Reference Functions/Operations

Cradle provides a variety of modelling notations, within which there are two symbols that have a description of their own and also reference, or point to, another description:

• Reference functions in eFFBDs (extended Function Flow Block Diagrams)
• System operations in Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs)

Such references are a means by which a hierarchy of operations or a hierarchy of functions can have common elements, for example to reference common functionality or common operations from several places in an operational hierarchy or function hierarchy, respectively.

The references are shown inside the function and operation symbols, such as:

which shows two PFD system operation symbols, the first has a reference to operation OTT1.4.1 and the second has a reference to operation OTT1.4.4.4.

These references are entered through the Toolset Diagram Editor’s Name Symbol and Rename Symbol dialogues, where they are recorded in the Source label field:

In Cradle-5.6, more flexibility has been added to the selection of these referenced descriptions. When the Source label’s button is selected, the Referenced Symbol Specification List dialogue is shown. A new Specification type radiobutton has been added to this dialogue in which you can select specific categories of specifications to which the reference should be made:

In this radiobutton, selecting:

• All, displays specifications of all types
• Process, displays only process specifications
• Function (the default when the list is opened for a reference function in an eFFBD), displays only function specifications
• Operation (the default when the list is opened for a system operation in a PFD), displays only operation specifications