Patent ID: 6931625

Claim:
A method in a data processing system for simplifying a graphical representation of code, the code having a plurality of related elements, wherein a first of the plurality of related elements corresponds to a first participant in a pattern, and wherein a second of the plurality of related elements corresponds to a second participant in the pattern, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a request to further simplify a portion of the preexisting graphical representation of the code associated with the pattern; determining that the first and the second related elements are related to each other; displaying a representative symbol in lieu of the preexisting graphical representation of the first and the second related elements responsive to determining that the first and the second related elements are related to each other; displaying a pattern collapsed tag in association with the representative symbol; displaying a pattern name in association with the representative symbol; displaying an identification for the first related element in association with the representative symbol; and displaying an identification for the second related element in association with the representative symbol, wherein the steps are performed by working directly with the code without using a repository for the code.