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

Controlled Packages

Controlled packages are a powerful means of 'externalizing' parts of an Enterprise Architect model.

Guide:

Topic

Detail

See also

Using Controlled Packages

A controlled package is a package configured to save and load in XML format to a named file; the XML output is UML1.3 compliant XMI, with Enterprise Architect extensions to support diagrams and additional model elements

Package XML is standard XMI-compliant output that can be loaded into any XML viewer, or used by any XML-based tool to perform manipulations and extracts, such as document or code generators

Controlled packages appear in the Project Browser with a small colored rectangle to the left of the package icon, as shown below for the CIM package:

ControlledPackageRed

Using controlled packages you can support:

  • Widely distributed development by having team members submit packages in the form of XML for import into a central Enterprise Architect repository
  • Version control, by writing model elements in XML text files suitable for version control using standard version control software
     
    Using XMI this way enables you to manually connect to third-party version control software outside the Enterprise Architect environment
     
    Enterprise Architect internally supports the configuration of version control through SCC and CVS
  • Import and export of model elements between different models
     
    For example, a Class library can be re-used in many models and kept up to date in target models using controlled packages, reloading packages as required when new versions of the Class model become available

Version Control

Notes:

  • If you are importing an XMI 1.1 file that was previously exported with a UML_EA.DTD (Data Type Definition) file, the UML_EA.DTD file must be present in the directory into which the XMI file is being written; an error occurs if the UML_EA.DTD file is absent
  • When you select to apply a DTD during an XMI 1.1 export, the UML_EA.DTD file is written to the output directory into which the XML files are written (unless the UML_EA.DTD file is already present in the directory); no error is generated if the UML_EA.DTD file is not present in this directory during the XMI export