Together is extensively customizable. There are many configuration options you can set to change the way different subsystems work, or to handle data in ways that fit with your own requirements. For example, corporate managers or team leaders may wish to modify round-trip engineering blueprints or create custom documentation templates so that code generation and generated documentation conform to company standards or conventions. Analysts or designers may want View Management options set to hide implementation details; engineers may want their code formatted a certain way. All these customizations and many more are quite easy to do.
This topic presents an overview of the configuration architecture and categories of configurable options. The other topics in this section explain how the configuration interface works and how to do the most common configuration management tasks.
The underlying file architecture for configuration properties has changed significantly from version 2.x. The single configuration file formerly in $TOGETHER_HOME$/lib/config.properties is replaced by multiple configuration properties files in $TOGETHER_HOME$/config/*.config. The options in these files reference strings etc. in resource files located in $TOGETHER_HOME$/lib/i18n/*.properties.
With version 3, most common configuration tasks - reverse engineering and code construction blueprints for example - are GUI-based and handled in the Options dialog launched from the Options menu. The only time you really needed to work directly with *.config files is if you want to do low-level customizations such as modifying the Inspector or the configuration options themselves.
In Version 4, low-level much customization such as Inspectors moved out of the configuration proeprties subsystem and into modules.
Configuration settings are applied at multiple levels. The pre-configured default levels are:
Default:
configuration settings are always in effect installation-wide unless
overridden at a more local level.
Project:
settings apply to a specific project overriding the same settings at
the default level.
Diagram: settings apply to a specific diagram overriding the same settings at the project and/or default level.
Configuration options can be marked "final" at any level, meaning that they cannot be overridden at another "lower" level. When Together is run as a server-based application, the configuration is centralized and shared by all users. An administrator or manager can customize the configuration so that some customizations apply globally across the enterprise (default level-marked final) and/or globally for a team (project level - marked final). This enables unobtrusive enforcement of conventions, guidelines, and standards for code construction, formatting, diagram content, and more.
For example, Version Control and Source Code options might be set at the default level, and Diagram and Print options at the project level, marking them final in both cases to prevent users on a shared installation from overriding them.
Modifying the levels
It is possible to modify the definitions of the pre-defined configuration levels and to add additional levels (see Modifying the default config levels for more information).
Where to go next
For information on setting options at different levels, see Using the Options dialog.
For an overview of the categories of customization options and how to access them, see Guide to the Options pages.
For a list of frequently-needed customizations and how to do them, see Common Customizations.
C++ users: be sure to see Configurations for C++.