How to: Add System Diagrams to Solutions
In Visual Studio Team System Architecture Edition, you can begin designing application systems using System Designer. You can perform this task by adding a system diagram to your solution. Each system diagram represents a single system definition. For more information about application systems, see Overview of Application Systems.
Tip
If your solution contains an application diagram with application definitions, you can design your system from these definitions. This action adds a system diagram to your solution. For more information, see How to: Create System Diagrams.
You can add a system diagram in the following ways:
Add a blank system diagram.
Add an existing system diagram from another solution.
Add a new system as a member to an existing system diagram. This action adds a new system diagram to your solution. For more information, see How to: Add Members to Application Systems.
To add a blank system diagram
In Solution Explorer, click the top-level solution node.
On the Project menu, click Add New Distributed System Diagram.
The Add New Item - Solution Items dialog box appears. Under Categories, the Distributed System Diagrams node appears selected.
Under Templates, click System Diagram.
Name the diagram and click Add.
System Designer displays an empty system diagram. In Solution Explorer, the diagram appears with an .sd extension in the Solution Items folder. The document tab at the top of the diagram displays the diagram name and an abbreviation ([SD]) representing the designer.
Note
If your solution does not contain an application diagram, Visual Studio adds a blank application diagram to your solution. You can use this diagram to define applications in your solution. For more information, see How to: Define Applications on Application Diagrams.
You can design your application system by adding new systems, applications, or endpoints from the Toolbox. You can also add any existing systems or applications in your solution from the System View window. The System View window displays any existing definitions of applications and other systems in your solution. For more information, see How to: Add Members to Application Systems and How to: Add Endpoints to Application Systems.
To add an existing system diagram from another solution
On the Project menu, click Add Existing Item.
In the Add Existing Item - Solution Items dialog box, browse and select the system diagram (.sd) file that you want to add.
System Designer displays the system diagram and any existing members of the system definition. The system diagram also displays alert indicators on members. These alerts identify any missing definitions until you add those definitions to your solution. For more information, see Troubleshooting System Diagrams.
In Solution Explorer, the diagram appears with an .sd extension in the Solution Items folder. If your solution does not contain an application diagram, a blank application diagram is added to the solution.
Note
Visual Studio adds only a reference to the system diagram in Solution Explorer and does not copy the system diagram to your solution directory. Therefore, any changes you make to the system diagram also affect the other solution.
After you resolve any missing definitions, you can continue editing and designing the system. For more information, see the following topics:
See Also
Tasks
Walkthrough: Designing Application Systems by Using a Bottom-Up Approach
Concepts
Other Resources
Evaluating System Deployment with Deployment Designer