Creating 'Notes'

[Christopher_Wells]

What's a good way to create Notes that describe an element?

If I create the Note by doing "Attach Note" on a diagram, then on this diagram the Note *appears* attached to the element ... however this type of Note is *only* on the diagram (it does not appear in the Notes field of the element's properties, it is not forward-engineered into the source code, etc.).

On the other hand if I create the Note by typing it into the Notes field of the element's properties, this type of Note is *not displayed on any diagram* that includes the element.

So apparently there are two different kinds of Note: one kind is displayed on UML diagrams but not associated with the element to which it is attached, and the other kind is associated with the element but is not displayed on a diagram!?

[Christopher_Wells]

Ah -- I've discovered that I want to use "Attach Note", followed by "Link this Note to an Element feature..." followed by selecting "Feature Type"="Element Note" on the "Link note to element feature" dialog.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

What's a good way to create Notes that describe an element?

If I create the Note by doing "Attach Note" on a diagram, then on this diagram the Note *appears* attached to the element ... however this type of Note is *only* on the diagram (it does not appear in the Notes field of the element's properties, it is not forward-engineered into the source code, etc.).

On the other hand if I create the Note by typing it into the Notes field of the element's properties, this type of Note is *not displayed on any diagram* that includes the element.

So apparently there are two different kinds of Note: one kind is displayed on UML diagrams but not associated with the element to which it is attached, and the other kind is associated with the element but is not displayed on a diagram!?

Hi Chris,

If you type into the element's notes (and Sparxians it is confusing as you see to have two different things have the same name), you can link to these notes from an (empty external) note by right clicking on the link between the (empty) note and the element. There you'll find the "Link this note to Element feature" option and use it...  It one of EA's many really neat features

But, like most of their neat features they haven't orthogonally extended it so it also applies to connectors (as far as I can see).

Thus, if you were using element in the UML sense - then you can only apply these notes to classifier elements, not relationship elements.  If you were using element in the EA sense - then you can.

HTH,
Paolo