ASCET Links

ASCET provides a possibility to open and select components or model elements via calls from external tools or scripts. Two examples for external tools are:

• requirement management tools
• model documentation

You can address all ASCET components and many component parts, see ASCET Links: Addressable Objects for an overview.

The calls use an URL-like syntax; they are referred to as ASCET links. ASCET links can be executed from inside ASCET (paste the link into the navigation bar) or from any external application that is able to invoke registered protocol handlers (e.g., Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and most E-mail clients).

If ASCET is not yet running when an ASCET link is executed, the most recently used ASCET version is started. Only one ASCET version should run when an ASCET link is executed.

An ASCET link consists of up to three parts. It is built as follows:

ascet://[<destination>?]<component path>[/<target object>]

• <destination> is the database/workspace path of the component you want to address. It can be given in two ways:

  • full path (e.g., D:\ETASData\ASCET6.4\Databases\MyDatabase; see also example C)

    The path to either the database folder or the workspace file (*.aws).

    Note
    UNC paths for databases/workspaces are not supported. The databases/workspaces must be locally available; databases/workspaces under version control should be checked out.

  • path token

    Either $DATABASE$ or $WORKSPACE$. Both tokens will be replaced by ASCET with the currently selected database or workspace root path (e.g., D:\ETASData\ASCET6.4\Database or D:\ETASData\ASCET6.4\Workspaces).

    The actual resolved value depends on the settings in the Paths node of the ASCET options window.

  The <destination> is optional. Without a destination, the database/workspace currently open in ASCET can be addressed (examples E.2 and E.3).

• <component path> defines the component where all objects specified in <target object> will be found. <component path> is the component path in the database/workspace (e.g., ASCET_Tutorial_Solutions\Lesson5\SignalConv).The <component path> path is mandatory.

• <target object> defines the object to be highlighted. See ASCET Links: Addressable Objects for a list.

  The <target object> is optional. Without a target object, only folders (examples A) and components (example B) can be addressed.

  The target object may contain a location (see, e.g., example D.2 or H.4) or context information (see, e.g., examples E or G.2).

  • link element &location=<location>, where
  • <location> = Browse or BrowseCM or Outline or Navigation or Specification or Specific

  Context information can be one or more of the following:

  • &implementation=<implementation name>
  • &data=<data set name>
  • &target=<target name>
  • &generator=<code generator name>
  • &action=editData or editImplementation

  • &project=<parent project DB/WS path and name>

    If a project is specified that does not exist, the link shall execute with the default project. A warning is reported in the monitor window.

ASCET links can be typed manually or created via the Create ASCET Links menu or context menu option in the following places:

• "Database" / "Workspace" list and "Contents" field in the component manager
• "Outline" tab in component and project editors
• "Navigation" tab in component and project editors (only for graphical hierarchies and statement blocks)
• "Specification" view and "Browse" view (except "Layout" tab) of component editors
• "Event Specification" view, "Parameter Mapping" view and "Message Mapping" view of the software component editor
• implementation editor and data editor for components/projects
• "Entry", "Static" and "Exit" tabs in state editors and "Action" and "Condition" tabs in transition editors
• "Graphics", "OS", "Formulas", "Impl. Types" and "EHOOKS" tab in the project editor

• tree view of the "Project Properties" window

  Note
  When you open a component editor from the editor of a specific parent project, the project is included in the ASCET links created via the context menus.

The options in the "Integration" node of the ASCET options window determine the way ASCET links are created by the context menu:

• Include Data Storage determines whether the links are created with (activated) or without (deactivated) <destination>.
• Destination as token determines whether a full path or a path token is generated for <destination>.

See also

ASCET Links: Addressable Objects

ASCET Links: Examples

Component Manager – Path Options (Environment)

Component Manager – Integration Options