aboutsummaryrefslogblamecommitdiffstats
path: root/lib/tv/doc/src/table_visualizer_chapter.xml
blob: 12efbe643cd93e0774ce81bd48917a1354fe9b5e (plain) (tree)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652











































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































                                                                                                                                                     
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="latin1" ?>
<!DOCTYPE chapter SYSTEM "chapter.dtd">

<chapter>
  <header>
    <copyright>
      <year>1997</year><year>2009</year>
      <holder>Ericsson AB. All Rights Reserved.</holder>
    </copyright>
    <legalnotice>
      The contents of this file are subject to the Erlang Public License,
      Version 1.1, (the "License"); you may not use this file except in
      compliance with the License. You should have received a copy of the
      Erlang Public License along with this software. If not, it can be
      retrieved online at http://www.erlang.org/.
    
      Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS"
      basis, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See
      the License for the specific language governing rights and limitations
      under the License.
    
    </legalnotice>

    <title>The Table Visualizer</title>
    <prepared>EPK/TK Fredrik Gustafson</prepared>
    <responsible></responsible>
    <docno></docno>
    <approved>EPK/TK (Fredrik Gustafson)</approved>
    <checked></checked>
    <date>1998-01-19</date>
    <rev>C</rev>
    <file>table_visualizer.xml</file>
  </header>
  <p>The TV, TV, is a tool that enables the user to examine 
    ETS and Mnesia tables on any (connected) node in the currently running Erlang
    system. Once a certain table has been opened in the tool, the content may be
    viewed in various levels of detail. The content may also be edited, as well as
    sorted, using any element as key. It is also possible to search for a specified object or
    element. The table may be polled anytime, either regularly, at specified
    intervals, or manually. New and deleted objects, as well as those altered, are
    marked with characteristic colours.</p>
  <p>Information about the table itself (permissions, storage type, and so on) may
    also be obtained.
    </p>

  <section>
    <title>Terminology and Background</title>
    <p>To avoid confusion, we have to distinguish between the <em>actual table</em>, i.e.,
      the data stored in ETS or Mnesia, and the <em>image of the table</em>, i.e., the
      data shown in the TV. The <em>image of the table</em> is simply a copy
      of the <em>actual table</em>, and can be manipulated in a number of ways, for example
      sorted. It follows that these manipulations in no way affects the <em>actual table</em>!</p>
    <p>The expression <em>poll the table</em> is used for the operation of scanning through the
      content of the actual table (in order to keep the image of the table consistent with the
      actual table).</p>
    <p>The ETS and Mnesia modules provides the user with the ability to store vast quantities
      of data in, the data organized as dynamic, unordered tables. The ETS
      facility stores <em>tuples</em>, while Mnesia stores <em>records</em>.
      Each tuple consists of one or more <em>elements</em>; each record consists of one or
      more <em>fields</em>. It should be noted that, since records are implemented as tuples,
      with the record name as the first element, the first field of a record becomes the second
      element in the corresponding tuple!
            <br></br>

      In the following, all table objects are mainly referred to as tuples, regardless of the
      table type.</p>
    <p>For further information about ETS and Mnesia, please see the manual pages and Mnesia User's Guide.</p>
  </section>

  <section>
    <title>Starting the TV</title>
    <p>The TV tool is started by giving the command</p>
    <pre>
      tv:start().
    </pre>
    <p>The window that appears, is hereafter referred to as <em>the TV main window</em>. It consists of:</p>
    <list type="bulleted">
      <item>
        <p>a <em>menubar</em>.</p>
      </item>
      <item>
        <p>a <em>grid</em>, i.e., a multicolumnar array, where tables existing on
          the current node is shown. Each square in the grid is called a <em>cell</em>.</p>
      </item>
    </list>
    <image file="tv_start.gif">
      <icaption>The TV Main Window at startup.</icaption>
    </image>
    <p>For each table, the following information is shown, in order:
      </p>
    <list type="bulleted">
      <item>
        <p>the <em>table name</em>. If the table is accessible through this name, as is the
          case with Mnesia tables and named ETS tables, the table name is shown in
          black, otherwise in medium grey.</p>
      </item>
      <item>
        <p>the <em>table identifier</em>, if there is one; since Mnesia tables are accessed
          solely through the table name, this cell will in those cases be blank.</p>
      </item>
      <item>
        <p>the <em>process identifier (PID) of the process owning the table</em>.</p>
      </item>
      <item>
        <p>the <em>name of the process owning the table</em>, provided the process
          is registered.</p>
      </item>
      <item>
        <p>the <em>table size</em>, i.e., the number of objects currently stored in
          the table.</p>
      </item>
    </list>
  </section>

  <section>
    <title>Changing View</title>
    <p>The TV will by default show currently existing ETS tables,
      but the user may easily switch to a Mnesia table view, by choosing the
      <em>Mnesia Tables</em> option in the <em>View</em> menu:
      </p>
    <image file="tv_start_mnesia.gif">
      <icaption>The TV Main Window, showing Mnesia tables.</icaption>
    </image>
    <p>Normally, system tables (i.e., tables used by system applications) and unreadable
      tables are not shown. The menu option <em>System Tables</em>, in the <em>Options</em>
      menu, makes the system tables visible:
      </p>
    <image file="tv_start_system.gif">
      <icaption>The TV Main Window, showing readable user and system tables.</icaption>
    </image>
    <p>Still unreadable tables are hidden, but the menu option <em>Unreadable Tables</em>,
      also in the <em>Options</em> menu, makes even those tables visible. It shall be noted
      that rows containing unreadable tables are shaded, using a grey colour:
      </p>
    <image file="tv_start_system_unreadable.gif">
      <icaption>The TV Main Window, showing both readable and unreadable user and system tables.</icaption>
    </image>
    <p>Once a table view has been opened, the user may choose how to view it: it may be sorted
      by the table names, by the table identifiers, by the process identifiers of the owner
      processes, or by the names of the owning processes. These sorting options are found in the
      <em>Options</em> menu.
      </p>
    <image file="tv_start_pid_sorted.gif">
      <icaption>The TV Main Window, tables sorted by owner PID.</icaption>
    </image>
  </section>

  <section>
    <title>Changing the Current Node</title>
    <p>By default, the Table Vizualizer will show tables residing on the node
      it was started from. However, the user may easily view tables on other nodes.
      By choosing the <em>Nodes</em> option, in the <em>File</em> menu, a window showing
      all connected nodes will appear. Clicking on any of the nodes in the list will cause
      the main window to immediately show the tables residing on the specified node:
      </p>
    <image file="tv_start_other_node.gif">
      <icaption>The Connected Nodes window, and the TV Main Window, showing tables on the selected node.</icaption>
    </image>
  </section>

  <section>
    <title>Opening a Table in the Table Browser</title>
    <p>Whenever a table shall be opened, the first step is to choose the corresponding
      <em>Table Name</em> or <em>Table ID</em> cell. Secondly, the <em>Open Table</em>
      menu item, in the <em>File</em> menu, has to be chosen. (Or, one may directly
      double-click on a <em>Table Name</em> or <em>Table Id</em> cell.)</p>
    <p>If the table selected table is readable, a window will appear after a short delay. This new
      window is hereafter denoted the <em>Table Browser</em> window. Should the table be
      unreadable, the Table Information window will appear instead (see further description
      below).
      </p>

    <section>
      <title>The Table Browser Window</title>
      <p>The Table Browser window consists of:</p>
      <list type="bulleted">
        <item>
          <p>a <em>menubar</em>.</p>
        </item>
        <item>
          <p>a <em>toolbar</em> with buttons providing shortcuts to the menubar options. If the
            cursor rests on any button, a so-called toolbar tip, explaining the button,
            will appear.             <br></br>
 
            (In the picture below, the cursor has lingered on the <em>Open Table</em>
            button for a while.)</p>
        </item>
        <item>
          <p>a <em>content and edit field</em>, showing the content of a specified row or cell.
            Through this field the row, or cell, may also be edited (see below for a detailed
            description).</p>
        </item>
        <item>
          <p>a <em>grid</em>, i.e., a multicolumnar array, where the content of the
            opened table will be shown. (As above, each square in the grid is called a cell.</p>
        </item>
      </list>
      <image file="tv_table_browser.gif">
        <icaption>The Table Browser Window.</icaption>
      </image>
      <p>The successful appearance of the Table Browser window means that an image of
        the selected table has been created in the TV. It is this image
        that is shown in the Table Browser.
        </p>

      <section>
        <title>How Table Data Is Presented</title>
        <p>Each object in the table is presented on a row of its own in the grid.
          Each element in the object is presented in a cell of its own.          <br></br>

          The colours on the <em>vertical</em> buttons to the left of the grid show the status
          of the object on that very row: a bright red colour indicates that the object just
          has been inserted (when the table is opened, all objects are regarded as being
          just inserted), while a bright green colour indicates that the object has been
          changed. The colour fades away, shade by shade, every time the actual table is polled,
          until the normal background colour is encountered.          <br></br>

          When an object has been deleted, the colour of the corresponding
          <em>vertical button</em> turns to black. The next time the table is polled, the
          object will be removed from the grid.</p>
        <image file="tv_table_browser_updated.gif">
          <icaption>The Table Browser Window, with new, changed, and deleted objects.</icaption>
        </image>
        <p>Normally, new objects are placed at the end of the grid, while all other objects
          maintain their positions between successive polls. However, when sorting mode has
          been ordered, all objects, even new ones, are placed at the correct position
          according to the sorting ordered (see also below).</p>
        <p>Immediately above the <em>horizontal buttons</em>, one or more <em>keys</em> may
          appear. These keys indicates which elements that are used as indices in the
          ETS/Mnesia table, i.e., which fields that are used by ETS/Mnesia as search keys when
          looking up data.</p>
        <p>The grid columns may be resized, by clicking and dragging on the small black <em>resize areas</em> between any two horizontal buttons.</p>
        <p>The rows are enumerated, as a help when navigating through the table. Note: it shall
          not be assumed that these numbers correspond to the placement of the objects in the
          <em>actual table</em>! The row numbers, as presented in the TV, are
          only temporary, and only valid within the TV!
                    <br></br>

          The number on the <em>vertical scrollbar</em> corresponds to the number the
          uppermost row has (or will have).</p>
        <p>The number shown on the horizontal scrollbar relates to the leftmost column shown.</p>
      </section>

      <section>
        <title>How to Poll the Table</title>
        <p>The table is polled whenever the <em>Poll Table</em> option in the <em>Options</em>
          menu is chosen (or the <em>Poll Table</em> toolbar button is pressed).           <br></br>

          The user may also choose to let the TV poll the table at regular
          intervals. This is done via the <em>Set Poll Interval...</em> option in the
          <em>Options</em> menu, which causes the <em>Set Poll Interval window</em> to appear. </p>
        <p>In the Set Poll Interval window the user selects whether manual or automatic
          polling shall be used, and, in the automatic polling case, the poll interval.</p>
        <image file="set_poll_int.gif">
          <icaption>The Set Poll Interval Window.</icaption>
        </image>
        <p>It shall be noted that, in the case of a large table (or a slow computer/operating
          system), a short poll interval may cause the TV to be flooded, i.e., the
          data resulting from one poll has not been fully treated and presented when the data from
          the next poll arrives. The user is therefore kindly requested to use the automatic
          polling facility with care!</p>
      </section>

      <section>
        <title>How to Edit Objects in the Table</title>
        <p>Provided that the table is writable for other processes than the owning process,
          the user may insert, change and delete objects.</p>
        <p>To <em>delete</em> an object, the corresponding row, or a single cell in the
          corresponding row, has to be chosen, by clicking either on the vertical button
          to the left of the row, or on a cell. Thereafter the <em>Delete Object</em>
          option in the <em>Edit Menu</em>
          is chosen. (Should the user regret the delete operation, the row may once again
          be selected, whereupon the <em>Return</em> button simply is pressed.)</p>
        <p>To <em>insert</em> an object, the user may use the <em>Record Editor</em>, or simply
          enter the object in the content and edit field, and then press the <em>Return</em>
          button.          <br></br>

          The <em>Record Editor</em> is started via the <em>Edit Object</em> option in the
          <em>Edit</em> menu, or via the <em>Edit Object</em> toolbar button. The editor that
          appears looks different depending on the kind of table: for Mnesia tables,
          a writable field is shown for each record entry, as well as the name of the entry.
          For ETS tables, only a writable field is shown; this is due to the fact that the
          size of the tuples inserted in ETS tables may vary, whereas the size of the records
          inserted in a Mnesia table (more or less) is fixed.
          One may select the next field in the record editor by pressing
          the 'Tab' (or 'Arrow Down') button, and select the previous field by pressing
          'Shift'+'Tab' (or 'Arrow Up').          <br></br>

          When the editing is finished, the <em>OK</em> button may be clicked, or
          'Return' pressed. The TV will then try to insert the new object.
          </p>
        <image file="tv_record_editor_mnesia.gif">
          <icaption>The Record Editor (shown for a Mnesia table).</icaption>
        </image>
        <p>To <em>change</em> an already existing object, the corresponding row, or a single cell
          in the corresponding row, has to be selected first (see below). Then one may edit the
          whole object (or the selected field in the object), either using the record editor
          or the content and edit field, whereupon 'Return' may be pressed (or the 'OK' button
          clicked).
          </p>
        <p>It shall be noted that it is hard to edit objects containing
          <em>process identifiers</em>, <em>references</em>, <em>binaries</em> and <em>ports</em>,
          since it is only a textual representation of these terms that is shown on the screen.
          It is in the general case impossible for the TV to correctly
          convert this textual representation back to the original term. As a courtesy to
          the user, an attempt to do this will nevertheless be done if the edited field
          consists of a single process identifier; however, this conversion will only be
          correct provided
          that the process identifier originates from the current Erlang session. (On
          the other hand, why on earth should any user want to store old process identifiers?)
          </p>
        <p>It shall also be noted that it may be more or less confusing to edit the table,
          depending on whether the table type is <em>set</em>, <em>bag</em>, or
          <em>duplicate_bag</em>, i.e., depending on whether or not objects having the
          same key (or even duplicate objects) are allowed. Please study the ETS or Mnesia
          manual pages, should confusion arise!
          </p>
      </section>

      <section>
        <title>How to Search For Objects</title>
        <p>One may search for an object, by choosing the <em>Search Object</em>
          option in the <em>Options</em> menu (or by pressing the <em>Search Object</em>
          toolbar button). In the <em>Search Object window</em> that appears, any valid
          Erlang term or regular expression may be entered, whereupon all objects
          containing (or consisting of) this term, or matching the regular expression,
          will be shown.</p>
        <image file="tv_search_window.gif">
          <icaption>The Search Object Window.</icaption>
        </image>
        <p>In the search result list, by clicking on any object, the Table Browser will
          immediately scroll to the corresponding row in the table shown. This enables
          the user to in a very powerful way quickly find the objects he's interested in.</p>
        <image file="tv_search_result.gif">
          <icaption>The Search Object Window interworking with the Table Browser.</icaption>
        </image>
      </section>

      <section>
        <title>How to Mark Table Data</title>
        <p>One may mark a row or a column by clicking on the buttons to the left and above
          the grid, respectively. A single cell is marked by clicking on it. Even empty
          rows and columns may be marked; an empty cell cannot be marked - on the contrary,
          by clicking on an empty cell, all marks are removed.</p>
        <p>Marks are indicated by a cyan blue colour.</p>
        <image file="tv_row_marked.gif">
          <icaption>The TV Main Window: a row has been marked.</icaption>
        </image>
        <p>When a row or a cell has been marked, the content will be shown in the content field,
          together with an indication of the row (and column when applicable) the marked area
          corresponds to. Should the object be very big, only a fraction of it may be shown in
          this field. By clicking on the down-arrow button to the right of the content and
          edit field, a pop-up content field will be shown, where the whole marked object
          may be viewed. The content of this pop-up field may be marked and copied to
          other windows; however, this field cannot be edited.</p>
        <image file="tv_row_marked_popup.gif">
          <icaption>The Table Browser: the pop-up content field.</icaption>
        </image>
        <p>It shall be noted that the user may choose whether lists shall be shown as
          strings or lists; this is done via the <em>View</em> menu.
          </p>
        <p>A marked column may be subject to sorting, see below. When sorting is ordered,
          marks are removed at each polling of the table (because of the difficulties to
          keep track of a certain object, or element, in this case).</p>
      </section>

      <section>
        <title>How to Sort Table Data</title>
        <p>The image of the table may be sorted in rising or falling order, using any element as
          sorting key. The element desired is chosen by marking the corresponding column, and
          then choose (either via the <em>Options</em> menu, or via the toolbar buttons) any
          of the sorting options available, i.e., sorting in ascending or descending order.
          The colour of the column button will then change to gold, to indicate that this
          column is the basis for the sorting currently chosen.</p>
        <p>Should no column have been marked, when sorting is ordered, the first element in each
          object (i.e, tuple) will be used as sorting key if the table is an ETS table; the
          second element (i.e., the first field in the record) will be used if the table is a
          Mnesia table.</p>
        <p>Even columns with no elements in them may be subject to sorting. In this case the
          whole object is used as the sorting key.</p>
        <p>When sorting is ordered, new elements will be inserted according to the current
          sorting mode. When the sorting is interrupted (via the <em>No Sorting</em> option),
          the current image of the table keep the current order, but new elements will from
          now on once again be inserted at the end of the image of the table.</p>
      </section>

      <section>
        <title>How to Obtain Table Information</title>
        <p>Information about the actual table is obtained via the <em>File</em> menu (or via the
          <em>Table Info</em> toolbar button). The information is printed in a separate window,
          with similar pieces of information grouped together on "flap cards" of their own.
          By clicking on a flap, the information on the corresponding card is made visible.</p>
        <image file="info_window.gif">
          <icaption>The Table Information Window, showing information about a Mnesia table.</icaption>
        </image>
        <p>The Table Information window may also be opened from the TV Main
          Window, by selecting a table and then choose the <em>Table Info</em> option
          in the <em>File</em> menu (or by double-clicking on the <em>Table Size</em>
          field.</p>
        <p>Note: The Table Information window will automatically be opened if the user tries
          to open an unreadable table, since this is the only information available in this
          case.</p>
      </section>
    </section>

    <section>
      <title>The Table Browser Menus</title>
      <p>The Table Browser offers the following menus:</p>
      <p></p>

      <section>
        <title>The File Menu</title>
        <taglist>
          <tag><em>Table Info</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Opens the Table Information window, which shows the available information
              about the current table. </p>
          </item>
          <tag><em>Close</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Closes the Table Browser window.</p>
          </item>
        </taglist>
      </section>

      <section>
        <title>The Edit Menu</title>
        <taglist>
          <tag><em>Edit Object...</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Opens the Record Editor. If an object is marked, it will be shown in
              the Record Editor.</p>
          </item>
          <tag><em>Delete Object</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Deletes a marked object.</p>
          </item>
        </taglist>
      </section>

      <section>
        <title>The View Menu</title>
        <taglist>
          <tag><em>Lists As Lists</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Causes lists in the table to be shown as lists.</p>
          </item>
          <tag><em>Lists As Strings</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Causes lists in the table to be shown as strings.</p>
          </item>
        </taglist>
      </section>

      <section>
        <title>The Options Menu</title>
        <taglist>
          <tag><em>Poll Table</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>An explicit order to poll the table, i.e., to scan the content.</p>
          </item>
          <tag><em>Poll Interval...</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Choose between manual and automatic polling. In the case of automatic
              polling, the user gets the opportunity to choose the polling interval.</p>
          </item>
          <tag><em>Search Object</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Enables search for objects containing (or consisting of) a specified
              Erlang term, or matching a regular pattern. The search result may be used
              for quick navigation in the table.</p>
          </item>
          <tag><em>Sort Ascending Order</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Shows the table content sorted in ascending (i.e., rising) order.
              New objects will be shown with correct placement as long the as the sorting
              is going on.              <br></br>

              Please note that it is only the image of the table that is affected,
              <em>not</em> the table itself!</p>
          </item>
          <tag><em>Sort Descending Order</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Shows the table content sorted in descending (i.e., falling) order.
              New objects will be shown with correct placement as long the as the
              sorting is going on.</p>
          </item>
          <tag><em>No Sorting</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Sorting mode is left. New objects will be shown last in the
              table. However, older objects will remain in the position they had when
              the sorting mode was left, i.e., their placement will not reflect their
              actual placement in the ETS/Mnesia table.</p>
          </item>
        </taglist>
      </section>

      <section>
        <title>The Help Menu</title>
        <taglist>
          <tag><em>Help</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Shows the help (about TV usage) that is available.
              (The help will be shown in the Netscape Internet browser, if available.)</p>
          </item>
          <tag><em>OTP Documentation</em></tag>
          <item>
            <p>Shows the Documentation about all OTP components that is available
              in the local installation of OTP.</p>
          </item>
        </taglist>
      </section>
    </section>
  </section>

  <section>
    <title>Tracing the Owner Process</title>
    <p>The process owning the table may easily be traced, by selecting either
      the <em>Owner Pid</em> or the <em>Owner Name</em> field, and then choosing
      the <em>Trace Process</em> option in the <em>File</em> menu.       <br></br>

      (It is also possible to double-click on any of these fields.)</p>
  </section>

  <section>
    <title>Creating a New Table</title>
    <p>A new table may easily be created using the <em>New Table window</em>.
      Currently only ETS tables may be created. Since ETS tables
      dies together with the parent process, a special process, registered
      as <em>tv_table_owner</em>, will be the owner of tables created this way.
      This process will not be affected by any termination of the TV,
      i.e., the ETS tables created will live on until they are explicitly killed.
      </p>
    <image file="tv_create_table.gif">
      <icaption>The New Table Window, enabling easy creation of ETS tables.</icaption>
    </image>
    <p>Note: the <em>tv_table_owner</em> is local to each node, meaning
      that the creation of a table on a new node also will start such a process
      on that node. This way only the tables on a specific node dies, should that
      specific node crash.</p>
  </section>

  <section>
    <title>The TV Main Window Menus</title>
    <p>The Main Window offers the following menus:</p>
    <p></p>

    <section>
      <title>The File Menu</title>
      <taglist>
        <tag><em>Open Table</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Open a selected table in a new Table Browser.</p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>New Table</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Open the New Table window, enabling easy creation of ETS tables.</p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>Table Info</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Opens the Table Information window, showing the available
            information about a selected table. </p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>Nodes...</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Open the Connected Nodes window, enabling the user to view
            tables residing on remote nodes.</p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>Trace Process</em></tag>
        <item>Opens a trace window, where the process owning a selected table can
         be traced.</item>
        <tag><em>Exit</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Terminates the TV.</p>
        </item>
      </taglist>
    </section>

    <section>
      <title>The View Menu</title>
      <taglist>
        <tag><em>ETS Tables</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Shows ETS tables on the current node.</p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>Mnesia tables</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Shows Mnesia tables on the current node.</p>
        </item>
      </taglist>
    </section>

    <section>
      <title>The Options Menu</title>
      <taglist>
        <tag><em>Refresh</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>An explicit order to once again check the current node for existing
            tables, and list them.</p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>Unreadable Tables</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Option to choose whether or not unreadable tables shall be shown.</p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>System Tables</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Option to choose whether or not system tables shall be shown.</p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>Sort by Name</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Shows the tables sorted by their names.</p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>Sort by Id</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Shows the tables sorted by their table identifiers.</p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>Sort by Owner PID</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Shows the tables sorted by the process identifiers of the owning
            processes.</p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>Sort by Owner Name</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Shows the tables sorted by the registered names of the owning processes.</p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>Error Messages in Haiku</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Option to choose whether or not error messages shall be shown
            in the Japanes poetry style called <em>Haiku</em>.</p>
        </item>
      </taglist>
    </section>

    <section>
      <title>The Help Menu</title>
      <taglist>
        <tag><em>Help</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Shows the help (about TV usage) that is available.
            (The help will be shown in the Netscape Internet browser, if available.)</p>
        </item>
        <tag><em>OTP Documentation</em></tag>
        <item>
          <p>Shows the Documentation about all OTP components that is available
            in the local installation of OTP.</p>
        </item>
      </taglist>
    </section>
  </section>
</chapter>