Repository overview

The Repository is the structured list of architecture objects in your workspace. It is the best place to create, review, filter, edit, and reuse entities and relations.

Use the Repository when you want to:

• Build an application inventory.
• Clean up names, metadata, and ownership.
• Find duplicate or incomplete records.
• Save filtered views for repeat use.
• Open details for a specific entity.
• Create a diagram from a selected set of repository items.

Grid view

The Repository grid shows entities with type-aware columns. Different entity types can have different properties, so the visible columns may change when you switch type filters.

You can filter, sort, resize, and edit grid data to keep a focused working view. When you need the current results outside Caplo, you can export the visible grid as a CSV file.

Export the current view as CSV

1. Set up the Repository grid the way you want it. You can change entity types, show or hide columns, add filters, and sort the rows.
2. Open the Repository actions menu in the toolbar.
3. Select Export current view to CSV.

The export uses the current grid state. That means the CSV includes:

• The columns that are currently visible.
• The rows that match the current filters.
• The current sort order.

Caplo exports readable values where possible. For example, user properties are exported as email addresses and entity references are exported as entity names instead of internal IDs.

Creating entities

Create an entity when the object should be reused in diagrams or reports. Choose the right type first, then add the name and relevant properties.

Caplo blocks duplicate entities with the same name and entity type in the same workspace. If an entity already exists, reuse it instead of creating another record with a slightly different spelling or abbreviation. If a matching entity was previously removed from the Repository, Caplo can restore that existing item instead of creating a duplicate.

For more on enabled element types and properties, see Meta model.

Creating relations

Use the Repository create menu when you want to define a relation deliberately instead of inferring it from a diagram.

Caplo blocks exact duplicate relations. Some relation types, such as Parent-child and Realizes, are intentionally limited to one reusable relation per entity pair. If a matching relation was previously removed, Caplo can restore that existing relation.

Editing entities

You can edit many properties directly from the grid. Some system properties and read-only properties cannot be edited. If a property does not apply to the selected entity type, Caplo keeps it out of the editing flow.

For more context, select an entity to open the right panel or open the full entity detail page.

Removing repository items

You can remove entities and relations from the Repository even when they are still used in diagrams. Removed items disappear from active Repository lists, but existing diagrams keep their shapes and arrows visible with a warning state.

This lets you clean up the Repository first and update diagrams later. Once a removed item is no longer used by any diagram, Caplo can clean it up permanently. If you create the same entity or relation again before cleanup, Caplo restores the removed item.

Entity details

Entity detail pages show:

• Details for the entity's properties.
• Relations for connected entities.
• Diagrams where the entity appears.

In practice, the easiest path is:

1. Select an entity in the Repository grid.
2. Use the right panel to inspect it.
3. Click the open-detail icon beside the entity name when you want the full detail page.

Use this when you need to understand the role of one application, capability, process, or data object across the workspace.

Creating diagrams from repository data

When you have filtered the Repository to a useful set of rows, you can turn that visible set into a graph-style view and promote it into a diagram. This is useful for quickly starting an application landscape or dependency view from existing data.

Good repository habits

• Use clear, consistent names.
• Prefer full names over local abbreviations. If an abbreviation matters, explain it in the description or properties.
• Add only properties that support a decision or report.
• Reuse existing entities whenever possible.
• Prefer relations over long text when you need analysis later.
• Save repeatable views instead of rebuilding the same filters.

Keyboard shortcuts

Useful Repository shortcuts:

• Undo: Ctrl+Z on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Z on macOS.
• Redo: Ctrl+Shift+Z on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+Z on macOS.
• Multi-select entity types: hold Ctrl on Windows/Linux or Cmd on macOS while clicking entity types in the filter.

Pro tip: write for someone new

Write names and descriptions that a new teammate or the AI assistant can understand without tribal knowledge.