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

Objects

Topics:

Topic

Detail

See also

Objects

Objects are created in Enterprise Architect by generating text in the following form:

objectType

{

 objectProperties

}

where:

objectType is one of the following object types:

  • Action
  • ActionPin
  • Activity
  • ActivityParameter
  • ActivityPartition
  • ActivityRegion
  • Actor
  • Association
  • Change
  • Class
  • Collaboration
  • CollaborationUse
  • Component
  • DeploymentSpecification
  • DiagramFrame
  • Decision
  • EntryPoint
  • Event
  • ExceptionHandler
  • ExecutionEnvironment
  • ExitPoint
  • ExpansionNode
  • ExpansionRegion
  • ExposedInterface
  • GUIElement
  • InteractionFragment
  • InteractionOccurrence
  • InteractionState
  • Interface
  • InterruptibleActivityRegion
  • Issue
  • Iteration
  • Object
  • ObjectNode
  • MessageEndpoint
  • Node
  • Package
  • Parameter
  • Part
  • Port
  • ProvidedInterface
  • RequiredInterface
  • Requirement
  • Sequence
  • State
  • StateMachine
  • StateNode
  • Synchronization
  • Table
  • TimeLine
  • Trigger
  • UMLDiagram
  • UseCase

 

objectProperties is zero, or one or more of the following properties:

  • Abstract
  • Alias
  • Arguments
  • Author
  • Cardinality
  • Classifier
  • Complexity
  • Concurrency
  • Filename
  • Header
  • Import
  • IsActive
  • IsLeaf
  • IsRoot
  • IsSpecification
  • Keyword
  • Language
  • Multiplicity
  • Name
  • Notes
  • Persistence
  • Phase
  • Scope
  • Status
  • Stereotype
  • Version
  • Visibility

 

and zero, or one or more of the following elements:

  • Attribute
  • Classifier
  • Parameter
  • Operation
  • Parent
  • Tag
  • XRef
  • Any object

 

  • Some of the above only apply to certain object types
  • Every object created in a transformation should include an XRef element, as it enables Enterprise Architect to synchronize with the element and makes it possible to create a connector to that Class in a transformation

XRef element

Classes

A simple Class can be created as follows:

Class

{

 name = "Example"

}

It is then easy to add to this; the following example sets the language to C++, and adds a Tagged Value and an attribute:

Class

{

 name = "Example"

 language = "C++"

 Tag

 {

         name = "defaultCollectionClass"

         value = "List"

 }

 Attribute

 {

         name = "count"

         type = "int"

 }

}

 

Attributes

Attributes are created with the same structure as objects, and include the following properties:

  • Alias
  • Classifier
  • Collection
  • Container
  • Containment
  • Constant
  • Default
  • Derived
  • LowerBound
  • Name
  • Notes
  • Ordered
  • Scope
  • Static
  • Stereotype
  • Type
  • UpperBound
  • Volatile

 

and the following elements:

  • Classifier
  • Tag
  • XRef

 

Operations

Operations are created with the same structure as objects, and include the following properties:

  • Abstract
  • Alias
  • Behavior
  • Classifier
  • Code
  • Constant
  • IsQuery
  • Name
  • Notes
  • Pure
  • ReturnArray
  • Scope
  • Static
  • Stereotype
  • Type

 

and the following elements:

  • Classifier
  • Parameter
  • Tag
  • XRef

 

Parameters

Parameters are created with the same structure as objects, and include the Tag element and the following properties:

  • Classifier
  • Default
  • Fixed
  • Name
  • Notes
  • Kind
  • Stereotype

 

Packages

Packages differ from other objects in the following ways:

  • A reduced set of properties of alias, author, name, namespaceRoot, notes, scope, stereotype and version
  • The extra property namespaceRoot
  • Must have a name specified
  • Name can be a qualified name; when a qualified name is specified the properties given are applied only to the final package
  • Can contain other packages
  • Can't contain attributes and operations

 

Tables

Tables are a special sort of object, with the following differences from other object types:

  • Can include columns and primary keys
  • Cannot include attributes

 

Columns

Columns are similar to attributes, but have an autonumber element containing Startnum and increment, and the following added properties:

  • Length
  • NotNull
  • Precision
  • PrimaryKey
  • Scale
  • Unique

 

In the column definition, you cannot assign a value to the NotNull, PrimaryKey or Unique properties