The Browser tab of the TellMe utility allows you to navigate around the objects in a model by exposing the associations and attributes of those objects.

On opening the TellMe utility, the options set on the Options tab determine which object is the top object. The top object can be any object in the model, including the Projects, Dictionary, and Diagrams automation interface objects. You can make any object the top object - right-click the object in the Find tab or Browser tab, and then click Select As Top.

When you expand an object in the browser, each of the object's automation interface associations is represented as a folder. In the following example, the Active Change Note association folder represents the model's Active Change Note association.

If you expand an association folder, the browser shows any objects that are linked through that association. In addition, when you expand an object, the Items and Stub values are populated, that is, the number of objects and number of stubs that are linked through that association. In the following example, you can see that the Architecture package is linked to the Remote Poling Bureau actor through the Actor association.

When working with the automation interface, you will often want to refer to an object through its name or id. In the browser, you can quickly copy an object's name or Id to the Clipboard through that object's context menu. In addition, you can open an object in Modeler through the Select In Modeler submenu commands.

Associations have options flags, such as Creatable, Derived and Hidden. In the browser you can highlight associations for which a selected flag is set to true. For example, if you want to create objects through an association, you may find it useful to highlight associations that are Creatable. In the following example, associations that have their Creatable option flag set to true are highlighted in the browser.

In addition, when you right-click an association, you can copy that name of that association, and compare the attributes of linked objects through the Compare Items dialog. For more information about the Compare Items dialog, see TellMe utility - compare items dialog (TellMe utility)

When you select an object in the browser, the Details pane displays the writable and read-only attributes of the selected object. To view an attribute value in a separate window, double-click it.

Object attributes have property flags, such as Derived, Hidden and Observed. In the Details pane, you can highlight attributes for which a selected flag is true. For example, if you want to create derived attributes, you may find it useful to highlight attributes that are observed. In the following example, attributes that have their Observed property flag set to true are highlighted in the browser.

You can copy an attribute's name or value to the Clipboard through that attribute's context menu.

When you select an association folder in the Browser tab, the Details pane displays information about that association, including options flags settings and the inverse name of the association.

If you want to create a report about which objects are linked to an object through each of its associations, right-click the object, point to Export Item, and then click the appropriate command (To Excel, To HTML or To XML). Note that the To Excel command is available only if Microsoft Excel is installed on your computer.

To update the browser with changes made to the model, click the Refresh button.