7.2 Navigating AADL Object Models
The AADL Object Editor is used to view and edit both declarative AADL models and AADL instance models.  The declarative AADL models are collections of component type and implementation declarations, AADL package declarations containing type and implementation declarations, and property set declarations. These declarative models can be expressed in textual AADL, stored as AADL text files (see section 5.4), and converted to AADL XML files (see section 5.5). They can also be created in the AADL Object Editor, stored as AADL XML files (see section 7), and converted into textual AADL (see section 7.6). AADL instance models are instantiations of a system implementation to represent a system instance, whose application software is to be bound to the execution platform.  AADL instance models are maintained as AADL XML files (see section 7.5).
The user can browse and navigate an AADL object model in several ways:
    • The user can select a component classifier in the “Outline” view.  The focus of the Edit pane is moved to the selected item.
    • The user can navigate the hierarchical structure in the Edit pane itself.  The hierarchy view can be opened and collapsed by clicking on the “+” and “-“ symbols on the left hand side.
    • The user can navigate to the location in an AADL object model, for which an error, warning, or information marker is displayed in the “Problems” view.  Double-clicking on the message in the “Problems” view will change the focus of the editor to that location (and open the editor if necessary).
    • The user can navigate by following references associated with a selected object in the AADL object model.  This is done through the context menu or “Aadl Editor” menu. These navigation commands are useful when tracking down the source of error and warning messages.
    • The command “Goto Source/Classifier” moves the editor focus to the source point of a connection or a flow specification, or to the classifier of a subcomponent or feature.
    • The command “Goto Destination/Declaration” moves the editor focus to the destination point of a connection or a flow specification, or to the declaration in the declarative model for a selected object in the instance model.
    • The user can “goto” the AADL Text Editor or the AADL Graphical Editor at the current location.
    • The user can navigate by making use of the edit history by moving back and forth with the “Back” and “Forward” commands in the “Navigate” menu or the corresponding toolbar buttons with the yellow arrow point to the left and to the right.