Abstract:
A method includes performing an analysis or synthesis operation on a graphical model representation, producing a report from the analysis or synthesis operation and generating associations representing elements of the graphical model representation with corresponding elements in the report and using these associations as a way to reposition viewer based on actions to the graphical model representation.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to reverse links from graphical diagram representation. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Data representation and modeling are an integral part of working with dynamic real-world systems such as electrical circuits, shock absorbers, braking systems, and many other electrical, mechanical and thermodynamic systems. These systems can be modeled, simulated, analyzed and synthesized on a computer system using graphical environments such as graphical model representations, state diagrams, truth tables and unified modeling language (UML) diagrams. For example, a graphical model representation visually depicts mathematical relationships among a system&#39;s inputs, states, parameters, and outputs, typically through the use of a graphical user interface (GUI). Graphical model representation also visually depicts time-dependent mathematical relationships among a system&#39;s inputs, states, and outputs, typically for display on the GUI. 
     Graphical model representation can involve automatic code generation, a process whereby software source code and/or hardware design language (HDL) source code is automatically produced from a graphical model representation of a dynamic system. For example, the software source code produced by the automatic code generation process can be compiled and executed on a target processor, implementing the functionality specified by the graphical model representation. A code generation report can also be produced. A code generation report is a mark up language document that contains information of the source graphical model representation, settings of the code generator and the generated software (code) in syntax highlighted form. Each part of the generated software is translated by a compiler and saved into its own mark up language file. These markup language reports can be extremely long, complex and detailed. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect of the invention, a method includes performing an analysis or synthesis operation on a graphical model representation, producing a report from the analysis or synthesis operation, and generating associations representing elements of the graphical model representation with corresponding elements in the report. 
     One or more of the following features can also be included. 
     The report can be a document structured with portions corresponding to different elements of the graphical model representation. The document can be a structural coverage report. The document can be a code generation report incorporating syntax highlighted code. The document can be a profiling report that documents relative execution times of each of the elements. 
     In embodiments, the method can include loading an element in the report in response to activating a graphical object on the graphical model representation. Activating can be a computer mouse action. The associations are markup language tags. The markup language tags are hypertext markup language (HTML) tags. The report can be a model coverage report. The report can be a generated code report. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a system includes a means for performing an analysis or synthesis operation on a graphical model representation, a means for producing a report from the analysis or synthesis operation, and a means for generating associations representing elements of the graphical model representation with corresponding elements in the report. 
     One or more of the following features can also be included. The system can include a means for loading an element in the report in response to activating one of the graphical model elements. The report can be a document structured with portions corresponding to different elements of the graphical model representation. The document can be a structural coverage report. The document can be a code generation report incorporating syntax highlighted code. The document can be a profiling report that documents relative execution times of each of the elements. The associations can be markup language tags. The markup language tags can be hypertext markup language (HTML) tags. The markup language tags can be portable document format (PDF) embedded links. The report can be a model coverage report. The report can be a generated code report. 
     Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a graphical model representation of a code generation report generating system. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of the reverse linked code from graphical diagram representation process of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing an interaction of a report generator, graphical modeling tool and viewer. 
         FIG. 4  is an exemplary graphical model representation of a dynamic system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In  FIG. 1 , an exemplary code generation report generating system  10  includes a computer  12 , such as a personal computer (PC). Computer  12  is connected to a network  14 , such as the Internet, that runs TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) or other suitable protocol. Connections can be via Internet, wireless link, telephone line, and the like. 
     Computer  12  includes a processor  16  and memory  18 . Memory  18  stores an operating system (OS)  20  such as Windows XP or Linux, a TCP/IP protocol stack  22  for communicating over network  14 , machine executable instructions  24  executed by processor  16  to perform a reverse link graphical diagram representation process  100 , and a report compiler  28 . Computer  12  includes an input/output (I/O) device  30  for display of a graphical user interface (GUI)  32  to a user  34 . A graphical model representation can be displayed on the GUI  32  using, for example, a model editor (not shown). The GUI  32  is also used as a document viewer, which displays textual content, e.g., a report. 
     In  FIG. 2  the reverse link graphical diagram representation process  100  includes generating ( 102 ) a graphical model representation. The graphical model representation represents a dynamic system to be simulated and is displayed to the user  34  on the GUI  32  (e.g., through model editor) of the input/output device  30 . 
     The graphical model representation is specified by the user  34  and represented by a model diagram source model language such as, for example, Simulink® from The Mathworks, Inc. of Natick, Mass. The graphical model is subject to an analysis process  104 . The analysis process  104  generates ( 104 ) a report from the graphical model representation. The report may take the form of a mark-up language document (such as HTML document) that includes tags. The analysis process generates a block tag list ( 106 ) that contains tags for the blocks in the graphical model. The block tag  106  list associates blocks with tags. The block tag list  106  is sent to a model editor program  110 , which is responsible for displaying the graphical model  102 . 
     Each graphical object in the graphical model representation that is translated into code is referenced within the code with a tag and the same tag associated with a section of the report. Thus, the user  34  can select a graphical object on the graphical model representation and immediately the viewer displays a location in the report corresponding to that graphical object on the graphical model representation. The graphical model representation contains links or tags to the report that allow the user  34  to navigate from the graphical model representation to the report. 
     The same tags that are embedded in the report are stored as part of the data structures represented by the graphical objects in the graphical model representation. A tag or association, which can be a hyperlink, is a selectable connection from one word, picture, or information object to another in a multimedia environment such as the World Wide Web, and such objects can include sound and motion video sequences. The most common form of link is a highlighted word or picture that can be selected by the user (with a mouse or in some other fashion), resulting in the immediate delivery and view of another file. The highlighted object is referred to as an anchor. The anchor reference and the object referred to constitute a hyperlink. 
     Using the graphical model representation as a navigation aid to a report is an elegant way to index into a long and complex report. The report can be any form of document that is structured with portions corresponding to different graphical objects. Examples of reports include: structural coverage reports, code generation reports that incorporate syntax highlighted code, and profiling reports that document the relevant execution times of each model element. The graphical representation can be any hierarchical or non-hierarchical combination of graphical model representations, control flow diagrams, state diagrams and/or data flow diagrams provided within an editor or a viewer that is capable of responding to mouse actions. 
     A mouse action can be either the result of a movement of a graphical object, a mouse click on top of a graphical object, or the selection of a menu item from a pop-up menu for a graphical object. The result of the mouse action is that a document tag is retrieved from the editor and is passed to the document viewer causing the visible portion of the document to be adjusted to a specified point. 
     Using a graphical model representation as a navigation tool for a report is an alternative to browsing a structural index of the report or performing some type of text search on the report itself. Both of these techniques are tedious by comparison, thus process  100  allows the user  34  to scan through a familiar graphical representation of a design, i.e., the graphical model representation, and quickly access desired information. 
     In  FIG. 3 , a relationship diagram  150  includes a graphical model representation  152 , an analysis program and report generator  154  and a generated report  156 . The graphical model representation  152  includes blocks  158 ,  160  and is represented by a model language (not shown). During report generation  154  tags are sent to both appropriate sections of the graphical model representation  152  and the report  156 . The same tags are stored as part of the graphical model representation language data structures for block  158 ,  160 . An editor  162  can respond to mouse actions on the tags associated with the blocks  158 ,  160 , and serve a command to position the viewer  162  to the corresponding elements in the report  156 . The tags provide communication (e.g., mapping) between elements of the graphical model representation  152  and the report  156 . An example of logic within the HTML viewer  162  that responds to mouse clicks is:
         function on_mouse_click (blockData)
           if not is empty (blockData.html Tag)   browser.setlocation (blockData.htmlTag)   
           end       

     In  FIG. 4 , an exemplary graphical model representation  190  and associated code generation report  192  are shown. The model elements  201 ′ to  210 ′ include tags that point to corresponding lines  201  to  210  in the code generation report  192 . For example, a tag located at  201 ′ points to a gain block representation  201  in the code generation report  192 . 
     In other examples, process  100  is used in conjunction with a model coverage report. Model coverage is a measure of how thoroughly a test of a model tests the model. A model coverage tool determines the extent to which a model test exercises simulation control flow paths through a model. The percentage of paths that a test case exercises is called its model coverage. 
     For Mathworks Stateflow® charts, the model coverage tool records the execution of the chart itself and the execution of its states, transition decisions, and the individual conditions that compose each decision. When simulation is finished, a model coverage report tells the user how thoroughly a model has been tested in terms of how many times each exclusive OR substate has been active and inactive, how many times each transition decision has been evaluated True or False, and how many times each condition (predicate) has been evaluated True or False. 
     The invention can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of them. The invention can be implemented as a computer program product, i.e., a computer program tangibly embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a machine-readable storage device, for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers. A computer program can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network. 
     Method steps of the invention can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing a computer program to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output. Method steps can also be performed by, and apparatus of the invention can be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). 
     Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. Information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in special purpose logic circuitry. 
     The invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.