Work with several project and do referencing?

[delez]

I'm evaluating the tool. Only one problem until now. It's when working with several project files (serveral .EAP file). That's the way we are doing in the company. One project (file) per component (developer). I'm trying to found help in the user guide or help index but didn't until today...

How can I refer from project "A" to project "ref"? I want only a link to project "ref", not a full XMI import. Also, when the "ref" project gets updated, how can I see these updates in the reference linked into project "A"? The goal is to use the "ref" project into several other project "A", "B", "C",... Each one is in a separate project file.

Is it already somehow supported in EA 4.5? If yes, which keyword should I use in the help? In the user guide?

Regards,
Christian.

[thomaskilian]

You could try the controlled package for your purpose. You'll find it in the context menu for packages in the browser.

[Bruno.Cossi]

Hi,

your company may want to rethink the way they work :-) What's stopping you from setting up a shared repository used by each of the developers?
The federated scenario you have described will get very messy and I do not know of a tool that would elegantly support this (which I think is a good thing for variety of reasons).

Now, ability to store multiple projects within the same repository, that would be something!

Bruno

[Martin Terreni]

I think Bruno is right, you might want to rethink it.
I have a number of teams working wiht EA in diferent prjects. the division of files between developers is not one per developer but one XMI file per logical package.
the division should be acording to your software design, not your development team.

Maybe you can let your team work like this and just publish an XMI with interfaces to their project.

[sargasso]

Now, ability to store multiple projects within the same repository, that would be something!

Multiple root nodes?

[Bruno.Cossi]

That's what we use as a workaround, it is a workable solution, but we do miss much of the security functionality we would like.

Multiple root nodes?

[delez]

I try controlled packages. It fit my needs.
I also use multiple root nodes. It's also fine.
I add an external root node. Then in this root node, I add one controlled package per library we use. I can then reload on need each library model from the right-click menu "Package Control"->"Load package from file".

Doing this seams to add the referenced libraries project models to my EAP file. It seams that the controlled package are copied into the EAP file. This means file size increase.

Is there a way to avoid this?
How one refers to external library without copying the full library object model inside the EAP file?

Regards, Christian.

[TrtnJohn]

I don't think you can reference one EAP from another.  

Just set up package control and no one can update the same package at the same time.  If you wan't better security and control, you should use the Corporate edition and a SQL database for your repository.

[TrtnJohn]

That's what we use as a workaround, it is a workable solution, but we do miss much of the security functionality we would like.

My only gripe with this approach is the load time required when you open up the entire model.  I still use an EAP file on a shared drive though.  If I convert to a SQL server will it be faster or slower?  I am think of converting over to MySQL.  

[thomaskilian]

Likely you will have to try  :-/ The number of parameters influencing loading time are too high to give an answer  in advance.

[Bruno.Cossi]

It will likely be somewhat faster, but virtually not noticeable. The database performance has an insignificant impact on the loading time, most of it is due to the execution of the logic within EA and loading the whole model to the memory. Even a large EA project is size-wise going to be small from an RDBMS prospective.

Bruno

My only gripe with this approach is the load time required when you open up the entire model.  I still use an EAP file on a shared drive though.  If I convert to a SQL server will it be faster or slower?  I am think of converting over to MySQL.  

[Martin Terreni]

working from DB sounds very interesting, but how do you save previews versions.
We user ClearCase and so we have both concurrency controll and versioning, is DB capable of it?

[Bruno.Cossi]

Working from a DB is exactly the same as working from an EAP file, in fact EAP file is nothing but a small MS Access database. You can interface the EA project with a version control tool regardless of where is it stored.

Bruno

[Martin Terreni]

no I can't.
my DB is external to my projects (belongs to IT)...

[Bruno.Cossi]

That doesn't matter, version control does not interface with the database but with the EA application itself.
The way it works is that EA exports the controlled object into an XML file and checks the file into the version control repository.
Your DBA will never even know :-)

Bruno

no I can't.
my DB is external to my projects (belongs to IT)...