The ORM Foundation

Ok,

 I guess I am a complete noob here...

 I am trying to find the NORMA_Lab1.ppt and I am stuck on Slide. How do you type something into the fact editor? Nothing happens when I attempt it?

I am using VS2008 and the 2009-0CTP.

Thanks,

BOb

Hi Bob,

Not wishing to be trite, but have you checked stuff such as:
* Right click the design surface and choose the fact editor.
* The fact editor window should open. (it opens at the bottom of the screen on my system)
* make sure that the cursor is in the fact editor window by clicking within the window.
* Type in a fact, for example

Pilot(.id) flies Aircraft(.type)

NORMA recognises text that begins with a capital letter as an "object" - and by convention objects are red.

After typing in the fact, you then use "Ctrl-enter" and your fact should appear on the drawing surface in graphical symbols.
If you open the verbaliser window, you will then see the meaning of the fact and you can use this to help you to set constraints.

Let us know if this helps you to solve the problem.
If not - please come back to us with a step-by-step description of what you are doing.

Ken

Hi Bob,

Sorry - you need to use Ctrl-enter to enter the fact. (I incorrectly said Ctrl-click in my original message)

Ken

 Ok, I get it... is it plugged in? is it turned on? I'm not too insulted.

Anyway, yes, I followed the steps on the slide. The problem is, in the Fact Editor I am not getting a cursor. So, I can't type anything. Is there some key stroke or mouse click (right click) or something to put the fact editor in, well, edit mode?  I am selecting the fact window, it has focus.

Are there any known conflicts with CodeRush possibly or any other add-ins?

 Thanks,

 BOb

On my system, when I right click and select the fact editor, the fact editor window opens and a blinking cursor appears at the top left of the fact editor window. This is the "normal" behaviour.

Does the cursor appear in the other tool windows?
In other words, is the problem just with the fact editor window or does it happen with other windows?

Can you click and drag an ORM object onto the drawing surface from the ORM Designer toolbox?

 Ken 

 I get a cursor in the Notes Editor, Informat Definition Editor. 

I do notice that when I switch to the fact editor it retains the contents of the last editor I was on. For example, if I select the Sample Population editor, I get a grey box that "Sample Population is not available for current selection".. If then I switch to the fact editor, I see that same gray screen and message. If I switch to Notes Editor, and type something in, then switch to the Facts Editor it still shows the notes I just typed... but the cursor goes away and I can type anything any more. 

So, it certainly looks like something is wrong with the fact editor. If I undock it for example I see tons on Titlebars cascaded through it... like it isn't actualy refreshing to the edit control that is in it.

BOb

I haven't heard of anything like this. It sounds like the code window is not initializing at all.

The window contents are implemented with the VsCodeWindowClass, we provide the language service for it. The only thing we're doing that is somewhat out of the ordinary is creating the editor window in a tool window instead of the normal document window.

You could change the creation sequence somewhat by closing the Fact Editor window, then closing your model, then VS, then relaunching and showing the window again. If you're comfortable with attaching a debugger, then you shoud do this before reopening the Fact Editor. However, my guess is that this is having problems at the unmanaged (C++ guts) level of VS, not in the managed code, so it might be difficult to get a callstack. Some basic debugging instructions are included in the readme.htm file (I install this now with the latest release, so it is a little easier to find).

I have to suspect CodeRush here as the incompatible component because it is interacts at a low level with code windows, and the Fact Editor is an IVsCodeWindow. You could temporarily break CodeRush (Inside HKLM/Software/Microsoft/VisualStudio/8.0/Packages, find something with CodeRush in it and add hidden to the dll name in the InprocServer32 value or the CodeBase value (or anywhere you find a dll name in the values)). You'll get a number of messages on relaunch (do not permanently disable CodeRush when you are offered the opportunity). Ignore them, open an .orm diagram, and see if you can view the Fact Editor.

 I wish I had more to say on this, I've just never seen it, and showing the editor is pretty standard code pulled straight from the VS SDK.

 -Matt

Thanks for the information.

I'll recommend to Matt that he puts this in a "Known Problems" subsection of the readme in future NORMA releases.

Ken 

sonnyz:

I had the same problem. The Fact Editor window would not paint itself. I resolved the issue by uninstalling DxCore tools (similar to CodeRush)

That could be my problem. I do have Code Rush installed. I will disable it an try again when I have time to get back to this. 

BOb