AUTLE stands for AUTomatic Layout by Examples, which targets on helping programmers layout design classes automatically by given examples.
To install the AUTLE plugin, put jar\autle_1_0\AUTLE_1.0.0.jar into your Eclipse plugin directory, and restart your Eclipse.
AUTLE supports manual class layout on Grid Matrix. The programmer can simply drag design classes from left package view window, and drop them on the AUTLE grid matrix. The class figures will automatically visualized on the grid matrix right where the dragged classes were dropped. The programmer can move the classes anywhere he want on grid matrix
Each grid is a container to learn common attributes from classes dropped in it. For example, if classses drop in a grid are extended from a class in upper grid, AUTLE will recognize the upper grid as a container of parent class, and the lower grid as another container of children classes. The recognized association can be memorized to create layout templates.
For example, here is a layout template for strategy pattern design strucutre:
The programmer create the layout template according to current class layout. After manual class layout, if the class layout is meaningful to the programmer, he may want to keep and reuse the layout rules. The programmer can do this by click the AUTLE Command -> Layout Template Creation on popup menybar. AUTLE asks the programmer for newly created template name, and creates a special template file, such as observer.atpl, in physical file system. In the meantime, current grid matrix will be applied the newly created template. Those grids with labels will turn yellow.
The labels in each grid can be checked by the tips of each grid. When the mouse is moved on the grid, tips wille be poped up to tell the programmer what pattern label is added to this grid. When the programmer again drags a class from package view window to the grid matrix, this time the dropped classes will be automatically layout to approrpiate grids
The programmer can apply an exisitng layout template in the same way as creating a template. The AUTLE Command -> Apply Layout Template on popup menybar will pops up a dialog to ask for needed template name. The template will be loaded into current grid matrix, and those grids with labels will be marked yellow as well.
Fr example, applying Strategy Pattern Template on JHotDraw 5.1, several loosely visualized strategy pattern instances (a) and (c) will be re-organized as shown in (b) and (d).
- W.-C. Hu and H. C. Jiau, "Class Diagram Layout by Design Pattern Examples," The 20th Workshop on Object-Oriented Technology and Applications, Nov. 2009.