"Quadrant" Interface Tour

[This content is no longer valid. For the latest information on "M", "Quadrant", SQL Server Modeling Services, and the Repository, see the Model Citizen blog.]

This topic provides a quick tour of major parts of the Microsoft code name “Quadrant” interface. The instructions give you a sense of how to use workpads and the workspace.

This tutorial uses sample data you install in How to: Install the "Quadrant" Sample Data.

Workpads

Workpads are the most commonly used elements of the interface. A workpad shows SQL data in viewers. You can change the viewer in a workpad to best display the data. You can open any number of workpads on the workspace, which is an infinite surface where you can open as many workpads as you like. To manage several workpads, you can group them in close proximity to each other. You can then zoom out to see more of the workspace. As you zoom out, the grouped workpads become smaller, and other groups of workpads become visible. You can then quickly zoom back in on another group of workpads to begin working with them. If you want to keep a particular workpad visible at 100%, even when you zoom out, you can "float" it. For more information about workpads, see "Quadrant" Workpads.

To open a workpad

1. On the File menu, click New, and click Workpad. A new, blank workpad appears with the title Untitled. The empty box is used to type in a query. As you become proficient with “Quadrant”, you will use the query box to find or filter data.

2. On the View menu, click Explorer, and then click Repository. A workpad appears with the title Repository. The Repository is optionally installed when you install “Quadrant”.

3. On the View menu, click Explorer, and then click Quadrant. A workpad appears with the title Quadrant. This database contains configuration data for Quadrant. With “Quadrant”, you can view data in highly customized viewers. For example, you may have a table that contains ten columns, but you only want to see three of the columns. You can customize “Quadrant” to hide all but the three relevant columns. The customized views you create for “Quadrant” are contained in the Quadrant database.

To write a simple query

1. Open the Repository workpad.

2. Right-click the workpad and click Query Bar. The query bar appears showing an “M” query.

3. In the query bar, type Microsoft.Samples.Organization.People.

4. The people table will now be displayed.

To float a workpad

1. On the View menu, click Zoom, and then click 50%.

2. Right-click the People workpad and on the context menu click Float.

3. Press and hold the primary mouse button on the workspace, and move the mouse. As you move the mouse you pan across the workspace.

   Note that workpads move as a group behind the floating workpad.

4. While holding down the CTRL key, click the floating workpad. The workpad will be zoomed down with the other workpads.

To close all workpads

• Right-click an empty part of the workspace and click Close All Workpads.

The Workspace

The workspace is the space contained by the “Quadrant” window. It is an infinite space where you can open as many workpads as you want. For more information about workspaces, see "Quadrant" Workspace.

To zoom the workspace

1. Open two or more workpads.

2. Press and hold the CTRL key.

3. While pressing the key, move the mouse scroll wheel forward or backward. The group of workpads grows larger or recedes as you zoom in or out. In the bottom right corner you can see the zoom percentage.

4. On the View menu, click Set Preferred Zoom, and then click 150%. The preferred zoom value is used when you double-click on or near a workpad.

5. On the View menu, click Zoom, and then click 25%.

6. Double-click on a workpad to zoom to 150%.

7. Optional. Press and hold CTRL down and zoom to another percentage of your choice. On the View menu click Set Preferred Zoom, and click Current.

The Explorer

Whenever you create a database session, it is opened in a database explorer. Each explorer allows you to browse the schemas and data in the database. A session may be open even if its explorer is hidden. For more information see "Quadrant" Explorer.

To see explorers

• Close all workpads. Right-click an open space on the workspace and click Close All Workpads.

• On the View menu, click Explorer. Click one of the databases in the menu to open its explorer.

Details Workpad

On the View menu, click Details. The Details workpad appears in the lower right corner of the “Quadrant” window. Depending on what is selected, the details workpad shows two kinds of data:

1. The actual data in a collection.

2. Metadata about a selected workpad, for example the size of the workpad.

For more information, see "Quadrant" Details Workpad.

To use the details workpad

• Click an empty part of the workspace. The details workpad updates with information about the workspace.

• Open the Repository workpad and click Database.

  The Details workpad will show you all the schemas in the database.

Database Icons

The following figure shows the icons used in “Quadrant”.

Data Icons

The Orders table in the figure below shows an asterisk (*), which indicates that the record has been edited. The OrderStatus table shows two circle icons. The leftmost circle icon indicates a single record in a table. The second circle icon represents a foreign key that links to another record. Both icons can be double-clicked to show either the record or the linked data.

Data Conflict Icon

The following figure shows the icon (!) that indicates a conflict between the user's proposed value, and the value on the database. The value on the database has been changed by another user. For more information, see How to: Resolve Change Conflicts in "Quadrant".

See Also

Tasks

How to: Install the "Quadrant" Sample Data
How to: Use Viewers in "Quadrant"

Other Resources

How to: Customize a View in “Quadrant”
How to: Create a New Model and View it in "Quadrant"
"Quadrant" Tutorials