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

A Quickstart Tutorial

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Tutorial

Welcome to Enterprise Architect! This quick-start tutorial helps you start UML modeling with Enterprise Architect.

As you read through the Quick Start sections, have Enterprise Architect open so that you can explore and try out the functions described. By the end of the Quick Start tutorial you should be able to begin modeling your own software projects with Enterprise Architect and UML.

The tutorial guides you through creating a simple project. Throughout the descriptions there are hyperlinks to more detailed information on a range of topics. Follow these links if you would like more information, or ignore them if you want to just follow the steps.

Your task is to create a new project and then add a View, a package, a diagram, elements and connectors.

Create a Project

When you start Enterprise Architect it opens at the Start Page:

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  1. Click on the Create a New Project option. The New Project dialog displays.
  2. In the File name field, type a meaningful name for the project and click on the Save button to create the project file. The Select Model(s) dialog displays.
  3. You now select one or more model templates (these provide you with the basic structures - packages and diagrams - for your project, as well as references to useful help files to get you started). Select the checkbox of each model that interests you.
  4. Click on the OK button. Enterprise Architect creates a Model Package for each selected template and displays it in the Project Browser, on the right-hand side of the screen.

Note:

You could also quickly create a project by copying an existing base project provided with Enterprise Architect; see the Copy a Base Project topic.

Expand The Project

To navigate through your project, in the Project Browser click on the 'plus' icon against each folder or package to expand it.

Double-click on the diagram icon displayed underneath a package name. Enterprise Architect displays the sample diagram for that model in the Diagram View, which is in the middle of the screen.

Add a View To Your Model

Now that you have created a project containing at least one model, you can add a View to the model, and then add a package with diagram, elements and connectors (relationships).