Create Topic Canvas¶
1. Create New Topic Canvas¶
Topic canvases are how we create the conceptual data model before we create physical data model.
Use the Design then Topic Canvas menu to access the Topic Canvas.
The first time we go into that screen it will be blank as we have not created any Topic Canvas yet.
Create a New Canvas using the New Canvas button.
ADI will pop out and ask you for the name of your Topic Canvas, input a name that relates to the data domain or core business processes you are about to model and click Create Canvas .
For example, we are creating a conceptual model for a “user placing an order”, so I create a topic Canvas called User Orders.
The Topic Canvas can be renamed at any time.
2. Create Conceptual Modelling¶
The next step is to populate the Topic Canvas with the conceptual model
Topic Canvas are comprised of a number of core business Concepts that are related via core business Events.
No core business Concepts exist yet, so we need to create draft Concept Tiles. Draft tiles are conceptual Tiles.
Create User Concept Tile¶
To do that, we click on the Concept area, input name a Concept name, in this case User , then select Who from the drop down, and finally click Create.
You will see a new Draft tile turn up on the right side.
Create Order Concept Tile¶
We also want to create an additional Concept, for Order, which is a What.
We have created 2 Draft Concept Tiles that will eventually store all the Users (in User tile) and all the Orders (in Order tile).
3. Related Concept Tiles via Events¶
The last step is to relate the User Tile and the Order Tile via an Event Tile.
This step is conceptually modeling the core business event of “user placing an order”.
Relate the User and Order Concept Tiles with the Event Tile¶
By default there is a blank Event Tile created on every new Topic Canvas.
First, grab the User``Tile and drop it onto the empty blue area on the ``Event Tile.
Then repeat this with the Order Tile and drop it on the next empty blue area.
Rename the Event Tile¶
Rename the Event Tile to represent the core business process, we recommend using a naming convention of “Who Does What”.
For example, we have User and Order Tiles, so let’s name the Event Tile User Places Order.
Add additional Event Tiles¶
At anytime we can add additional conceptual core business Event Tiles with the New Event button.
Remove Event Tiles¶
We can also remove Event Tiles from a Topic Canvas with Remove button.
This only removes the Event Tile from the Topic Canvas, this does not delete the Event Tile, to delete it you will need to do that from the Catalog screen.
Draft Tiles in Catalog¶
Congratulations! You’ve created a new Topic Canvas.
You have also created two draft Concept Tiles and one draft Event Tile.
Now you can see these draft Tiles in Catalog screen in the Lastest tiles area.
