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Artifact
Description
An Artifact is any physical piece of information used or produced by a system. In Enterprise Architect these are represented by the Artifact element, which can have one of a number of stereotypes to tailor it to a specific purpose, including internal operations and structures within the model as indicated in the examples. Artifacts can have associated properties or operations, and can be instantiated or associated with other Artifacts according to the object they represent.
You can create an Artifact element by dragging one of the Artifact icons from the Artifacts page of the Diagram Toolbox, or from one of several other Toolbox pages according to type. The Common page of the Toolbox also has a generic Artifact icon that - when you drag it onto a diagram - offers a choice of types of Artifact to create.
Types of Artifact
Type |
Description |
See also |
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Base Artifact |
A Base Artifact defines the external artifacts used in a process and the internal artifacts generated in the process, such as model files, source files, database tables, development deliverables or support documents. The files represented by the Artifact are listed on the 'Files' tab of the element 'Properties' dialog. To open the files represented by the Artifact, click on the element on the diagram and press Diagram View workspace (if the file can be opened within Enterprise Architect) or in the default Windows viewer/editor for the file type (if the file cannot be opened within Enterprise Architect). . Each file is opened either on a separate tab in the Files can also be launched individually from the 'Files' tab (opening in the Windows default editor), as for elements of any other type that have associated files. Toolbox Icon
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Associated Files Create File Artifacts Generate, Save and Load (Profiler) Reports |
Document Artifact |
A Document Artifact is an Artifact having a stereotype of «document». You create the Document Artifact using the Artifacts, Component, Documentation or Deployment pages of the Diagram Toolbox, and associate it with an RTF document or CSV file. Double-click on the element to display the Linked Document Editor. When you have created the linked document, the Document Artifact element on the diagram shows an 'A' symbol in the bottom right corner.
Toolbox icon
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Linked Documents Add Quick Linker Definition To Profile |
Working Set Artifact |
A Working Set Artifact defines a Working Set that opens various windows, diagrams and views, recreating a work environment that you frequently use.
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Working Sets |
Executable Statemachine Artifact |
An Executable Statemachine Artifact is the vehicle through which you can generate, build (compile) and execute - via simulation - code for a State Machine or complex of State Machines. Each State Machine is the child of a Class element; when you drag the Class from the Project Browser onto the Artifact element, it is pasted inside the Artifact as a Part. You can paste several Classes - and, therefore, Parts - into a single Artifact. Having set up the Executable Statemachine Artifact, you use simple context menu options on the Artifact to perform the code generation, build and execution operations on all State Machines bound within the Artifact. Toolbox icon
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Code Generation - State Machines |
Matrix Specification |
A Matrix Specification Artifact encapsulates a Relationship Matrix Profile definition. When you have created the element on the diagram, you double-click on it to display the 'Matrix Specification' dialog, in which you create the Profile definition. The Profile takes the name of the element. The profile defined in the Artifact is independent of the Package that contains the Artifact element, and therefore could specify source and target Packages other than parent Package. After you create the Profile definition, each time you double-click on the Artifact element the Relationship Matrix displays with the Profile applied. To edit the Profile, right-click on the Artifact and select the 'Documentation | Edit Matrix Profile' option. Toolbox icon
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Create Matrix Profile |
Report Specification |
A Report Specification Artifact encapsulates a report definition. When you have created the element on the diagram, you double-click on it to display the 'Generate Documentation' dialog, on which you enter the report parameters and, if you wish, generate the report. After you create the Report Specification, each time you double-click on the Artifact element the 'Generate Documentation' dialog again displays with the same report parameters. You can continue to generate the same report, or alter the parameters if necessary. If you change the parameters, they are re-presented until such time as you change them again, Toolbox icon
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Generate Documentation |
User Story |
A User Story Artifact provides a means of documenting a business Use Case in the context of Agile methodologies such as Extreme Programming (XP). In the Linked Document, you define the functions a business system must provide; it captures the 'who', 'what' and 'why' of a requirement in a simple, concise format. The User Story Artifact behaves as a Document Artifact (above), prompting you to select a Linked Document template to base the document on. Toolbox icon
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Standard Chart |
A Standard Chart Artifact provides the facilities for generating a Pie Chart or Bar Chart on an aspect of the data in your model. It adds three 'Chart Details' tabs to the standard tabs of the element 'Properties' dialog. After you have added the element to your diagram, double-click on it. The element 'Properties' dialog automatically opens at the 'Chart Details - Source' tab. Define the chart type and data source, then go on to define any filters you want to apply, and how the chart should display. Once you have defined the chart, it automatically displays with the latest information whenever you open the parent diagram. Toolbox icon
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Standard Chart Data Chart Appearance |
Model View |
A Model View Artifact provides the facilities for generating a tabular Model View Chart on a segment of the data in your mode, extracted using a custom SQL search. After you have added the element to your diagram, double-click on it. The element 'Properties' dialog automatically opens at the 'Chart Details - Source' tab. Define the SQL Search to extract and tabulate the information. Once you have defined the chart, it automatically displays with the latest information whenever you open the parent diagram. Toolbox icon
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Define a Model View Chart |
Time Series Chart |
A Time Series Chart Artifact provides the facilities for generating a linear graph of a model property over time. After you have added the element to your diagram, double-click on it. The element 'Properties' dialog automatically opens at the 'Chart Details - Source' tab. Define the Package from which the data is to be extracted, and the time interval over which the data is to be sampled. Then go on to define the appearance of the chart. Once you have defined the chart, it automatically displays with the latest information whenever you open the parent diagram. Toolbox icon
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Define a Time Series Chart |
Learn more
OMG UML Specification
The OMG UML specification (UML Superstructure Specification, v2.1.1, p. 201) states:
An Artifact defined by the user represents a concrete element in the physical world. A particular instance (or 'copy') of an artifact is deployed to a node instance. Artifacts may have composition associations to other artifacts that are nested within it. For instance, a deployment descriptor artifact for a component may be contained within the artifact that implements that component. In that way, the component and its descriptor are deployed to a node instance as one artifact instance.