Creating a Web diagram

A Web diagram is a file that helps you create, visualize, and change the flow of a dynamic Web application. The Web diagram editor is a visual editor for creating and modifying Web diagrams.

Create a Web project. You can create either a dynamic Web project or a static Web project.

• Create a dynamic Web project if your Web application contains dynamic J2EE resources such as servlets, JSP files, filters, and associated metadata. A dynamic Web application can contain multiple Web diagrams.

• Create a static Web project if your Web application does not contain any server side scripting. A static Web project contains resources that do not change at runtime on the Web server, for example HTML and CSS files.

When you create a Web project, a Web Diagram,

WebDiagram.gph, is automatically created and opened in the editor. You can begin to define the flow of your Web application.

To create a Web diagram:

1. In the main menu, click

   File | New | Other. The New wizard opens.

2. In the wizard, click

   Web | Web Diagram.

3. Click Next. The Web Diagram File page opens.

4. Specify the parent folder for your Web diagram and type the name of your Web diagram.

5. If you want to associate the Web diagram with a file in the file system, click

   Advanced then select

   Link to file in the file system. You can specify the file to which you want to link your Web diagram in two ways:

   • Click Browse and select a file.

   • Click

     Variables and define a path variable.

6. If you are creating a Web diagram for a Struts application:

   1. Click Next to open the Struts Properties page.

   2. From the list, choose the module that will be associated with this diagram. A Struts module is comprised of a Struts configuration file and a set of corresponding actions, form beans, and Web pages. A Struts application is made up of at least one Struts module.

7. Click Finish. The Web diagram editor opens showing the new diagram.

Now, you can add nodes and connections to your Web diagram.

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