Investigations

This service is available under the ”Investigations” menu.

Web interface after creating a small investigation.

Starting investigations

There are a few ways of starting an investigation:

• From a node when browsing files on the Queries page, this will bring up a new window with a new investigation starting from the clause the node is in.
• By typing the signature of the function into the appropriate textbox in Module:Function/Arity format, then selecting a clause from the results.
• Loading a previous investigation from the 'Saved Investigations' tab.

Extending investigations

You can select nodes from any investigation window, then run a predefined or custom query starting from that node. This will show the query's results on the 'Last result' tab.
If there were any results a new window will be created and connected with the window the starting node is in. Selecting a result will put the clause that result is in into the newest window.

You can create a new window for the same query by clicking Options and selecting New window from the last window created. You can now put another result in this new window.

Managing investigations

You can move windows by dragging them.
You can select then move multiple windows too.
You can also resize windows at their edges.
Doubleclicking on a window moves that window into view.
You can zoom the whole investigation, by holding ctrl and left click and dragging the mouse vertically.
Doubleclicking anywhere but a window will reset the zoom level.

Clicking the Options button in an investigation window brings up some options for it:

• New window: Creates a new window when browsing query results, so you can keep more results (only available in last window created).
• Delete window: Deletes the current window, you can only delete a window with no children windows.
• Hide / Show contents: Show either the full contents of the clause or only the function name. (this is also available outside the options list)
• Add / Edit Annotation: Connects a smaller annotation window to a window in which you can place a description text, an empty text will remove the annotation window.
• Move to new investigation: Moves the subtree starting from that window to a new investigation, and leaves a link in the current one. It will ask for a new and old name for the created and the modified investigation, just type the desired names and press enter.
• Rename: Renames the current investigation window after typing a new name in the appearing textbox and pressing enter.
• Start new inv. from here: Starts a whole new investigation from the current clause.

You can rename your whole investigation with the Rename button at the top left of the page, then typing the name in the appearing textbox and pressing enter.
You can save the current investigation with the Save button after typing in a name in the textbox left to it. If the current investigation is modified and you want to start/load another one, you'll have to confirm that you don't want to save it.

Persistency of investigations

When loading an investigation, if the database changed since the last time it was saved, you get a warning.
If the database changed at parts the investigation visited, then you can't continue from those parts, but can still see them.