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

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XML Specifications

Many of the model development and management tasks you perform operate either directly or indirectly with XML. You can set defaults on a number of settings to standardize the way in which you use XML in your own modeling activities. You can override several of these settings on any specific XMI import or export, especially when publishing a model Package in XMI to another modeling language or tool.

Access

Ribbon

Start > View > Preferences > XML Specifications

Keyboard Shortcuts

Ctrl+F9 | XML Specifications

Notes

  • If 'Export Alternate Images' is set, and you have Packages in your model under Version Control, then any alternative images used in those Packages are also exported to the Version Control repository when you check in the Packages; in this case, you would only select the checkbox if the alternative images are subject to frequent change
    Otherwise, do not select this option and instead use the 'Configure > Model > Transfer > Export Reference Data' and 'Import Reference Data' ribbon options to manage alternative images

Set XML Specification Options

Field/Button

Action

See also

Editor

Specify the default editor for reviewing any XML documents you open within the system. Either:

  • Type in the location of the editor .exe file, or
  • Click on the Browse. button and browse for the location

Code Page

Defaults to windows-1252; if you do not want to use this Code Page, type in your preferred code page reference.

Setting a null encoding string results in the encoding tag being entirely omitted from the XML output.

Click on the Default button to restore the setting to the default Code Page.

Format XMI Output

Select the checkbox to set formatting of your XMI output into human-readable form as the default.

Deselect the checkbox to show the XMI as unformatted code.

 Publish Model Package

Use DTD

Select the checkbox to default to using a Data Type Definition (DTD) in your XMI imports and exports. A DTD validates the correctness of the model and checks that no syntactical errors have occurred.

Deselect the checkbox to set the default to not using a DTD.

 The UML DTD

Export Diagrams

Select the checkbox to default to including diagrams when you export XML to another format or tool.

 Publish Model Package

Export Alternate Images

Select the checkbox to export any alternative images used in the model when you export to XML.

 Using the Image Manager Sharing Reference Data

Validate XMI against Schema/DTD

Select the checkbox to validate the XML format against the schema or Data Type Definition when loading an imported XML file.

Import using single transaction

Select the checkbox to make all XMI import operations and all Paste Package from Clipboard operations default to being performed within a single transaction.

Deselect this checkbox to make all XMI imports and paste Package operations default to being performed data item by data item, so that one failure does not block the whole operation (recommended for large imports/copies).

In either case, in any specific XMI import operation the setting can be overridden.

 Import from XMI Copy a Package

Write Log

Select the checkbox to write the execution activity to a log file when you import or export XMI.

Deselect the checkbox to not record the activity of the import or export to a log file.

Export Diagram Images

Select the checkbox to export diagrams as images when you export to XML.

Image Type

If you select the 'Export Diagram Images' option, click on the drop-down arrow and select the image format to export to. Select from metafile, bitmap, .gif, .png and .jpeg.

Create placeholders for missing External References during XMI 1.1/2.1 Import

Select the checkbox to show, during the import of an Enterprise Architect-exported XMI 1.1/2.1 file, any missing:

  • Diagram elements, using a Boundary element as a placeholder
  • Diagram connectors, using a Dependency connector as a placeholder

When importing an Enterprise Architect-exported XMI 1.1/2.1 file with cross-Package references, use this option to visually show the diagram items that are not yet in the model.

A sample scenario would be, as shown here, exporting 'Package2' to 'XMI 1.1' from 'Master.EAP' and importing it into 'New.EAP' - the Classes 'Class1' and 'Class2' and the connector between them are shown using a placeholder on the diagram 'Package2'.

Exporting a model with cross-package dependencies results in missing external references.

If the file is for a Package under Package Control or Version Control, and this checkbox is not selected, it is overridden if the 'For all packages, create placeholders for external references' checkbox is selected on the 'Version Control Settings' dialog and/or 'Package Control Options' dialog.

 Version Control Settings Configure Packages

Prefix Enterprise Architect Tagged Values in XMI 1.0 with ea$

Select the checkbox to prefix any Enterprise Architect Tagged Values within any XMI 1.0 you create, with ea$.

Update Last Save Time

Select the checkbox to update the timestamp of the last time each controlled Package was saved.

Report Cross Package Reference Deletions (XMI 1.1)

Select the checkbox to report any Package cross-references that would be deleted when a Controlled Package from an 'incomplete' model is exported to XMI 1.1.

 Report Deletion of Cross-Package References

Default XML Directory

Type in the location of the default XML directory to use when importing and exporting XML, or click on the Browse. button and browse for the location.

Close

Click on this button to save the changes you have made, and to close the 'Preferences' dialog.

Learn more

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