[[Property:title|Component viewer]]
[[Property:weight|10]]
[[Property:uuid|51a8cb3e-7486-7ab4-b608-95acfedd32f7]]
The Component viewer allows you to view the structure of a [[EiffelBuild Notation|component]]  without having to create new [[EiffelBuild Notation|objects]]  from the [[EiffelBuild Notation|component]] . 

This tool is displayed in a separate window, and may either be shown or hidden (default). To change between these two states, click  [[Image:icon-component-viewer-color]]  on the [[Main toolbar| main toolbar]] , or select '''Show/Hide component viewer''' from the '''View''' menu. 

[[Image:component-viewer]]  

==Targeting a component==

To target a [[EiffelBuild Notation|component]]  into the tool, [[EiffelBuild Notation|pick]]  the [[EiffelBuild Notation|component]]  from the [[Component viewer|component_viewer]] , and [[EiffelBuild Notation|drop]]  on the  [[Image:icon-component-viewer-color]]  displayed in the tool bar of the component viewer (See screenshots above). Any existing component displayed is simply removed. 

Alternatively, you can hold down the Ctrl key while starting a [[EiffelBuild Notation|pick]]  on a [[EiffelBuild Notation|component]]  in the [[Component selector| component_selector]] . This will automatically target the [[EiffelBuild Notation|component]]  to the component viewer. If the viewer is currently hidden, it will also make it visible. 

==View types==

Looking at the left-hand screenshot above, you can see that the  [[Image:icon-component-display-view-color]]  button is depressed, meaning the component viewer is in display view mode. Clicking on  [[Image:icon-component-build-view-color]]  will put the component viewer into build mode view as shown in the right-hand screenshot. These modes are mutually exclusive and are described below: 
*  '''Builder view''' - This view is similar to the view used by the [[Display window|display window]] . i.e. the [[EiffelVision Introduction|EiffelVision 2]]  controls are displayed exactly as is defined in the [[EiffelBuild Notation|component]] . 
*  '''Display view''' - This view is similar to the view used by the [[Builder window|builder window]] . i.e. all [[EiffelVision Introduction|EiffelVision 2]]  containers are represented by frames so they are immediately visible. This makes the actual structure represented by the [[EiffelBuild Notation|component]]  completely visible. 

{{note|The type of the "root_object" within the component is displayed in the toolbar of the component viewer. }}

{{seealso|<br/>
[[Builder window|Builder window]]  <br/>
[[Layout constructor| Layout constructor]]  }}