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Connect to Element Feature

If a connector has source and target roles, you can connect either end of the connector to a specific operation or attribute in the source or target element. This is entirely a visual aid, to indicate which features are significant in the relationship. In code generation or transformation, the link is interpreted as a normal source-element to target-element relationship.

Enterprise Architect provides an alternative method of connecting element features, similar to the Quick Linker facility. See the Feature Quick Linker Help topic. In that facility, the connector does not have to exist first - you can create the connector as part of the process.

Connect the end of the connector to a specific operation or attribute

Step

Action

See also

1

Right-click on the end of the connector joined to the element containing the required feature.

2

Select the 'Link to Element Feature' context menu option.

The 'Link to Element Feature' dialog displays.

3

In the 'Feature Type' field, click on the drop-down arrow and select the required feature type - 'Attribute' or 'Operation'.

The attributes or operations from the element are listed in the 'Feature' field.

4

Click on the required attribute, operation or maintenance item, and click on the OK button.

The end of the connector changes to a bracket next to the selected feature.

You might create a number of feature-to-feature relationships between two elements (such as a Class and a Table that represents the Class data) to produce a diagram similar to this:

A UML Class diagram showing the mapping between the attributes of a class element and the columns of a database table element.

You can change the feature to which the connector is attached by following the procedure and selecting the new feature.

You can break the link to the selected feature in any of these ways:

  • Work through the procedure, setting the 'Feature Type' to 'None'
  • Delete the attribute or operation from the element
  • Change the connector type to a type that does not have source and target roles
  • Change the connector to a different source or target element that does not contain the feature

Note that reversing the direction of the connector does not break the connector's attachment to the feature.

Notes

  • The 'Link to Element Feature' option is not supported for reflexive/self connectors
  • If you have created, or intend to create, multiple relationships between the features of two elements, you can manage those relationships using the Feature Matrix

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