Training / Self study Guide

These are the topics for training or self study for learning or mastering the  CoolGen concepts. Example : Cool Gen Client server, Cool Gen Batch mode, Cool Gen Block mode.
If you want the schematic approach for learning this tool, follow this sequence and practice. There are set of questions that can help build expertise. Submit comments if you have any questions, or suggestions.. 

Update - June 2015. Per requests, this appears to be most helpful page. Hence adding a step by step desc below on each topic.. 

Subset Management

1. Overview. 
2. Understand design and construction subset definition including scoping objects, protection and expansion concepts, and the expansion conflict report.

Data Modeling

1. Overview. 
2. Understand and apply data modeling concepts.  
3. Including the ability to indentify entity types, relationships, attributes, identifiers and their properties.
4. Understand how to interpret a data model. Keywords - Transferable , Modifying , Referencing Relationships. Always, Sometimes, One , One or More
5. Interpret data model delete rules. Keywords - Delete, Disassociate, Disallow

Action Diagramming

1. Understand the purpose and properties of business systems.
2. Understand Views and their uses.
3. Understand conditional statements and their uses.
4. Understand view mapping and view matching.
5. Understand how to interpret a data model for action diagram logic, including performance and efficiency of different types of READs.
6. Understand and apply explicit and implicit subscripting.
7. Understand how database commits work in COOL:Gen.
8. Understand external action blocks.
9. Understand how Procedures, Procedure Steps, and Actions Blocks work together.
10. Understand purpose and use of dialog flows.

Technical Design

1. Understand Transformation, Retransformation, and the Data Structure List.
2. Code Generation
3. Understand Construction environmental parameters.
4. Understand how to use the build tool including the setup file.
5. Diagnose the causes of common errors found during Construction and Test.
6. Understand RI trigger concepts.
7. Understand packaging concepts.
8. Understand regeneration implications of making analysis or design changes.
9. General Toolset Capabilities
10. Understand the  *.dat, checkout.trn, and update.trn files.
11. Understand how to use workstation reports.

Testing

1. Recognize and solve common logic errors during testing.
2. Understand the trace facility.

Detailed Topics : 

1) Subset Management :

Processing of choosing the objects from Host Encyclopedia to be brought down to local encyclopedia

Goals:

●Allow multiple analysts to share access to a model with full protection against accidental update conflicts.● Minimize the amount of data downloaded to perform workstation tasks.
● Is stored in Central Encyclopedia
● Components :
  o Scoping object types
  o Scoped objects
  o Usage requested
  o Expansion option

Each scoping object type lets user work on different parts of the model.

Examples of scoping object types :

                   Subject Area

                   Entity Types

                   Procedures

                   Functions

                   Processes

                   Procedure Types

                   Exit States

                   Commands

                   Business Systems

                   Databases

                   Common Action Block

                   Data Records

                   Work Attribute Sets

                   External Objects 

A subset can contain

As many specific objects of as many scoping object types.

(I.e) 3 procedures, 4 procedure steps, 2 entity types, 5 exit states and 3 work attributes.

All occurrences of a specific scoping object type

 Subset Protection 

Protection Logic prevents subset users from making conflicting updates and optimizes shared use of a model

                       Protection Logic Rules

●Any number of subsets can have access usage of an object

●Only one active subset can have modify usage of an object

●Other subsets containing that object only have access usage

●Only one active subset can have delete usage of an object

●All other subsets containing that object have read-only message

Subset Usage Level 

Defines actions to perform on a scoped object

There are four levels of usage:

●D (Delete) : Most powerful, allows deletion of an object from the model

●M (Modify) : Allows changes to an object. Associations can be added or deleted.

●A (Access) : Allows use of an object. Characteristics cannot be changed. Associations can be added or deleted.

●R (Read Only) : Only allows read of objects. Associations cannot be added or deleted. 

Types of Subsets 

Design: Only coding can be done Packaging and generation are not possible

Unit Test:: Coding, packaging, generation and unit testing in work station are possible for the scoped procedure steps. If a new subset is defined with a Procedure step then it cannot be generated or tested with this type

System Test: Similar to Unit test. If a subset is defined of this type, then including a Procedure step enables generating and testing also. Mainly used for Cascade generation for the entire model

HOST ENCYCLOPEDIA - SUBSET MANAGEMENT options menu 

●Add subset definition

●modify subset definition

●Delete subset definition

●Display subset definition summary

●Display subset tutorial

●Copy subset definition

●Check subset for consistency

●Change checkout USERID for subset

●Display subset statistics

●Subset reports