Book Image

Microsoft Visio 2010 Business Process Diagramming and Validation

By : David Parker
Book Image

Microsoft Visio 2010 Business Process Diagramming and Validation

By: David Parker

Overview of this book

Microsoft Visio is a diagramming program using vector graphics, which ultimately allows business professionals to explore and communicate complex information more effectively. Through various visual representations, Visio enables complicated data to be presented in a clear, communicative, and data-connected way. Therefore, productivity is increased by utilizing the wide variety of diagrams that can convey information at a glance, as data can be understood and acted upon quickly. This book enables business developers to unleash the full potential of Diagram Validation that Visio 2010 Premium Edition has to offer.This focused tutorial will enable you to get to grips with Diagram Validation in Visio 2010 Premium Edition to the fullest extent, enabling powerful automatic diagram verification based on custom logic and assuring correct and compliant diagrams. You will learn how to create and publish Rules, and use the ShapeSheet to write formulae. There is a special focus on extending and enhancing the capabilities of Visio 2010 diagram validation, and on features that are not found in the out-of-the-box product, like installing and using a new Rules Tools add-in, complete with source code, reviewing the new diagramming rules in flowchart and BPMN templates, and creating your own enhanced Data Flow Model Diagram template, complete with Validation Rules.The book begins by covering the basic functions of Visio 2010, and then dives deep into showing you how to formulate your own Validation Rules and understand the Visio Object Model. ShapeSheet functions are explored in detail, as are creating Validation Rule Sets and Rules, and visualizing issues, with practical demonstrations along the way. Other content includes building a Rules Tools add-in using C#, creating test and filter expressions, and publishing Validation Rules for others to use. Finally, the book considers the creation and implementation of a new RuleSet for Data Flow Model Diagrams with a worked example.By following the practical and immediately deployable examples found in the book, you will successfully learn both how to use the features of Microsoft Visio 2010, and how to extend the functionality provided in the box.
Table of Contents (15 chapters)
Microsoft Visio 2010 Business Process Diagramming and Validation
Credits
Foreword
About the Author
About the Reviewers
Preface

Completing the template


Now that you have modified the masters, written the validation rules, and enhanced the first page, you need to put the finishing touches to the template before creating an installation file.

Follow the instructions in Chapter 8 to add a title block, select a theme, and to insert the page name field into the title shape in the background page. Then save your document as a template DFMD_M.vst, if it is metric units, or DFMD_U.vst, if it is US units.

Test your template by creating a new document from it, and then resize the first page to be square.

Note

If you hold down the Ctrl key and move your mouse cursor to the top of the page, then you will see that the cursor changes to a vertical two-way arrow. You can then click and drag the top edge of the page downwards, whilst still holding down the Ctrl key, until the page looks square.

Now arrange some of the DFD shapes on the page as this page will be used as the preview image on your new template. Follow the instructions...