I would like to create a custom toolbox with useful elements for me.
The elements I use are all built-in, such as Archimate tools, SoaML and activity tools.
Is it possible to assemble them all to one toolbox?
When I create an MDG of a new tool set, I can only extend the common tools, such as class, component, package, etc. Where are the other elements?
Yes, you can put them in a single MDG. To address elements from other MDGs you need to qualify them explicitly. E.g. for a ArchiMate_BusinessActor you need to write by hand ArchiMate2::ArchiMate_BusinessActor.
To find out the id (e.g. Archimate2 in the above example) open the MDG file which is located in the EA program folder under MDGTechnologies. The second line holds the attribute id which is what you need.
To find the stereotype simply open the element properties.
id and stereotype concatenated with :: form the specifier for the meta class.
EDIT (from user3165438): TheArchiMate2::ArchiMate_BusinessActor should be added to the toolbox page list.
Related
The goal is to have a fully version controlled EA model with the UML/SysML/... content aswell as metainformation like tags (inluding enum type specification) or configured filters.
Using the CVS-integration with SVN its easily possible to synchronize the general model data within the team. Tags can be defined by a developer as a enum with the valid values by adding the following snippet to "UML Typed" -> "Tagged Values Types":
Type=Enum;
Values=A, B, C;
I expect EA to synchronize the Tags enum definition using the VCS once created or after the first usage. However, EA seems to only sync the tags that have been applied to model elements without any meta information like enum-definitions or descriptions. I can confirm that the defined tag gets saved inside the "local model"-File of the EA-Project and is not saved in some user-only directory.
One possible solution I found is using the "Export/Import Reference Data" function of EA that is described here and to sync the data in a separate repository. It's a really clunky approach including several manual steps that can lead to faults - such as forgetting about exporting after a change of the tagged value types.
Is there a better solution that I just missed?
With the version control integration you are storing package information into an XMI file and upload that to the version control system (SVN in your case).
The tagged values definition is meta- information that is not stored in that package, and thus not part of the XMI file that is uploaded to SVN.
The best way to deal with things like this is to add tagged values to stereotypes in a UML profile, that is packaged into an MDG file.
MDG files can be considered as packaged meta-models. You can store the MDG file in your version control system as well, and instruct users to use the latest MDG file when using EA.
i have to change the diagram type of a lot of diagrams within my Enterprise Architect model. The change can be made manually using following option (that works as expected):
Select diagram - Diagram - Advanced - Change Type...
As I have to change a lot of diagrams I have created a script which searches for all concerned diagrams and change the type automatically. I wrote already a lot of JScript EA scripts for changing some modeling elements. Unfortunately, this feature seems not be available over the scripting interface.
I have to change the "MetaType" of the the diagram object. But this is read-only (see http://www.sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/12/automation_and_scripting/diagram2.html). Therefore, I got an error.
var currentDiagram as EA.Diagram
currentDiagram = theDiagram
currentDiagram.MetaType = MY_DIAGRAM_METATYPE // ERROR
In the next step I searched for appropriate functionalities in the Repository interface (http://www.sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/12/automation_and_scripting/repository3.html) and in the project interface. But I found nothing appropiate.
I am using Enterprise Architect 12.0.1215 and I used JScript.
Has anyone already tried this by script?
Have I missed something?
Is there another approach to achieve the diagram type change by script?
Thanks in advance!
You have to do that in two steps (if you change to different MDG diagram types). E.g. to change a Class diagram to a BPMN2.0::BPEL you first change Diagram_Type from Logical to Analysis. Additionally you need to add MDGDgm=BPMN2.0::BPEL; to StyleEx. In case your old diagram is from another MDG you need to modify the existing MDGDgm attribute in StyleEx.
As Uffe noted, the diagram type in the API is r/o. So if you need to change that you would need to do something like
Repository.Execute("UPDATE t_diagram SET Diagram_Type='Analysis' WHERE Diagram_ID=<theId>")
where <theId> would be the correct diagram ID.
I want to create my own custom toolbox. Therefore I created a metaclass and a stereotype. In the stereotype I wrote a note that gives some instructions about how to populate the object.
Problem is, when I create my MDG Technology, the Notes won't display in the objects I create in my diagram..
How can I fix this and display the Notes for every object I create?
You can either
Write and MDG-Addin to populate the notes for your elements.
Add an element with your stereotype to the template package and add the required notes there. This will have to be done on each model that uses your MDG.
Firstly I'm assuming that you can see the notes you seek on the Properties page of an element you create using your toolbox i.e. the notes field is populated.
If it is, check that notes visibility is turned on by doing these two things:
1) Select the element and go to Element->Feature and Compartment Visibility. Check the Show Notes box. Hit OK
2) Right click on an element and choose Advanced->Use Rectangle Notation
I have a custom toolbox with a foo element.
I would like the foo to be green on an class diagram and red on flow chart diagram by default.
Adding more than one stereotype to non- UML type is impossible (as far as I know).
Is it possible to create 2 toolboxes- one for class diagrams and one for flow charts, specifying the default diagram for each toolbox in the profile?
Not quite the way you describe it.
Toolboxes don't specify which diagram they open, it's the other way around: you create a custom diagram type and associate it with a toolbox. Different custom diagrams may use the same custom toolbox.
You can create two custom diagram types, one for class ("Logical") and one for flow chart ("Activity"), but if you're only after getting the same stereotyped element (foo) to display differently in the diagrams, you don't need to.
The solution is to create a shape script for the stereotype, which checks the diagram type and changes the color accordingly. The diagram type can be queried from the shape script using the diagram.type property (for the base UML diagram type), or diagram.mdgtype (for the custom diagram type, if you've defined one). There is no need to create an Add-In, as another answer suggests, at least not in EA 11.
Check the help file under Extending UML Models -- MDG Technology SDK -- Shape Scripts -- Write Scripts -- Display Element/Connector Properties.
A simple script might look like this:
shape main {
if (hasproperty("diagram.type", "Logical")) {
setfillcolor(0, 255, 70);
} else if (hasproperty("diagram.type", "Activity")) {
setfillcolor(255, 87, 87);
}
drawnativeshape();
};
No. You need to have two different stereotypes. The target diagram is independent of the element. If you want the element appear different on the type of the diagram where you use it you need to adapt the shape script so it calls an add-in which detects the diagram type.
Well, writing the last sentence I would not know how to detect the diagram where the element in question is in. Needs investigation. But other than that - no solution I know of.
Edit: Since the add-in just receives the element GUID it has no way to figure out the diagram from where the call is made. Probably worth a feature request. But the time where we saw those realized in the next build are gone (since more than 10 years).
A last though: template packages. I almost never used them. Maybe they offer coloring depending on diagram/element.
Edit2: Last resort EA_OnPostNewDiagramObject. Catch that and you can get all information you need to apply the color.
I am trying to draw a part decomposition diagram with EA10. It should look like below.
But I couldn't find how. Is this UML diagram ever supported by EA?
Found it. I need to activate the "More tools..." -> "Composite" first. And choose "Port".
BTW, this is really a bad user experience.
You're doing it wrong. Sorry, but there's no kinder way to say it. :)
If the lifeline (:Class) is associated with a classifier (Class) which has properly defined ports (as it should be), then the following applies:
If you create the lifeline by dropping the classifier onto the sequence diagram, you get the option of displaying the ports (aka "structural elements") immediately.
Regardless of how the lifeline was created, you can right-click it and select "Structural Elements" which allows you to select the ports from the classifier (which may have been added since the lifeline was created).
If you want to create ports under a lifeline which has no classifier, you can do that too. Simply right-click and select "Structural Elements". The dialog allows you to create new ports.
The :Class lifeline presumably gets its type information from a Class element, so the first thing you need to do is find the Class element and give it two ports. Once you have done that, you can right-click the lifeline, select the Embedded Elements dialog and include the ports on the lifeline. (The Embedded Elements dialog may have been renamed Structural Elements in recent versions).