged into open space, provided that the 'Create Element' field is set to True. This can be a fully qualified stereotype, or the name of a stereotype within the current profile.
H	New Link Type Description: Defines the type of connector to create, if 'Create Link' is also set to True.
I	New Link Stereotype Description: Defines the stereotype of the connector created, if 'Create Link' is also set to True. This field is required when adding Quicklinker records to built-in types. The stereotype can be a fully qualified stereotype, or the name of a stereotype within the current profile.
J	New Link Direction Description: Defines the connector direction, which can be: directed (always creates an Association from source to target) from (always creates an Association from target to source) undirected (always creates an Association with unspecified direction) bidirectional (always creates a bi-directional Association), or to (creates either a directed or undirected Association, depending on the value of the 'Association Direction' field) Not all of these work with all connector types; for example, you cannot create a bi-directional Generalization.
K	New Link Caption Description: Defines the text to display in the 'Quick Linker' menu if a new connector is being created but not a new element.
L	New Link & Element Caption Description: Defines the text to display in the 'Quick Linker' menu if a new connector AND a new element are being created.
M	Create Link Description: If set to True, results in the creation of a new connector; leave blank to stop the creation of a connector.
N	Create Element Description: If set to True and a connector is being dragged onto an empty space on the diagram, results in the creation of a new element. Leave blank to stop the element from being created. This overrides the values of 'Target Element Type' and 'Target Stereotype Filter'.
O	Disallow Self connector Description: Set to True if self connectors are invalid for this kind of connector; otherwise leave this field blank.
P	Exclusive to ST Filter + No inherit from Metatype Description: Set to True to indicate that elements of type 'Source Element Type' with the stereotype 'Source Stereotype Filter' do not display the Quick Linker definitions of the equivalent unstereotyped element. This field is ignored if the 'Source Stereotype Filter' field (Column B) is empty.
Q	Menu Group Description: Indicates the name of the submenu in which a menu item is created. This column only applies when creating a new element; that is, the user is dragging from an element to an empty space on the diagram, or over a target element to create a new embedded element.
R	Complexity Level Description: Contains numerical bitmask values that identify complex functionality. 0 = no complex functionality 4 = Force blank source stereotype; this row will be skipped unless the source element has no stereotype 8 = force blank target stereotype; this row will be skipped unless the target element has no stereotype 16 = treat the value in the 'Source Stereotype Filter' column (column B) as a Source Name Filter instead 32 = treat the value in the 'Target Stereotype Filter' column (column D) as a Target Name Filter instead, and use the value in the 'New Element Stereotype' column (column G) as the name of the newly created element 64 = treat the value in the 'Source Stereotype Filter' column (column B) as a Source Classifier Name Filter instead 128 = treat the value in the 'Target Stereotype Filter' column (column D) as a Target Classifier Name Filter instead, and use the value in the 'New Element Stereotype' column (column G) as the name of the classifier of the newly created element, creating an additional new element if an element of that name doesn't exist in the current model The values can be added together to combine functionality; for example, 192 combines the functionality of 64 and 128.
S	Target Must Be Parent Description: Set to True if the menu item should only appear when dragging from a child element to its parent; for example, from a Port to its containing Class. Otherwise leave this field blank.
T	Embed element Description: Set to True to embed the element being created in the target element; otherwise leave this field blank.
U	Precedes Separator LEAF Description: Set to True to add a menu item separator to the 'Quick Linker' menu, underneath this entry; otherwise leave this field blank.
V	Precedes Separator GROUP Description: Set to True to add a menu item group separator to the 'Quick Linker' sub-menu; otherwise leave this field blank.
W	Dummy Column Description: Depending on which spreadsheet application you use, this column might require a value in every cell to force a CSV export to work correctly with trailing blank values.

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