Seem like I'm not the first to investigate this. But not despairing yet :-)
The target state I'd like to reach is:
A recursion through Packages, where some of the nested Sub-Packages are glorified Linked Documents, and some are Grids rendering Search Results.
I like that Model Documents provide Search Tag values -- but I can't seem to nest the grids where I want them to show up.
Approach 1: Nested Model Documents
If I could nest Model Document elements, with their Search/Search Term tags, I would be sorted. I could have
Context:Package
Introduction:Package <- just renders a Linked Document attached to it
Systems Affected:Package <- just renders a Linked Document attached to it
Systems Affected:Model Document <- renders the results of a canned Search.
But EA appears to be designed to ignore the Model Document element.
Approach 2: SQL backed Template Fragment
I like the Model Document as it has Search/Search Term + all the Inclusion/Exclusion configuration options. But if I had to give that part up I am thinking of emulating as much as I can via SQL or script.
First attempt - using SQL and a nested set of Packages such as:
Context:Package
Introduction:Package <- just renders a Linked Document attached to it
Systems Affected:Package <- just renders a Linked Document attached to it
Systems Affected:Package<> <- renders the results of a SQL Search.
If the template uses a TemplateSelector it can spot the Package with a wellknown stereotype, and invoke a Template that is backed by SQL.
The SQL uses the Package's Keywords as the source of the Element type to search for.
SELECT
o.ea_guid AS [CLASSGUID],
o.Object_Type AS [CLASSTYPE],
o.PDATA5 AS [KEYWORDS],
o.Object_Type AS [Type],
o.Stereotype AS [Stereotype],
*
FROM t_object as O
WHERE O.Object_Type IN
(SELECT PDATA5 FROM t_object AS S where S.Object_ID = #OBJECTID#)
It works...barely.It's a bit hacky.
Searching off of Element Type is not going to be sufficient for production documents.
Approach 3: Script backed Template Fragment
If I can get a script running I suspect that I could leverage functionality that is already in the system.
Context:Package
Introduction:Package <- just renders a Linked Document attached to it
Systems Affected:Package <- just renders a Linked Document attached to it
Systems Affected:Package<> <- renders the results of a canned Search.
If the template uses a TemplateSelector it can spot the Package with a wellknown stereotype, and invoke a Template that is backed by a script.
The script I'm trying is:
var x = Repository.GetElementsByQuery("POC.Req", "Device");
return x;
But the report remains blank of those elements I need for the table.
Q: Does the returned Collection need transformation before it can be used?
Approach 4
I've heard that there is an approach to Render Document sections as PDF, and link to them as Linked Documents... Sounds Convoluted. Sounds like a wrong/magic approach.
Approach 5
Any other suggestions?
Thanks for the help.
Addendum
Just got approach 3 to work by converting the script results to xml before handing it back
The template's script now looks like
-- first pass ...I'll work on passing the ObjectId in a bit in order to get fancier.
ExecuteSearch("Simple", "Device")
and it invokes a script saved somewhere else as
!INC Local Scripts.EAConstants-JScript
/*
* Script Name:
* Author:
* Purpose:
* Date:
*/
function main()
{
return ExecuteSearch("Simple", "Device");
}
function ExecuteSearch(searchName, searchParam){
var x = Repository.GetElementsByQuery(searchName, searchParam);
//return x;
var xmlDOC = CreateReport(x);
var s = xmlDOC.xml;
Session.Output(s);
return s;
}
function CreateReport(entityCollection){
var xmlDOC = CreateXmlDOC();
var xmlRoot = AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"EADATA");
var xmlDataSet = AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Dataset_0",xmlRoot);
var xmlData = AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Data",xmlDataSet);
for(var i = 0;i<entityCollection.Count();i++){
var entity = entityCollection.GetAt(i);
var xmlRow = AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Row",xmlData);
//AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"CLASSTYPE",xmlRow).Text = entity.Type;
AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Guid",xmlRow).text = entity.ElementGUID;
AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"CLASSTYPE",xmlRow).text = entity.Type;
AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"CLASSGUID",xmlRow).text = entity.ElementGUID;
AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Type",xmlRow).text = entity.Type;
AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Stereotype",xmlRow).text = entity.Stereotype;
AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Name",xmlRow).text = entity.Name;
AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Object",xmlRow).text = entity.Name;
AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Id",xmlRow).text = entity.ElementID;
AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Scope",xmlRow).text = entity.Scope;
AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Phase",xmlRow).text = entity.Phase;
AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Status",xmlRow).text = entity.Status;
var noteElement = AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Notes",xmlRow);//.text = entity.Notes;
noteElement.appendChild(xmlDOC.createCDATASection(entity.Notes));
AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"Keywords",xmlRow).text = entity.PDATA5;
}
return xmlDOC;
}
function CreateXmlDOC()
{
var xmlDOM;
try
{
xmlDOM = new ActiveXObject( "MSXML2.DOMDocument.4.0" );
}
catch(e)
{
xmlDOM = new ActiveXObject( "MSXML2.DOMDocument.6.0" );
}
xmlDOM.createProcessingInstruction("xml","version=\"1.0\"");
xmlDOM.validateOnParse = false;
xmlDOM.async = false;
return xmlDOM;
}
function AppendXmlChild(xmlDOM, xmlElementName, xmlParent, isCDATA){
if (!xmlParent){xmlParent = xmlDOM;}
var child = xmlDOM.createElement(xmlElementName);
xmlParent.appendChild(child);
return child;
}
main();
The script I used in the end is as follows. It now correctly investigates the element's tags for clues as how to proceed.
Hope it helps others.
!INC Local Scripts.EAConstants-JScript
/*
* Script Name:
* Author:
* Purpose:
* Date:
*/
//Only used for development
function devTest()
{
//With Child elements: {2255D8C8-F1BB-4069-BDAF-8B303D108C62}
//With SearchName: {919252E0-BDEB-4f26-A39F-C0E74382952A}
//With PackageGUID: {8543ED3B-EC39-4bf0-92C2-FD49A00C376B}
Session.Output ("DEVTEST");
var package = Repository.GetPackageByGuid("{8543ED3B-EC39-4bf0-92C2-FD49A00C376B}");
Session.Output("Package Name:" + package.Name);
Session.Output("Package Guid:" + package.PackageGUID);
Session.Output("Package Id:" + package.PackageID);
Session.Output("Package ElementId:" + package.Element.ElementID);
//Session.Output("Package Element Id:" + package.Element.ElementID);
//Use the Element associate to the Package, not the Package ID itself.
var packageElementId = package.Element.ElementID; //NOT: package.PackageID;
var xmlDoc=ExecuteSearch(packageElementId);
try {
Session.Output(xmlDoc.xml);
}catch (e){
Session.Output(e.message);
}
}
//Extracts from a given Package it's SearchName/SearchValue tags
//in order to do a search that mimicks a ModelDocument's way of
//generating a report.
function ExecuteSearch(elementId){
//Validation
if (!elementId){
Session.Output("Exiting: No elementId received.");
return;
}
var packageElement = Repository.GetElementByID(elementId);
if (!packageElement){
Session.Output("Exiting: No package with given elementId: " + elementId);
return;
}
try {
var xmlDOC = ExecuteSearch2(packageElement);
var xml = xmlDOC.xml;
return xml;
}catch (e){
Session.Output("ERROR: " + e.message);
}
return null;
}
function ExecuteSearch2(packageElement){
//Session.Output(packageElement.ElementGUID + ": '" + packageElement.Name + "' invoking ExecuteSearch(" + packageElement.ElementID + ")");
//Session.Output("Attribute 'Test': " + GetElementTaggedValue(packageElement,'Test'));
//Precendence is to search
//* Direct children,
//* by Package, recursively,
//* Package, single
//* Package
//First dibs: does this package have any direct elements?
//Get back to the package that is related to the Element before you count Elements:
var package = Repository.GetPackageByGuid(packageElement.ElementGUID);
var elementCollection = package.Elements;
if (elementCollection.Count()){
Session.Output("Package [" + packageElement.ElementGUID + "] has child Elements:"+ elementCollection.Count());
return CreateReportDoc(elementCollection);
}
//If package had no children, look at Attributes for reference to other package.
//At present, can't find an easy way to determine package Id from the EA GUI, so
//using the Guid.
var searchPackageGuid = GetElementTaggedValue(packageElement,'SearchPackageGUID');
if (!searchPackageGuid){
searchPackageGuid = GetElementTaggedValue(packageElement,'SearchPackageGuid');
}
if (searchPackageGuid){
//Session.Output("Package [" + packageElement.ElementGUID + "] has SearchPackageGuid:"+ searchPackageGuid);
return ExecuteSearchByPackageGuid(searchPackageGuid);
}
// //If I ever find a way to get a packageId:
var searchPackageId = GetElementTaggedValue(packageElement,'SearchPackageId');
if (searchPackageId){
//Session.Output("Package [" + packageElement.ElementGUID + "] has SearchPackageId:"+ searchPackageId);
return ExecuteSearchByPackageId(searchPackageId);
}
// //If searching by SQL:
var searchSQL = GetElementTaggedValue(packageElement,'SearchSQL');
if (searchSQL){
Session.Output("Package [" + packageElement.ElementGUID + "] has SearchSQL:"+ searchSQL);
return ExecuteSearchBySQL(searchSQL);
}
//Not pointing to a package, so maybe pointing to a canned search:
var searchName = GetElementTaggedValue(packageElement,'SearchName');
if (!searchName){
//Session.Output("No SearchName");
return;
}
var searchValue = GetElementTaggedValue(packageElement,'SearchValue');
//Session.Output("Package [" + packageElement.ElementGUID + "] has SearchName/Value:"+ searchName + "/" + searchValue);
return ExecuteSearchBySearchName(searchName, searchValue);
}
//Mimicks functionality of a ModelDocument that searches by canned SearchName/SearchValue.
function ExecuteSearchBySearchName(searchName, searchValue){
var elementCollection = Repository.GetElementsByQuery(searchName, searchValue);
//return x;
return CreateReportDoc(elementCollection);
}
function ExecuteSearchByPackageGuid(packageGuid){
var package = Repository.GetPackageByGuid(packageGuid);
return ExecuteSearch2(package.Element);
}
function ExecuteSearchBySQL(searchSQL){
var elementCollection = Repository.GetElementSet(searchSQL, 2);
}
function HOLD_ExecuteSearchBySet(idList){
var elementCollection = Repository.GetElementsSet(idList);
//return x;
return CreateReportDoc(elementCollection);
}
//Iterate through the elements and convert to an Xml Document
//suitable for use by a Script backed Template:
function CreateReportDoc(elementCollection){
var xmlDOC = CreateXmlDOC();
var xmlData = CreateXmlReport(xmlDOC);
for(var i = 0;i<elementCollection.Count();i++){
//For each Element, create a new row:
var xmlRow = AppendXmlChild(xmlData,"Row");
//And embed the specific element:
var element = elementCollection.GetAt(i);
CreateReportRow(xmlRow, element);
}
return xmlDOC;
}
function CreateReportRow(xmlRow, element){
//And attach child property elements.
//For hairy ones, add them as a CDATA.
//AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"CLASSTYPE",xmlRow).Text = element.Type;
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Guid").text = element.ElementGUID;
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"CLASSTYPE").text = element.Type;
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"CLASSGUID").text = element.ElementGUID;
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Type").text = element.Type;
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Stereotype").text = element.Stereotype;
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Name").text = element.Name;
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Object").text = element.Name;
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Id").text = element.ElementID;
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Scope").text = element.Scope;
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Phase").text = element.Phase;
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Status").text = element.Status;
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Keywords").text = element.PDATA5;
//Notes need wrapping as CDATA
var noteElement = AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Notes");//.text = entity.Notes;
noteElement.appendChild(xmlRow.ownerDocument.createCDATASection(element.Notes));
//Now get tags:
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Tags.ID").text = GetElementTaggedValue(element,"ID");
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Tags.Type").text = GetElementTaggedValue(element,"Type");
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Tags.Category").text = GetElementTaggedValue(element,"Category");
AppendXmlChild(xmlRow,"Tags.Traceability").text = GetElementTaggedValue(element,"Traceability");
return xmlRow;
}
//helper function to create an empty xml document
function CreateXmlDOC()
{
var xmlDOM;
try
{
xmlDOM = new ActiveXObject( "MSXML2.DOMDocument.4.0" );
}
catch(e)
{
xmlDOM = new ActiveXObject( "MSXML2.DOMDocument.6.0" );
}
xmlDOM.createProcessingInstruction("xml","version=\"1.0\"");
xmlDOM.validateOnParse = false;
xmlDOM.async = false;
return xmlDOM;
}
//helper function to create the beginning of an xml document
//suitable to render the results of a search:
function CreateXmlReport(xmlDOC){
var xmlRoot = AppendXmlChild(xmlDOC,"EADATA");
var xmlDataSet = AppendXmlChild(xmlRoot,"Dataset_0");
var xmlData = AppendXmlChild(xmlDataSet,"Data");
return xmlData;
}
//helper function to attach a new child xml element to a parent xml element
function AppendXmlChild(xmlParent, xmlElementName, isCDATA){
var xmlDocument = xmlParent.ownerDocument;
if (!xmlDocument){xmlDocument = xmlParent}
var child = xmlDocument.createElement(xmlElementName);
xmlParent.appendChild(child);
return child;
}
//Gets an Element's tag. Eats exception if Tag does not exist.
function GetElementTaggedValue(element, tagName){
var tag;
try {
tag = element.TaggedValues.GetByName(tagName);
}
catch (e) {
}
if (!tag){return;}
var result = tag.Value;
return result;
}
function ConvertPackageIdToBranchId(packageId){
var package = Repository.GetPackageByID(objectId);
if (!package){return;}
var packages = [package];
packages.concat(ConvertPackageToBranch(package));
var result=[];
for(var i=0;i<packages.length;i++){
result.push(packages[i].PackageID);
}
return result;
}
function ConvertPackageToBranch(package){
var result = [];
for (var i=0;i<package.Packages.Count();i++){
var childPackage = package.Packages.GetAt(i);
result.push(childPackage);
result.concat(ConvertPackageToBranch(childPackage));
}
return result;
}
//devTest();
In the following image you can see where i put the breakpoint and then debugged two step. You can also see that both assignments worked great they have the same count and are the same.
However if I do the following. Run the exact same call but only break on the third line directly then this happnes
set.QuestionSet.Questions should have count of 8 BEFORE the assigment, so it seems it's not properly assigned for some reason. I suspect this has something to do with how I fetch my data from DB.
Question and QuestionSet are normal POCOs and here is the code for the entire method.
public IEnumerable<QuestionSet> SearchAndFilterQuestionsAndSets(string searchString, int nrPerPage, int page, out int totalSearchCount)
{
searchString = searchString.ToLower();
List<QuestionSet> finalList = new List<QuestionSet>();
var result = ActiveContext.QuestionSets
.Select(x => new
{
QuestionSet = x,
Questions = x.Questions.Where(
y =>
y.Description.ToLower().Contains(searchString)
).OrderBy(
z => z.Description
)
})
.ToList();
foreach (var set in result)
{
//If our search matched the set itself we load all questions
if (set.QuestionSet.Name.ToLower().Contains(searchString))
{
//we dont bring empty sets
if (set.QuestionSet.Questions.Count() > 0)
{
set.QuestionSet.Questions = set.QuestionSet.Questions.ToList<Question>().OrderBy(x => x.Description).ToList<Question>();
finalList.Add(set.QuestionSet);
}
}
//We had one or more questions matching the search term
else if (set.Questions.Count() > 0)
{
var b = set.Questions.ToList<Question>();
set.QuestionSet.Questions = set.Questions.ToList<Question>();
finalList.Add(set.QuestionSet);
}
}
totalSearchCount = finalList.Count();
return finalList.Skip((page - 1) * nrPerPage).Take(nrPerPage);
}
UPDATE
If I do this instead in the failing else if
var a = new QuestionSet();
a.Id = set.QuestionSet.Id;
a.Name = set.QuestionSet.Name;
a.Questions = set.Questions.ToList<Question>();
finalList.Add(a);
Then it works, so the problem lies within the anonymous object, but why does it work when i step through with debugger and not otherwise?? call me puzzled.
Could be something to do with Late binding of anonymous types
I have a queue of elements, sorted by date. I need to extract the first n elements, which have the same date and add them to a temporary ArrayList, from which I choose one of them and scrap the others. After that I need to continue doing the same thing for the next n elements of the queue with the same date (extract them to the temp list and so on) until I have no more items in the queue.
// some notes to help you understand the code
PriorityQueue<Results> r, size(4), elementsEqualByTime(1=2,3=4);
List<Comments> c, size(2);
ArrayList temp;
if (c.size() != r.size() && resultIter.hasNext()) {
//first iteration will compare element 0 to itself -> 100% true
ResultObject r2 = resultIter.next();
ResultObject r1 = r2;
while (resultIter.hasNext() && r1.getTime().equals(r2.getTime())) {
temp.add(r1);
//we add the matching elements before we continue
r1 = r2;
temp.add(r1);
if (resultIter.hasNext()) {
//after we add the 2 matching elements we continue
r2 = resultIter.next();
}
}
//use the items in temp
temp.clear();
}
Right now it works for the 1st set of elements, but on the 2nd iteration it adds no elements to the temp ArrayList. I'd appreciate help with this solution, but am also open to different suggestions.
boolean Check (List<Element> elements,Element element)
{
for(Element element1:elements)
if(element1.equals(element))
return true;
return false;
}
void Stuff()
{
// some notes to help you understand the code
PriorityQueue<Element> r = new PriorityQueue<Element>();
List<Element> c;
List<Element> temp = new ArrayList<Element>();
for(Element element:r)
{
if(!Check(temp, element))
{
// do stuff with temp
temp = new ArrayList<Element>();
}
temp.add(element);
}
}
while (commentIter.hasNext()) {
Comment c1 = null;
temp.add(arrayQueue[0]);
for (int i = 1; i < arrayQueue.length; i++) {
if (!arrayQueue[i].getTime().equals(arrayQueue[i - 1].getTime())) {
c1 = commentIter.next();
//do stuff with the results
temp = new HashSet<ResultObject>();
}
temp.add(arrayQueue[i]);
}
if (!temp.isEmpty()) {
c1 = commentIter.next();
//do stuff with the results
}
temp = new HashSet<ResultObject>();
}
That's a tested solution which works.
If I have a main table, lets say orders, and a sub table of items and the items table has a fields for item number BUT it also has a nullable (optional) field for color that applied only to certain items. How would I update the items table, at the same time as the orders table, using Entity Framework?
Here is a code example of what I have so far. Two problems, I'm only entering one of my items and, from what my research indicates, I can't add another field to the items table?
foreach (Guid c in AllItems)
{ Items.OrderItemID = Guid.NewGuid();
ITemsOrderID = order.OrderID;
ITems.ItemID = c;
If (ItemID = ItemThatLetsYouChoseAColorID)
{
Items.ItemColorID = ColorID;
} else {
Items.ItemColorID = null;
}
}
context.Orders.AddObject(Orders);
context.Items.AddObject(Items);
context.SaveChanges();
My Orders table gets a record inserted, and the Items gets ONE record inserted. I'm missing something basic here, I'm afraid. BTW, this is Entity Framework 4.0, which. I believe, does not require the use of EntityKey.
You're adding an object to the Items collection only one time after the scope of your foreach.
Have you tested something like:
foreach (Guid c in AllItems)
{
var Item = new Item();
Item.OrderItemID = Guid.NewGuid();
Item.OrderID = order.OrderID;
Item.ItemID = c;
If (ItemID = ItemThatLetsYouChoseAColorID)
{
Item.ItemColorID = ColorID;
}
else
{
Item.ItemColorID = null;
}
context.Items.AddObject(Items);
}
context.Orders.AddObject(order);
context.SaveChanges();
And I'm not sure to understand what you mean by
I can't add another field to the items table
You should be more precise about what you actually expect. Insert a row, add a column in the table...? What is a "field"?
Here is the working code. I had the new Item outside the foreach item loop, so was overwriting the value. Also, I need to add each one to the context. I had a hard time with this, hope it helps someone else:
<-fill the order object->
foreach (Guid i in Items)
{
**Items item = new Items();**
item.ItemID = Guid.NewGuid();
item.OrderID = order.OrderID;
if (i == ItemWithColorGuid)
{
foreach (Guid c in Colors)
{
**Items color = new Items();**
color.ItemsID = Guid.NewGuid();
color.OrderID = order.orderID;
color.itemID = g;
color.colorID = c;
context.item.AddObject(color);
}
}
else
{
item.ItemID = i;
item.ColorID = null;
context.item.AddObject(item);
}
}
context.orders.AddObject(order);
context.SaveChanges();
I have found a few articles like this one:
http://devtoolshed.com/using-stored-procedures-entity-framework-scalar-return-values
Yet when I take the step to create a function import for a int32 scalar, this is what gets generated:
public ObjectResult<Nullable<global::System.Int32>> MyStoredProcedure(Nullable<global::System.Int32> orderId)
{
ObjectParameter orderIdParameter;
if (orderId.HasValue)
{
orderIdParameter = new ObjectParameter("OrderId", orderId);
}
else
{
orderIdParameter = new ObjectParameter("OrderId", typeof(global::System.Int32));
}
return base.ExecuteFunction<Nullable<global::System.Int32>>("MyStoredProcedure", orderIdParameter);
}
I am able to call the procedure with this, but am not able to get to the underlying scalar:
ObjectResult<int?> result = myEntities.MyProcedure(orderId);
In the code examples I have seen, I should get context.MyProcedure().SingleOrDefault().
Try this:
int? result = myEntities.MyProcedure(orderId).FirstOrDefault();