Visual Editor Authoring

The Visual editor lets you create and edit projects without learning CCL syntax.

It is also a valuable tool for experienced CCL programmers, particularly when working on complex projects, as a way to easily visualize the data flow and navigate within the project. In the Visual editor, the project is represented by one or more diagrams that show streams, windows, adapters, and the data flows between them.

Begin by developing a simple project. Use the graphical tools to add streams and windows, connect them, and associate them with adapters. Add simple queries directly in the diagram using the visual editing tools.

Once you have a basic diagram completed, compile and run your project.

When you are confident that your simple project is working, you can progress to advanced features: more complex queries, Flex operators for custom operations, modularity, and custom adapters. You can access many of these features in the visual authoring environment.

For more complex queries and other advanced features, you can switch to the CCL editor. A single CCL file can be open in only one editor at a time. The Visual and CCL editors are completely integrated. When you save and switch to the other editor, your work is saved there as well.

• Diagrams
  In visual authoring, you use diagrams to create and manipulate the streams, windows, connections, and other components of a project, and create simple queries.
• Visual Authoring Environment
  The Visual editor and other tools and views in the Authoring perspective allow you to create, view, and edit a diagram.
• Shape Reference
  Each shape in the Palette creates a specific type of stream or window, adapter, connection, reusable schema or module, or a store, to create a data flow.
• Editing a Project in the Visual Editor
  Edit diagrams in a graphical user interface.
• Adding Shapes to a Diagram
  Create streams, windows, and shared components, relate them using continuous queries, and attach them to adapters.
• Adding Comments to Shapes
  Add comments to shapes in the Visual editor that will appear within a toooltip when you hover over them.
• Keyboard Shortcuts in the Visual Editor
  Use keyboard shortcuts to access various functions quickly within the Visual editor.
• Changing the Display of Diagrams
  Display diagrams in verbose or iconic mode. Lay out the elements in the diagram left to right or top down.
• Building a Simple Project
  Build a simple project entirely in the ESP Studio Visual editor by following the steps in linked tasks.
• Adding Advanced Features to a Project
  Complete your project by adding more complex operations and expressions, reusable modules and named schemas, and custom adapters.
• Switching Between the CCL and Visual Editors
  Change between the two editors to maximize Studio's flexibility for creating and editing a project.