Author Topic: Importing a whole model from an XMI (Read 10885 times)

qwerty · « **on:** February 25, 2012, 02:30:13 am »

Maybe it's just me being too brain damaged. However, I just made the following observation: From a (not too small) model which I copied from somewhere I imported the root XMI which contains the whole model. Right after the import I ran a baseline compare and - oh wonder! - got a lot of differences. Not only the style of many connectors was indicated to be different (why? a fresh import of the very same file). There were also complete packages missing!!!

So I re-imported the XMI into that model - now not from scratch but with most (!) of the elements/packages already existing. This import also imported the missing packages! (The style of a couple of connectors still is indicated to be different, though.)

So what is this? Normal behavior? Strange earth waves? Has anyone else encountered this?

q.

Paolo F Cantoni · « **Reply #1 on:** February 27, 2012, 10:57:12 am »

Hi Q,

Don't forget that if you are importing more than one package into a new model you need to import at least twice!

(The last time i did a major XMI import, I forgot; and sat scrtching my head - like you - for a while before I remembered)

HTH,
Paolo

qwerty · « **Reply #2 on:** February 27, 2012, 11:38:18 am »

I remember this being relevant for VC packages. But also for native import?! Holy Cucumber! I thought importing an XMI is the most basic and most important part of EA. Seems to me I played with a loaded weapon all the time unknowingly. I should probably send in a "feature request".

*shaking head*

q.

Paolo F Cantoni · « **Reply #3 on:** February 27, 2012, 02:03:20 pm »

I think it's true for ANY multi-package XMI import... To import more than one package you need to import them in some sort of order... By definition, you can't import more than one package at a time, so while all the packages haven't been imported, the repository will be "unbalanced" - since if either end of an arc is missing, the arc will be removed. You'll need to import them at least twice to re-balance the repository.

The only solution I can see is to create "anemic" vertices as place holders until they finally arrive (ala Rational Rose).

Paolo

Eve · « **Reply #4 on:** February 27, 2012, 02:35:18 pm »

Quote

The only solution I can see is to create "anemic" vertices as place holders until they finally arrive

Tools | Options | XML Specifications | Create placeholders for missing External References during XMI 1.1/2.1 Import.

Paolo F Cantoni · « **Reply #5 on:** February 27, 2012, 04:57:57 pm »

Quote

Quote
The only solution I can see is to create "anemic" vertices as place holders until they finally arrive
Tools | Options | XML Specifications | Create placeholders for missing External References during XMI 1.1/2.1 Import.

Vindication!

Must have "crept in when I wasn't looking"...

Paolo

Geert Bellekens · « **Reply #6 on:** February 27, 2012, 07:15:29 pm »

What's the default for that option?

I think it should be "on"

Geert

qwerty · « **Reply #7 on:** February 27, 2012, 09:00:52 pm »

Quote

I think it's true for ANY multi-package XMI import...

Erm - I was talking about a SINGLE package not multiple XMIs. I had some "understanding" that multi-package import has its quirks with recursive relations. But that is one single large XMI. And after importing that it's missing contents. At least one whole package was missing.

q.

qwerty · « **Reply #8 on:** February 27, 2012, 09:03:09 pm »

Quote

What's the default for that option?

I think it should be "on"

Geert

I never touched that option and it's OFF for my installation.

q.

Paolo F Cantoni · « **Reply #9 on:** February 28, 2012, 10:35:28 am »

Quote

Quote
I think it's true for ANY multi-package XMI import...
Erm - I was talking about a SINGLE package not multiple XMIs. I had some "understanding" that multi-package import has its quirks with recursive relations. But that is one single large XMI. And after importing that it's missing contents. At least one whole package was missing.

q.

Sorry q, I misunderstood - your comment about a whole package missing implied (to me) that it was multi package (actually multi-XMI). My bad...

However, the points I make about multi-package don't JUST apply to multi-XMI (I think). Since all the sub-packages need to be imported in some sort of order (even within a single XMI). It should just be easier to resolve, in my view.

Try Simon's suggestion and see if the result is different.

Paolo

qwerty · « **Reply #10 on:** February 28, 2012, 12:12:43 pm »

I'll try tomorrow but can't see what I should do as it's a single XMI. There should be no lost thread.

Good night for now...

q.

Eve · « **Reply #11 on:** February 29, 2012, 08:37:19 am »

I've heard of connector styles being different in a baseline comparison, although it's disconcerting, it doesn't appear to be serious.

A missing package is very concerning, but we'd need some sort of sample to reproduce it. I hope you still have the original data somewhere...

The option for external references is not expected to make any difference when the entire model is being imported. It is for references outside of the package being imported, again I'm not aware of any issues resolving references between packages within an XMI file.

Graham_Moir · « **Reply #12 on:** February 29, 2012, 09:13:09 pm »

Quote

I've heard of connector styles being different in a baseline comparison, although it's disconcerting, it doesn't appear to be serious.

A missing package is very concerning, but we'd need some sort of sample to reproduce it. I hope you still have the original data somewhere...

The option for external references is not expected to make any difference when the entire model is being imported. It is for references outside of the package being imported, again I'm not aware of any issues resolving references between packages within an XMI file.

So if I've understood that, for a complete model only ONE import is (or should be) required, rather than the mulitple imports Paolo suggests. As Qwerty imported a complete model and had issues, this suggests there's a problem somewhere - time for a bug report ?

qwerty · « **Reply #13 on:** February 29, 2012, 09:18:08 pm »

Quote

A missing package is very concerning, but we'd need some sort of sample to reproduce it. I hope you still have the original data somewhere...

I guessed so. Now my problem: I'm jiggling with quite a number of large XMIs and it happened definitely in one of those. Unfortunately I did not pinpoint that one. So finding the right (or wrong) one is not so easy. However, I'll see if I can find it again and will come back with a bug report.

q.

qwerty · « **Reply #14 on:** February 29, 2012, 09:25:20 pm »

Quote

I've heard of connector styles being different in a baseline comparison, although it's disconcerting, it doesn't appear to be serious.

Not serious, but: This (reported) bug makes the whole baseline compare almost unusable. Running a compare will throw dozens of differences in connectors where there aren't any (it claims the "hidden" attribute to be duplicate). So this is not serious but at least major.

Another reason that makes finding above serious bug harder as it is covered under tons of non-serious fault messages.

q.

Sparx Systems Forum

News: