Sequence Notes Not Factoed Size of Diagram

[cspowers]

When composing a sequence diagram chart, I like to enter sequence notes for the messages that flow between the various objects. I like how they show up to the side of the diagram. However, if I enter a lot of notes, they are often truncated in the diagram. It would be nice if the sequence note box was made as big as it needs to be to show all the text in the note and all the other messages are shoved down to make room.

[gsparks]

Hi,

We are currently modifying the sequence diagram drawing code such that you can manually offset a sequence message vertically. Notes will use whatever space is available, so if you manuall drag the next sequence message down a bit, you can make room for longer notes.

The automatic part of this may come later - but this should let you produce a good diagram.

This change will be in the next update - due out some time next week - the build number will be 479 or higher.

Hope this will help,
Geoff Sparks

[cspowers]

Being able to drag messages in a sequence diagram up or down would work for me. And I kinda like having fine grained control over their placement because it will also let me insert Note elements into the diagrams at certain places.

Two side issues while I'm at it:
1) The other day I inserted a Note element into a sequence diagram and then tried to create a Note link between the note and one of the messages. I got a message saying that this wasn't conformant to the UML spec. Bummer. It would let me attach the note to one of the objects/classes in the sequence, just not the message. Given that there is the "sequence note" feature on the messages, this is not a big deal. I was just curious about why UML had this restriction. I'm just barely starting to get a clue on how UML works so I'm trying understand things like this.

2) In the diagram properties, I like to check the "show diagram details" box so that the background of the diagram shows the diagram name, and last modification date. This helps me keep track when I copy diagram links to my design document. But on Sequence diagrams, the objects/classes at the top of the swim lanes overlap the diagram details. It would be nice if I could control how far from the top of the page the objects/classes start so that they don't overlap the details.  

I can sort of work around this problem. Instead of checking the "show diagram details" box on the diagram properties, I can insert a diagrm details note. This creates the same information that I drag around the diagram and place it someplace out of the way. The problem with this approach is that I've noticed that these diagram notes don't always get updated when something on the diagram gets updated. I haven't watched this closely enough to figure out exactly when it does and does not get updated.

[ronnie]

This has just reminded me of one of something...

Not that I've tried to do it much, there are cases (only really noticed when browsing the UML guidelines) where associations are made between associations and the UML examples in the spec certainly have notes 'linked' to associations.

I have only seen this for modelling constraints, see OMG-Unified Modeling Language, v1.4 3.16.3 for examples.

Geoff, maybe you can give some insight...

Ronnie

[cspowers]

Hmmmm, I'll try it some more. Maybe te objects in he sequence diagrams were so close to each other that the interface just couldn't detect that I wanted to attach a note to a message.

[gsparks]

Hi all,

Linking a note to message or connector of any type is not supported in the current version of EA. You should not get a message of any kind if you try and do it - it will just not happen.

The good news is that we have added an 'Attach Note' context menu option for a connector of any type in the next build. This will automatically create a note and a dotted line to the centre of the target connector. The note link in this case is not a true connector, so it cannot be moved, routed etc., but it does let you visibly link a note to a connection.

This update will be available in the next release of EA - due out in a day or so - look for build 479 or higher. This build will also include the ability to offset messages vertically in sequence diagrams - ie. open or close the gap between messages by draggin a message up or down.

Hope this explains the current situation and improvements coming,

Geoff Sparks

[cspowers]

These changes sound great. I like the idea of a coment note on the context menu for a link.

[cspowers]

I just tried out this feature in build 479. It has a couple of quirky behaviors, but you can definitely slide teh messages down and make room for the sequence notes. Thanks!  This really helps keep the documentation together with the diagram

When you drag a message down, you can't drag it below the next message underneath it or the editor will think you want to change the order of the messages. Also, it appears to me that as you slide  messages down such that the bottom message would slide off the end of the swim lanes, then the drag fails. No problem, you just go extend the swim lanes and drag it down again.  

[cspowers]

Forgot to mention. I also tried the new menu item on the link context menu to attach notes to links. Worked like a charm for me.


Thanks, as usual!