Tutorial

This tutorial will focus on the mechanics of the tool, assuming you already understand the IDesign Method. Completly abstract terms with no link to a real project will be used

Navigating MethodSketch

Open MethodSketch

Open https://pad.methodsketch.app

Subscription and Sketches menu Items require login. If you have not yet setup an account click “register”

An active subscription is required to access the sketch pad if you do not have one press subscribe

With an active subscription the subscription status will be active

Create New

With an active subscription select “Sketches” from the menu and then click the button labeled “Create New”

The button will become a spinner before opening your sketch

Names

In the right hand half of the window under the Iterate and Options button you can rename the sketch

Iterate

Click the button labeled “Iterate” to create diagrams from the design input in the text editor window

Generate

Tip

You may want to skip this section until you have created your System Design. It is included here as the last part of “navigating” the MethodSketch tool.

To create a script to generate a Visual Studio solution for your design select “Options” then “Generate”.

The text input into the text box will become the solution file name and the root of the namespace for the generated solution.

A new window will open (you may need to allow the site to open pop-ups) containing a powershell script to generate the solution structure on your local machine.

Save the script to your local machine with a name such as “Generate.ps”. Place the script into the folder where you wish to create the project. Make sure you have the dot net SDK installed then run the powershell command

powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass .\Generate.ps1

You can then open the solution file in Visual Studio to view the generated project structure

System Design

Anti-Design

Static Aspect

Eliminate the blank canvas and carry out the anti design by dumping everything in your mind into a static aspect

StaticAspect "Anti-design" {
    PersonClient BodyClient EntityClient IndividualClient SubjectClient
    ConceptManager ConcernManager WidgetManager MatterManager
    PhenonmenonManager ContrivanceManager SubjectManager
    SolveEngine DrawEngine BuildEngine AnswerEngine ArrangementEngine ImmitationEngine
    ApparatusAccess ArticleAccess SubstanceAccess CreatureAccess MachineAccess
    AppratusResource ArticleResource SubstanceResource CreatureResource MachineResource
}

First Iteration

Static Aspect

Based upon the volatitlies create your first Iteration

StaticAspect "Iteration 1" {
    PublicClient PartnerClient
    FeedManager PhenonmenonManager AnalyticsManager NotificationManager
    AnswerEngine ArrangementEngine ImmitationEngine
    EntityAccess MaterialAccess
    CreatureResource MachineResource:a  ArticleResource:n
}

Call Chains

Create multiple call chains to validate the architecture

UseCase "usecase0" {
    PublicClient -> PhenonmenonManager -> ImmitationEngine  -> EntityAccess
    EntityAccess -> CreatureResource
    EntityAccess -> MachineResource
    ImmitationEngine -> MaterialAccess -> ArticleResource
}

UseCase "usecase1" {
    ...
}

...

UseCase "usecaseN" {
    ...
}

Iterate over architecture and call chains

Carry out multiple iterations eliminating smells and making it your best solution within the timebox

StaticAspect {
    PublicClient PartnerClient
    FeedManager PhenonmenonManager AnalyticsManager
    AnswerEngine ImmitationEngine
    EntityAccess MaterialAccess
    CreatureResource MachineResource:a  ArticleResource:n
    PubSubUtility
    CacheUtility
}

UseCase "usecase0" {
    PublicClient -> PhenonmenonManager -> ImmitationEngine -> CacheUtility
    ImmitationEngine -> EntityAccess
    EntityAccess -> MachineResource
    ImmitationEngine -> MaterialAccess -> ArticleResource
    ImmitationEngine -> CacheUtility
    PhenonmenonManager -:q> PubSubUtility
}

UseCase "usecase1" {
    ...
}

...

UseCase "usecaseN" {
    ...
}

Detailed Design

Operation Names

Working on each layer of your design starting with the managers, create operation names within the use cases

UseCase "..."{
    PublicClient - IPhenonmenonManager.Observe() > PhenonmenonManager
    ...
}

UseCase "..."{
    PublicClient - IAnalyticsManager.Summary() > AnalyticsManager
    ...
}

UseCase "..."{
    PublicClient - IAnalyticsManager.Export() > AnalyticsManager
    ...
}

UseCase "..."{
    PubSubUtility - INotificationManager.Notify():q > NotificationManager
    ...
}

Move on to the engine layer

UseCase "..."{
    ...
    PhenonmenonManager - IAnswerEngine.Locate() > AnswerEngine
    ...
}

UseCase "..."{
    ...
    AnalyticsManager - IAnswerEngine.Summarize() > AnswerEngine
    ...
}

UseCase "..."{
    ...
    PhenonmenonManager - IImmitationEngine.Mimic() > ImmitationEngine
    ...
}

Repeating the process for the access layer is left as an exercise for the reader

DTO Names

Working through the layers again we can add DTOs to the detailed design

UseCase "..."{
    PublicClient - ObservationResponse IPhenonmenonManager.Observe(ObservationRequest ) > PhenonmenonManager
    PhenonmenonManager - IImmitationEngine.Mimic() > ImmitationEngine
}

UseCase "..."{
    PublicClient - ObservationResponse IPhenonmenonManager.Observe(ObservationRequest ) > PhenonmenonManager
    PhenonmenonManager - MimicResponse IImmitationEngine.Mimic(MimicRequest) > ImmitationEngine
}

Supporting Polymorphism

UseCase "...Linear"{
    PublicClient - ObservationResponse IPhenonmenonManager.Observe(ObserveLinear ) > PhenonmenonManager
    ...
}

UseCase "...Parallel"{
    PublicClient - ObservationResponse IPhenonmenonManager.Observe(ObserveParallel ) > PhenonmenonManager
    ...
}

Contexts

Extend using contexts for DTOS for calls to the manager

UseCase "...PublicLinear"{
    PublicClient - Public.ObservationResponse IPhenonmenonManager.Observe(Public.ObserveLinear ) > PhenonmenonManager
    ...
}

UseCase "...PartnerLinear"{
    PublicClient - Partner.ObservationResponse IPhenonmenonManager.Observe(Partner.ObserveLinear ) > PhenonmenonManager
    ...
}

Extend using contexts for Interfaces

UseCase "...PublicLinear"{
    ...
    PhenonmenonManager - MimicResponse Phenonmenon.IImmitationEngine.Mimic(MimicRequest) > ImmitationEngine
}

Wrapper

Consider using a generic wrapper for Engine responses

UseCase "...PublicLinear"{
     ...
     PhenonmenonManager - Response<MimicResponse> Phenonmenon.IImmitationEngine.Mimic(MimicRequest) > ImmitationEngine
}

Generate

Select Generate from the options menu and run the script on your local machine.

Generate Solution, Projects and DTOs

Visual studio solution structure

Polymorphic contextual DTOs