Please note : This help page is not for the latest version of Enterprise Architect. The latest help can be found here.

Tools Menu

In developing and managing your models, you can make use of a wide range of tools for developing and analyzing the structures and domains of your models such as specifications, scenarios, database models, business process decisions, schema, relationships, development gaps, programming language syntax, MDG Technology files and XSLT transformations. You can also customize a number of features and set operational options.

Access     Tools

Modeling Tool Options

Option

Action

Shortcut

See also

Specification Manager

Display the Specification Manager, a document-based interface to a selected Package in the model, providing the means of creating and reviewing elements as text representations of objects in the Project Browser.

You can open this window without having loaded a model.

 

 

Specification Manager

Scenario Builder

List and edit the Scenarios, internal Constraints and Requirements for the selected element, on a docked window or a View in the main work space.

 

Ctrl+Shift+3

Element Scenarios & Requirements

Database Builder

Open a 'wizard' that helps you to develop and test models of databases, and generate schema from these models, by:

·Providing a number of structures automatically tailored to the Database Management System you are modeling for, and
·Guiding you through the process of developing the model with panels and dialogs to record the appropriate data for the model
 

You can open this window without having loaded a model.

 

 

The Database Builder

Decision Table Editor

Display the Decision Tables view, a simple method of modeling how a decision is made, providing the capability of generating code for the decisions.

On the diagram containing the Activity or Action element that owns the table, you can replace the element shape with the decision table itself, showing the rules as either columns or rows.

 

 

Decision Table Editor

Schema Composer

Open the Schema Composer, a simple and versatile tool for quickly and easily defining messages to exchange specific types of information between organizations, and ensuring that such messages comply with the common standards for information exchange.

 

 

The Schema Composer

XSLT Debugger

Open the XSLT Debugger view.

The XSLT Debugger converts an input document into xml or other  document types using an XSLT Stylesheet. The transformation is modeled in an XML Transform diagram, from which you can debug and/or execute the stylesheet

When you execute the transformation, the source XML and the contents of the stylesheet .XSL file are exposed on separate tabs of the XSLT Debugger view.

 

 

XSLT Editor and Debugger

Re-usable Asset Service

Opens the Reusable Asset Service (RAS) through which you can connect to any repository using a cloud connection over the http protocol.  The repository can hold a reusable intellectual property asset such as an industry standard, registry or framework.

 

 

Reuseable Asset Service

Relationship Matrix

Create and manage the relationships between elements, by connector type, through the Relationship Matrix.

 

 

Relationship Matrix

Gap Analysis Matrix

Analyze model artifacts for potential gaps in the solution, using the Gap Analysis Matrix.

 

 

Gap Analysis Matrix

Local Directories and Paths

Configure local directories and paths for each of your programming languages.

 

 

Local Paths

Language Grammars

Create, edit and debug context-free grammars to define the syntax of programming languages (in Backus-Normal Form / Backus Naur Form), using the Grammar Editor view.

 

 

Editing Grammars

Generate MDG Technology File

Select this option to create an MDG Technology file using the MDG Technology Wizard.

(Not available in the Desktop edition.)

 

 

Create MDG Technology File

<Customized Options>

Select this option to provide access to external tools that you might use during your modeling work, using options that you have defined through the Tools tab of the Customize dialog (below). For example:
 

·ODBC Data Sources - Open the Windows system ODBC Data sources administration tool to define connections to Enterprise Architect repositories, or when setting up connections to data sources for reverse engineering
 
·System Information - Open the Windows System Information tool, to explore the various configurations and settings active on your current system

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Customize Dialog

 

Customize

Select this option to customize your operation of the system, such as modifying the main menu, toolbars, tools and other user interface behavior, to your particular preferences using the Customize dialog.

 

 

Options

Select this option to customize your general settings through the Options dialog. These options govern how a number of processes within Enterprise Architect are executed, and how various elements are displayed.

 

Ctrl+F9

Local Options