Modeling

Introduction

You can find general information about the Virtual Developer Modeler by visiting its online documentation. The page you are looking at right now teaches you how a model’s elements affect the generated code. The generator DTOs for UI processes models that are made with the DSLs Basic, UI and Product. It processes a subset of the DSLs’ modeling concepts. In the following sections only those modeling concepts are mentioned, that have an impact on the DTO class generation.

Main Modeling Concepts

There are no explicit modeling concepts related to DTO functionality. Instead, DTO classes and their functionality are derived from UI models that use the following main concepts.

Concept/Keyword	DSL	Description
layout	UI	defines a web page (when the layout is not part of another layout)
display	UI	defines a section of a web page, a display is referenced by a layout
toolbar	UI	defines a toolbar that is going to be linked to a layout or display
component	UI	defines a ui component that is part of a section of a web page

If you want to know more about the modeling of web applications, please have a look at the documentation of the JSF generators. The DTO generator creates classes for layout (as long as they are not referenced through the option Children in other layouts) and display.

Note

If you ever want to find out whether or when the DTO instances are accessed during the JSF lifecycle phases UPDATE_MODEL_VALUES and RENDER_RESPONSE, simply set a breakpoint in the setter and getter methods of the DTOs.