Modelling Roles

[PLock]

Has anyone found a way to model a Role (AssociationRole) within the UML Class Structure?

I am trying to define possible Roles for associations, dependencies etc. from a particular class before adding the class to a diagram. This is to minimise Roles used within diagrams and to help with state / context specific associations.

Thanks.
Paul

[«Midnight»]

Do a search of the forum. There's been a lot of discussion about this.

[PLock]

Thanks for that  

I have searched the forum entries posted in the last year and had no luck. If you could point me to a particular discussion that would be great, otherwise I am still waiting for an answer to 'How to create an instance of and AssociationRole (role)' so i can extend role information ahead of diagram construction.

Thanks.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Experience has shown one year isn't enough to get all relevant posts.  Try up to 3 years...

Then if still no useful input, ask again.

HTH,
Paolo

[mikewhit]

9999 days is my default ...

[PLock]

A bit off the subject here, like trying to get blood from a stone. Is your default entries set to 9999 as well

[PLock]

Do a search of the forum. There's been a lot of discussion about this.

You are right there has been a lot of discussion about associations and modifying them, however i have still fallen short using 9999 days and 9999 results or even a close answer to my question.

Does anyone know of a way to create an instance of a Role in the Project browser. I know how to create Roles and display them in a class diagram but i need to be able to create an instance of one.


For those of you who want to know why - I am trying to import a complex model from Artisan Studio and the XMI import has fallen short on quite a few areas of the original model. All the artisan roles have been created as 'part' instances within the class. What I need to be able to do is represent a role so that a stereotype can be added to it.

While im on the whinge - Datatypes are another object i cannot create an instance of. For design of spark ada code these need to be in the design because it is a requirement that all types are declared in SPARK Ada otherwise Spark Examiner throws a wobbly.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance, Paul

[«Midnight»]

That's somewhat different, and I can see why you've not found the relevant material in earlier discussions.

AFAIK the Project Browser is meant to be primarily a navigation and selection tool. In the latter case the 'things' that can be selected - and then dragged, dropped and such - are pretty much restricted to elements. In some cases you seem to be able to drop a connector type onto a model, but you are then required to configure the specific connector, and the resulting entity does not show up in the Browser. [This might only be possible using the Resources tree. I just cannot remember, and my fingers do it automatically so I don't have to pay attention.]

Solving your problem, as you've now phrased it, would seem to require bending the Browser quite out of shape. That's not to say it couldn't be done, or wouldn't be useful. It just seems unlikely in the near term.

Perhaps Roles could somehow be shown in the Resources tree. From there they could be dropped into a model. This still seems to somewhat 'generic' for what you want.

David

[PLock]

Well thanks for that - great reply, 1st one ive had since started posting

I will continue to model the roles using the diagrams and apply stereotypes that way as well. Bit longer process than configuring a profile or dropping an object on the diagram but hey, life goes on!

Anyone got any ideas with the datatype scenario previously mentioned?

[mikewhit]

Sorry if I didn't give a real answer - it's just that so often
an answer to a 'new' question lies within the forum, if only the questioner would look, and look back far enough.

I have no experience of your requirement, but if you hadn't found what you were looking for, probably someone else would have chipped in. I was just trying to ensure you went back far enough before drawing a blank, so was at least attempting to be constructive, in my ignorance !