Glossary

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1-D shape Either a straight line you draw using Microsoft Visio drawing tools or a shape that has a begin point and an end point, either of which can be glued between other shapes to connect them. A 1-D shape behaves like a line.

2-D shape A shape that has eight selection handles that you can use to resize the shape. Most closed shapes, such as rectangles and ellipses, are 2-D shapes. A 2-D shape behaves like a box.

Action 1. A user-defined menu item associated with a shape. When the shape is selected, the item appears on the shortcut menu and on the Actions submenu of the Shape menu. 2. A program or Microsoft Visio command that runs in response to an event.

Active document The document that is currently available for editing in an instance of Microsoft Visio.

Active page The drawing page that is currently available for editing in a Visio document.

ActiveX control An object you can place on a user form or drawing that has its own set of properties, methods, and events, such as a toolbar button.

Add-on A program that extends MicrosoftVisio through Automation references to Visio objects, methods, and properties.

Alignment box The rectangle that appears around shapes and objects from other applications as you move them.

Anchor point A fixed point that anchors a "rubber-band" line, whose other end is connected to a control handle. Anchor points are visible only when live dynamics has been disabled for a document. When live dynamics is disabled, the rubber-band line stretches and shrinks to provide visual feedback as the user moves the control handle, but it does not affect the behavior of the control handle.

Anchored window A window that anchors to the inside edge of the drawing area. Anchored windows have an AutoHide feature so they can collapse or expand.

Angle of rotation The angle of the orientation of a shape's local coordinate system with respect to its parent coordinate system. The angle of rotation is specified in the Angle cell of the Shape Transform section.

Angular unit Unit in which angles are expressed in ShapeSheet cells.

Antiscaling Behavior in which a shape is not sized according to the drawing scale of a page. Visio automatically antiscales shapes when the drawing scale of the master exceeds the range of eight.

Argument A constant, variable, or expression passed to a procedure, such as a function.

Attribute An individual formatting element, such as line color, fill color, or line weight, that you can apply to shapes. A style can have more than one attribute.

Automation A means by which an application can incorporate or extend the functionality of another application by using its objects.

Background A page that appears behind another page in a drawing. Shapes on a background page are visible from the foreground page, but cannot be selected or edited unless the background page is first made active.

Begin point The selection handle at the beginning of a 1-D shape. The begin point is marked by an x.

Bitmap An image stored as a pattern of dots. A scanned photograph or graphic that you create in a paint program is stored as a bitmap.

Boolean value A data type with only two possible values-TRUE or FALSE. When numeric types are converted to Boolean values, zero (0) becomes FALSE and all other values become TRUE.

Bow The distance from the midpoint of a circular arc to the midpoint of the arc's chord.

Cell reference Used in formulas in a ShapeSheet spreadsheet to calculate the value of one cell on the basis of the value of another cell.

Center of rotation The point around which a shape or text block rotates. When you select a two-dimensional (2-D) shape with the Rotation tool, its center of rotation is marked by a circle with a plus sign inside it. By default, the center of rotation is at the center of the shape. You can move the center of rotation by dragging it with the Rotation tool. Also known as pin.

Chord A line that connects the endpoints of an arc.

Class module In a Microsoft Visual Basic or Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) project, a module containing the definition of a class (its properties and methods).

Client application In Automation, the application (such as your program) that uses the objects exposed by a server application,such as Microsoft Visio. The client application creates instances of the objects and then sets their properties or invokes their methods to make the objects serve the application. Design mode The state of Microsoft Visio in which you can insert ActiveX controls on a drawing page, move and size controls, and set their properties. The document's mode is synchronized with that of its Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) project, so both the document and its project are always in the same mode. While a document is in design mode, none of its objects (including controls) issues events.

COM (Component Object Model) add-in Compiled code that extends the functionality of Visio or any product that supports COM add-ins. A COM add-in is typically a dynamic-link library (DLL) that is specially registered for loading by Microsoft Visio and other Microsoft Office or Office XP applications.

Connection point A point on a shape to which a connector can be glued. You can create new connection points inside, outside, or on the perimeter of a shape using the Connection Point tool. Each of a shape's connection points is marked with a blue x when Connection Points is selected on the View menu.

Connector Any one-dimensional (1-D) shape that can be glued between two shapes in a drawing to connect the shapes. You can also use lines and other shapes you draw as connectors.

Control An object you can place on a user form or drawing that has its own set of properties, methods, and events, such as a toolbar button.

Control handle A handle that controls a shape's behavior in special ways. For example, you can create a control handle so the user can adjust the roundness of a shape's corners, reshape an arrow, or drag a connector directly out of a two-dimensional (2-D) shape.

Control point 1. The circular handle that appears on a line, arc, or spline (or a line, arc, or spline segment) when it is selected with the Pencil tool. You can drag a control point to change the curvature of an arc or ellipse. 2. A point that influences the curvature of a spline segment.

Control polygon A series of straight line segments that connect all the control points of a single spline.

Coordinates A pair of numbers that indicates the position of a point in relation to the origin of a shape, a group, or the page. The x- coordinate indicates the horizontal position, and the y- coordinate indicates the vertical position.

Custom color A color in a Visio drawing that is stored with a shape as an rgb or hsl value rather than as an index to the document's color palette. A custom color is saved only with the shape that it is applied to.

Custom property User-specified data associated with a shape. For example, a shape that represents an engine part could have custom properties that identify its part number, price, and number of items in stock.

Default units The units of measure used to display a value in a ShapeSheet cell if no units of measure are explicitly specified. Default drawing and page units are properties of a drawing page. Default angular and text units are application settings.

Design mode The state of Microsoft Visio in which you can insert ActiveX controls on a drawing page, move and size controls, and set their properties. The document's mode is synchronized with that of its Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) project, so both the document and its project are always in the same mode. While a document is in design mode, none of its objects (including controls) issues events.

Digital certificate Security information entered into a program by the developer or by a third-party company that identifies the developer of a component as a trusted source. The main purpose of the digital certificate is to ensure that the public key contained in the certificate belongs to the entity to which the certificate was issued.

Digital signature Binary data that is calculated by applying an algorithm to the original data (in this case, the macro code) and a numeric private key. The private key has a corresponding public key. A digital signature can be used to prove that the data really is from the user or source that the digital signature claims it to be from.

Direction handle The handle that appears on a selected connection point to indicate its direction. The direction handle determines whether the shape rotates when it is glued to another shape.

Docked window A window that is fixed along the outside of any of the four borders of the drawing window.

Document sheet See Page sheet.

Document stencil A stencil that contains a copy of any master ever used on any page in the file. Masters on the document stencil are used to draw their instances in the drawing file. A document stencil is stored in a drawing or template file.

Domain of influence The portion of a spline, specified as a number of spline knots, whose curvature is influenced by a single control point.

Drawing All the shapes on a foreground page together with all the shapes on any assigned background pages.

Drawing file A file that stores one or more Visio drawings. Drawing files have the .vsd or .vdx file name extension. A drawing file can contain one or more pages. Every drawing file has its own stencil, called a document stencil, which contains all the masters you used on any of the drawing pages in that file, even if you deleted them from the drawing page. To view the document stencil, on the File menu, point to Stencils, and then click Document Stencil .

Drawing page The printable area in a drawing window that contains a drawing. A page can be either a foreground or a background page. Each page has a size, which usually corresponds to a standard paper size, and it has a scale.

Drawing scale The ratio of a page scale to a specified number of drawing units, such as 1 cm = 1 m.

Drawing unit Dimensions that reflect the actual size of objects represented by shapes in a Visio drawing. For example, in an architectural drawing that uses the scale 1 cm = 1 m, the drawing unit is meters.

Drawn shape A shape created using Microsoft Visio drawing tools.

Dynamic glue A type of glue behavior in which the endpoint of a connector can move from one connection point to another as the connected shapes are moved. Also called walking glue.

Eccentricity handle The circle that appears at each end of a dotted line when a control point of an elliptical arc is selected with the Pencil tool. Moving an eccentricity handle changes the angle and magnitude of an arc's eccentricity.

End point The selection handle at the end of a one-dimensional (1-D) shape. The end point is marked by a plus sign (+).

Endpoint Either of the square handles that appear at the beginning or end of a selected line, arc, or other one-dimensional (1-D) shape. The endpoint at the beginning of the shape (begin point) is marked by an x. The endpoint at the end of the shape (end point) is marked by a plus sign (+).

Enhanced metafile One of two metafile formats that is designed for applications written to run with the Win32 application programming interface (API). The enhanced metafile format is standardized, and pictures that are stored in this format can be copied from one Win32-based application to another. Because pictures in this format are truly device independent, they are guaranteed to maintain their shape and proportion on any output device.

Event An occurrence in an instance of Microsoft Visio, such as a change to a shape formula or the deletion of a page.

Event object A Visio object you create to handle Visio events. An Event object pairs an event with an action-either to run an add-on or to notify an object in your program that the event occurred. When the event occurs, the Event object fires, triggering its action.

Event procedure In a Microsoft Visual Basic or Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) program, code that is executed when an event occurs. For example, a button on a Visual Basic form usually has an event procedure to handle the Click event.

Event sink In a Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) program, a class that receives events fired by a particular kind of Visio object. In a stand-alone Visual Basic, C, or C++ program, an object that receives the notification sent by a Visio Event object and that enables two-way communication between a stand-alone solution and a Visio instance.

Explicit units Units of measure specified as part of a number-unit pair so that the result is always displayed using the units specified. For example, the value "3 mm" always appears as "3 mm" in a ShapeSheet spreadsheet.

Expression A combination of constants, operators, functions, and references to ShapeSheet cells that results in a value.

Field A placeholder in text that displays information, such as dimensions, dates, and times, in a specified format. A field might display the date and time a drawing is printed, a shape's angle of rotation, or the result of a formula you write. Fields are automatically updated when you change a drawing.

Fill The color and pattern inside a filled shape. The default fill in Microsoft Visio is solid white.

Floating window A window that can appear anywhere on the screen. A floating window is always on top of other windows.

Foreground page The top page of a drawing. Shapes on the foreground page appear in front of shapes on the background page and are not visible when you edit the background of the drawing.

Form A file in a Microsoft Visual Basic or Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) project with the file name extension .frm that contains user interface controls, such as command buttons and text boxes.

Format 1. To affect the appearance of a shape (such as the thickness and color of its lines, the color and pattern inside the shape, or its font) either by using a style or by applying individual attributes. 2. The appearance of a shape.

Format picture A character string that specifies the display format for the result of an expression, such as a custom property value or text field output. For example, the format picture "m/d/yy" causes a date to be displayed in the format "12/31/97 . "

Formula An expression that is entered in a ShapeSheet cell, which returns a value.

Formula bar The portion of a ShapeSheet window that you enter a formula in for the selected ShapeSheet cell. You can also enter formulas directly into a cell.

Function A procedure that takes arguments and returns a value. If a function takes no arguments, it must be followed by an empty set of parentheses (). Microsoft Visio includes mathematical, trigonometric, geometric, event, date and time, color, logical, statistical, and other functions.

Geometry An arrangement of vertices and segments that define a path.

Glue Shape behavior that causes one shape to stay connected to another, even if the shape to which it is glued moves. Gluing is a directional operation: If shape A is glued to shape B, shape B is not glued to shape A.

Grid Nonprinting horizontal and vertical lines displayed at regular intervals on the page. The grid makes it easier to align shapes and position them precisely.

Grid lines The faint vertical and horizontal lines that appear in the drawing window when the grid is turned on. You can use grid lines to help position shapes precisely.

Grid origin The point that defines the layout of grid lines on the drawing page. A vertical grid line and a horizontal grid line pass through the grid origin, and all other grid lines are drawn at specified intervals from these reference lines. By default, the grid origin is the lower-left corner of the drawing page.

Group A shape composed of one or more shapes. A group can also include other groups and objects from other applications. A group can be moved and sized as a single shape, but its members retain their original appearance and attributes.

Guide A reference line that can be dragged into the drawing window to help position and align shapes precisely. A horizontal guide is dragged from the horizontal ruler, a vertical guide from the vertical ruler.

Guide point A reference point that can be dragged into the drawing window to help position shapes precisely. A guide point is dragged from the upper-left corner of the drawing window, where the horizontal and vertical rulers meet.

Handle A control that appears when you select a shape. You can use handles to edit a shape. Handles vary according to the shape you select and the tool you use to select it. For example, when you select a shape with the Pointer tool, the shape displays selection handles that you can drag to change its size and proportions. When you select a shape with the Rotation tool, the shape displays rotation handles that you can drag to rotate the shape.

Height-based formula A formula whose value varies only with the height of the shape.

Implicit units Units of measure specified as part of a number-unit pair in which the result is displayed using a specified measurement system, which might not coincide with the units originally entered. For example, the expression "1 [in.,d]" specifies that the value is initially interpreted as 1 inch, but the d indicates that the result is displayed using the default drawing units of the current page. If the drawing units are centimeters, the ShapeSheet spreadsheet displays "2.54 cm."

Infinite line A line containing cells defining two points in the local coordinate space through which Microsoft Visio renders a line of indefinite length. Guides are defined as infinite lines.

Inherited formula A formula that is stored in a style or a master but used by an instance as if the formula were stored locally with the shape. A change to a formula in the style or master affects all shapes that inherit the formula and do not have an overriding local formula. A change to a style will overwrite a local formula unless you explicitly preserve local overrides.

Instance 1. A shape that is based on a master. 2. A running image of a Microsoft Windows-based application.

Internal units The units of measure that Visio uses internally to store dimensional values. These are inches for linear measurements and radians for angular measurements.

Knot A real number that marks the boundary between polynomial pieces on a spline.

Layer A named category of shapes. You can organize shapes in your drawing by assigning them to layers. You can selectively view, edit, print, or lock layers, as well as control whether shapes on a layer can be snapped to or glued to. Layers do not affect the stacking order of objects on a page.

Library The Microsoft Visio type library is a file that contains definitions of the objects, properties, methods, events, and constants that Visio exposes to Automation.

Local coordinates The coordinate system whose origin is the lower-left corner of a shape's width-height box. The geometry of a shape is expressed in local coordinates.

Local formatting Individual formatting attributes, such as line width, fill color, or font size, that you apply to a selected shape by using a command on the Format menu, such as Line, Fill, or Text . Local formatting is most useful when you want to give a unique look to one shape, or to just a few shapes. Changes to formatting in a style override local formatting unless you explicitly preserve local overrides.

Local formula A formula that is stored locally in a cell of a shape instead of being inherited from a master or a style. A local formula overrides changes to the corresponding cell in the master that the shape is an instance of. Also called local override.

Local name The name for any shape, master, page, style, row, or layer that a user sees in the user interface; objects also have a universal name that is visible to only Automation clients.

Local override See local formula.

Lock A setting that limits the ways that users can change a shape. For example, a lock on a selection handle prevents the user from resizing a shape using the selection handle.

Macro 1. A Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) program that extends Microsoft Visio through Automation references to Visio objects, methods, and properties. 2. A procedure that takes no arguments and is contained within a module within a project stored in a Visio template, stencil, or drawing.

Master A shape on a stencil that you use over and over to create drawings. When you drag a shape from a stencil onto the drawing page, the shape becomes an instance of that master.

Master icon A representation of a master, which appears on a stencil. You select a master by clicking its icon.

Metafile An array of variable-length structures (called metafile records) that stores a picture in a device-independent format. Because a metafile is in a standard format, applications can exchange them and use them for image storage.

Method A procedure that acts on an object.

MDI frame window A multiple document interface (MDI) frame window has a sizing border, a title bar, a window menu, a minimize button, and a maximize button. In Microsoft Visio, the drawing window (including drawing windows created by add-ons), stand-alone stencil windows (including stencil windows created by add-ons), the ShapeSheet window and the icon editing window are MDI frame windows.

Modeless activity A program activity that does not terminate when control returns to Microsoft Visio. For example, an add-on may open a modeless window, which remains open after the add-on terminates.

Module In a Microsoft Visual Basic or Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) project, code that is a set of declarations followed by procedures. A standard module contains only procedure, type, and data declarations and definitions.

Multiplicity The number of times a spline knot is repeated.

Multishape A merged shape with multiple geometry sections that is designed to change its appearance based on its current setting (for example, a user might click a command on the shape's shortcut menu to show or hide part of the shape). Multishapes are created by using the Combine or Join command (on the Shape menu, point to Operations).

Nonperiodic spline A spline with defined endpoints. If a spline's begin point and end point coincide, the spline is closed.

Notification sink In a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) program, a class that receives events fired by a particular kind of Microsoft Visio object. In a stand-alone Visual Basic, C, or C++ program, an object that receives the notification sent by a Visio Event object and that enables two-way communication between a stand-alone solution and a Visio instance.

Number-unit pair An expression that includes a number and a corresponding dimension. For example, "1 cm" is a number-unit pair.

NURBS (Nonuniform rational B-spline) A commonly used way to represent curves, such as those drawn by the Freeform tool, mathematically.

Object A program element that a server application exposes via Automation to a client application. Objects in Microsoft Visio are hierarchically related as specified in the Visio object model.

Operator A symbol that denotes or performs a mathematical or logical operation.

Origin The (0,0) point of a Cartesian coordinate system. In Microsoft Visio, the origin is always the lower-left corner of the coordinate system of a shape, group, or page. Dimensions of a shape, such as its width and height, and the center of rotation are measured from its origin. The location of a shape in relation to its parent (a group or the page) is measured from the parent's origin.

Page The printable area in a drawing window that contains a drawing. A page can be either a foreground or a background page. Each page has a size, which usually corresponds to a standard paper size, and a scale, which Microsoft Visio preconfigures for particular drawing types.

Page coordinates The coordinate system whose origin is the lower-left corner of a drawing page.

Page scale The number of page units that represent the number of drawing units specified in the drawing scale. For example, if the drawing scale is 1 cm = 1 m, the page scale is 1 cm.

Page sheet A ShapeSheet spreadsheet that represents a page.

Page unit Dimensions that reflect the size of shapes as drawn on a Microsoft Visio drawing page. For example, in an architectural drawing that uses the scale 1 cm = 1 meter, the page unit is centimeters.

Parametric The ability of a shape in a Microsoft Visio drawing to adjust its geometry and other attributes according to the values of certain parameters.

Parent The next higher level in the coordinate system hierarchy. If a shape is a member of a group, its parent is the group. If a shape is not a member of a group, its parent is the drawing page.

Parent coordinates The coordinate system of a shape's parent. If the shape is in a group, the parent coordinate system is the group's local coordinate system. If the shape is not in a group, the parent coordinate system is the page coordinate system.

Path A series of contiguous line, arc, or spline segments. A shape can have more than one path.

Periodic spline A closed spline with no defined endpoints.

Persistence The lifetime of a variable, procedure, or object. For example, an object can persist while Microsoft Visio is running. An object that can store Event objects between Visio sessions is said to persist events.

Pin The point around which a shape or text block rotates. When you select a two-dimensional (2-D) shape with the Rotation tool, its pin is marked by a circle with a plus sign (+) inside it. A shape's pin expressed in parent coordinates (the PinXand PinYcells of the Shape Transform section) defines the shape's location on the drawing page. Also known as center of rotation .

Placeable shape A two-dimensional (2-D) shape that is set to work with routable connectors and automatic layout. If a shape is set as placeable, a routable connector can detect and avoid crossing through it. You can set a shape as placeable in the Behavior dialog box, by selecting Lay out and route around in the Placement behavior list. If you glue a routable connector, such as the dynamic connector, to a 2-D shape, Visio automatically sets the 2-D shape as placeable.

Polyline A contiguous set of line segments represented in a Microsoft Visio drawing by a PolyLine row in a shape's Geometry section. Lines represented as a PolyLine row are equivalent to lines represented as a sequence of LineTo rows, but a PolyLine row is more efficient. In Visio drawings, imported drawings often contain polylines.

Primary selection The first selected shape in a multiple selection, indicated on the drawing page by green selection handles. When a multiple selection is combined, the formatting of the primary selection is applied to the new shape. In a Selection object, the primary selection is the first item in the object's Shapes collection.

Procedure A named sequence of statements executed as a unit. For example, Function, Property, and Sub are types of procedures.

Procedure template The beginning and ending statements that are automatically inserted in the code window when you specify a Function, Property, or Sub procedure in the Add Procedure dialog box in the Visual Basic Editor.

Project In Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), the code that you write that is saved with a Visio file. You can create only one project for a Visio document, but that project can consist of any number of modules, class modules, and user forms.

Property A named attribute of an object. Properties define object characteristics such as size, color, and screen location, or the state of an object, such as enabled or disabled.

Range of eight A rule for handling instances whose scale is different from that of the drawing page. If the ratio of a master's drawing scale differs from that of the drawing page by less than a factor of eight, the instance is scaled appropriately for the drawing page. Otherwise, the instance is antiscaled.

Resize To change the dimensions of a shape.

Rotation handle A circular handle that appears at a corner of a shape's selection rectangle when you select the shape with the Rotation tool. Dragging a rotation handle changes the shape's angle of rotation.

Routable connector A one-dimensional (1-D) connector that automatically changes its path to avoid crossing through two-dimensional (2-D) placeable shapes that lie between the two shapes the connector connects. When you select a routable connector, it displays midpoints and vertices that you can drag to edit the connector's path manually.

Run mode The state of Microsoft Visio in which you can use Microsoft ActiveX controls that were inserted in design mode. For example, you can click a command button to run its Click event handler. A Visio document opens in run mode by default, unless the macros in the document have been disabled.

Scope The extent to which a variable, procedure, or object persists in a running program. The scope of an item typically depends on where it is declared. For example, the scope of a variable declared in a procedure is the procedure-when the procedure finishes executing, the variable goes out of scope.

ScreenTip Descriptive text that appears in a box when you pause with the mouse pointer over an item on the toolbar, a master icon on a stencil, or a control handle on a shape.

Segment An arc, straight line, or part of a spline.

Selection Shapes in a drawing that you have selected and can perform actions upon. Selected shapes have selection handles. Selection also refers to text selected in a text block. Selected text is highlighted when it is editable.

Selection handle A square handle that appears on a shape selected with the Pointer tool. Selection handles indicate that you can move or size the shape.

Selection net A means of selecting more than one shape at a time by dragging the Pointer tool to define a rectangular area that encloses all the shapes to be selected.

Selection rectangle The dotted line that surrounds selected shapes or objects from other applications when they are selected.

Server application An application that provides objects that can be controlled through Automation. A server application makes the objects accessible to other applications and provides, or exposes, the properties and methods that control them.

Shape 1. An open or closed object that is created using Microsoft Visio drawing tools or commands. 2. A grouped collection of shapes. 3. An instance of a master dropped in a drawing. 4. In a program, any item represented by a Shape object-a shape, group, guide, guide point, or page sheet of a drawing page or a master.

ShapeSheet spreadsheet The data that defines a shape, group, guide, guide point, or page. For example, a ShapeSheet spreadsheet describes a shape's dimensions, its angle and center of rotation, and the styles that determine the shape's appearance. ShapeSheet spreadsheets can contain formulas that define how the shape behaves when it is moved or sized and how it responds to events. The ShapeSheet spreadsheet is displayed in a ShapeSheet window, and it is accessible through the Visio Automation programming interface.

Sink object In a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) program, a class that receives events fired by a particular kind of Visio object. In a stand-alone Visual Basic, C, or C++ program, an object that receives the notification sent by a Visio Event object and that enables two-way communication between a stand-alone solution and a Visio instance. Also known as event sink, notification sink.

SmartShapes technology SmartShapes technology enables a shape's behavior to be customized with formulas in the ShapeSheet spreadsheet.

Snap The ability of shapes, guides, grid lines, and other elements in Microsoft Visio to pull shapes and other elements into position when they are moved and sized.

Spline A freeform curve that is based on a polynomial equation.

Spline knot A real number that marks the boundary between polynomial pieces on a spline.

Stacking order The order in which shapes overlap other shapes on the page and the order in which shapes are selected. You can change the stacking order of shapes by using commands on the Shape menu.

Stand-alone stencil A Microsoft Visio file with a .vss or .vsx file name extension that contains a collection of masters and is usually referred to simply as a stencil. Unlike a document stencil, a stand-alone stencil opens in a stand-alone window (not an anchored window) and usually does not have an accompanying drawing. You can't make stand-alone stencils float, or dock them to a side of the drawing window.

Static glue A type of glue behavior in which the endpoint of a connector remains fixed to a particular connection point, no matter how the shape it is glued to moves.

Stencil A collection of masters associated with a particular Visio drawing type, or template. By default, stencils that open with a template open in anchored windows, docked on the left side of the drawing window. You can make stencils in anchored windows float, or you can dock them on any side of the drawing window. You can open stencil files (.vss or .vsx files) independently of a template.

String A sequence of zero or more characters enclosed by quotation marks, for example, "This is a string" . Some user interfaces may automatically add and remove the quotation marks for better readability.

Style A collection of attributes that has a name and is saved with a template or drawing file.

Subdivision The divisions between grid lines and between intervals of the ruler. The options are Fine, Normal, and Coarse .

Subselect To select individual shapes within a group.

Template A Microsoft Visio file that opens one or more files and windows and can contain styles and settings for a particular kind of drawing; for example, the appropriate scale and grid. You can create a new drawing that has a template's styles and settings by opening the template file. Template files have the file name extension .vst or .vtx.

Text block The text area associated with a shape that appears when you click the shape with the Text tool or Text Block tool, or when you select the shape and start typing. You can size, move, and rotate a text block with respect to its shape's local coordinate system.

Tile 1. To print oversized drawing pages on multiple sheets of paper so they can be assembled into a complete drawing. 2. To arrange open windows side by side in the Microsoft Visio window.

Toolbar A row of boxes, buttons, and tools that appears below the menu bar in the Microsoft Visio window. To choose which toolbars you want to display and to create custom toolbars, on the View menu, point to Toolbars .

Type library A file that contains definitions of the objects, properties, methods, events, and constants that Microsoft Visio exposes to Automation.

Undo scope A sequence of undo units that are marked with a beginning and an end.

Undo stack A region of reserved memory where undo units are stored.

Undo unit An instance of a class that encapsulates the information that is necessary to reverse an action made by a user in the user interface or an Automation client.

Universal name The name for any shape, master, page, style, row, or layer used by Automation clients; objects may also have local names that are used in localized versions of an Automation solution. Universal names allow source code to remain unchanged for localized versions.

Unscaled drawing page A drawing page whose drawing scale is 1:1.

User form A file in a Microsoft Visual Basic or Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) project with the file name extension .frm that contains user interface controls, such as command buttons and text boxes.

Vertex One of the diamond-shaped handles that appear between two segments on a multiple-segment shape, or at the end of a segment. You can reshape a shape or connector by dragging its vertices.

Visio add-on See add-on.

Visio library A special dynamic-link library ( dll ) that is loaded by Microsoft Visio at run time and can implement one or more Visio add-ons. A Visio library has the .vsl file name extension.

Visio type library A file that contains definitions of the objects, properties, methods, events, and constants that Microsoft Visio exposes to Automation.

Walking glue A type of glue behavior in which the endpoint of a connector can move from one connection point to another as the connected shapes are moved. More commonly known as dynamic glue.

Width-height box A rectangle orthogonal to a shape's local coordinate space with one corner at (0,0) and its opposite corner at (width,height).

Wizard An add-on that prompts the user for information to automate specific tasks.

Workspace list A list saved with a drawing, template, or stencil file that identifies the names of documents and windows to be opened, as well as the type, size, and location of the windows, based on their appearance when the file is saved.

XML (Extensible Markup Language) Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a meta-markup language that provides a format for describing structured data. XML provides basic syntax; all other elements are defined as needed. Microsoft Visio drawings, stencils, and templates can be saved in XML format with the file name extensions .vdx, .vsx, and .vtx, respectively.

Zero point 1. The location of the zero (0) on the horizontal or vertical ruler. 2. The point in the drawing window where the zero points of each ruler intersect. By default, the zero point is the lower-left corner of the drawing page.

Zoom The degree of magnification of a drawing in the drawing window. A zoom of 100% displays the drawing at the same size it will be when it is printed, unless you reduce or enlarge the printed output on the Print Setup tab in the Page Setup dialog box.