Testing Masters

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You should test all the masters on a stencil together for consistency and then test each master individually. After performing the following tests, spend a few minutes to construct the kind of diagram or chart the shapes are intended to produce. This is the best way to evaluate their interaction, accuracy, and usefulness and to discover limitations or missing elements.

Checking the Consistency of Masters

You need to ensure that a stencil contains all the masters it should, that the names and formats are understandable, and that the icons appear in a predictable order on the stencil. If you have a written specification for master standards, be sure to check each shape against the specification.

To check the consistency of masters on a stencil, open the stencil file as Original, and then verify the items shown in the following table.

Verifying the consistency of masters on a stencil

Item

What to verify

Expected number of masters are on the stencil

Verify this number against the specification, if you have one. If the stencil is later modified and you test it again, you will know whether masters have been added or removed.

Master name and prompt

Check for correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, content, and spacing, and that these are consistent with other shapes.

Remove trailing spaces in the master name that would cause highlighting to extend farther than needed when the icon is selected.

Align names in the same way for each master on the stencil.

Icons

Ensure that each icon is a meaningful, clear representation of its master. To check, right-click the master and click Edit Icon on the shortcut menu.

Arrange icons logically, align them consistently, and ensure that they appear in the order you want on the stencil.

Set icons to the correct size. Normal is the most commonly used setting (use the Icon size box in the New Master or Master Properties dialog box).

Icons with custom graphics are set to update automatically. To check, right-click the master and click Master Properties on the shortcut menu. In the Master Properties dialog box, select the Generate icon automatically from shape data check box.

Checking the Master in the Master Drawing Window

To test a master in the master drawing window, open the stencil file as Original. In the stencil window, double-click a master icon or right-click the master and click Edit Master on the shortcut menu; this will open the master's drawing window. You can then verify the following items.

Verifying items in a master

Item

What to verify

Scale used by shape

Shape should use the appropriate scale. To check, on the File menu, click Page Setup, and then click the Drawing Scale tab. For example, an office layout solution might use an architectural scale where 1/2" = 1'0". An office shape would need to use the same drawing scale.

1-D or 2-D interaction style

Interaction style should be appropriate for shape. To check, select the master on the page and click Behavior on the Format menu.

Information about the master in the Special dialog box is correct

For example, verify that the Data boxes contain information and the shape is linked to shape-specific Help. To check, select a shape in the master drawing window and click Special on the Format menu.

Appropriate protection options are set

Open the ShapeSheet window for a shape or the page in the master drawing window and check the Protection section. Or select a shape in the master drawing window and click Protection on the Format menu to verify the protection settings.

Connection points

On the View menu, click Connection Points.are visible

Testing Masters with Different Page Scales

Because a stencil and a drawing page are opened with each template you provide, you should test each shape on all the different page scales with which the shape is intended to work. It's also helpful to test a shape on a page with a very different scale.

To test a shape in a drawing of the same scale

  1. On the File menu, click Open.
  2. For File name, select a template file containing a stencil with masters to test and a drawing page that uses the same scale as the masters.
  3. Click the arrow next to the Open button, click Read only, and then click Open.
  4. Drag a master onto the drawing page to create the instance to test.

Verify the items in the following table.

Verifying an instance of a master in a drawing of the same scale

Item

What to verify

General shape behavior

The shape is aligned appropriately within its alignment box as you drag it.

The shape behaves as expected when connected to other shapes; for example, a connector shape uses the appropriate glue type.

The shape acts as expected when you double-click it. Check the settings by selecting the shape on the page, clicking Behavior on the Format menu, and then clicking the Double-Click tab.

The shape can be deleted. The shape looks the way you want it to when you print it on expected output devices. For example, some fill patterns affect performance on some printers.

Snap and glue behavior

The shape and the alignment box snap to the grid.

The instance snaps to other shapes and to the grid or guides as expected.

Shape text

The shape's text box appears in the correct place, and text you type in it wraps and aligns appropriately.

The shape and its text act as you expect when you do the following:

Apply a fill style.

Resize the shape vertically, horizontally, and proportionately. This test is particularly important if you have programmed the shape to resize in a unique way—for example, in only one direction.

Rotate the shape using the Rotate Left and Rotate Right commands and the Rotation tool.

Reverse ends and flip the shape vertically and horizontally.

Ungroup the shape. If it is not a group, the Ungroup command is dimmed.

Shape customization

If the shape has custom properties, they appear as expected. To check, select the shape and click Custom Properties Window on the View menu. Or, click Custom Properties on the Shape menu.

If the shape has customized actions on its shortcut menu, they work as intended. To check, right-click the shape and click the action command (or commands).

The prompt and shape-specific Help provide useful information about the shape.

The Special dialog box contains appropriate information. To check, select the shape and then click Special on the Format menu.

To test a shape in a drawing of a different scale

  1. Create a new drawing page with a much different scale from the shape you want to test.
  2. For example, if the master was created at a scale of 1:1, create a drawing page with a scale of 1 / 4 inch = 1 foot.

  3. Drag a master onto the drawing page to create the instance to test.
  4. Verify the following:
    • The shape is aligned appropriately within its alignment box as you drag it.
    • The shape and the alignment box snap to the grid.
    • The shape and its text act as you expect when you resize the shape vertically, horizontally, and proportionately.
    • The shape and its text act as you expect when you rotate the shape using the Rotate Left and Rotate Right commands and the Rotation tool.


Developing Microsoft Visio Solutions 2001
Developing Microsoft Visio Solutions (Pro-Documentation)
ISBN: 0735613532
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 180

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