Invisible Activity Parameters?

[JohnWSaundersIII]

I've been working on Activity diagrams lately. In particular, I've been working on some activities that will probably be implemented as methods of a class, so I've been concerned with making the inputs and outputs clear. I just saw something strange, and wonder if anyone knows about it.

Steps to reproduce:
1) Create a new activity diagram
2) Add an activity
3) Add an embedded Activity Parameter to the activity
4) Use the quick-link to draw from the activity parameter to a new action
5) Right-click the activity and select "Advanced->Composite Element"
6) Double-click the activity, opening the inner activity diagram
7) Drag the action onto the diagram, specifying "as link"
8 ) Right-click the action and choose Add->Insert Related Elements.

The action now has a connection to an invisible activity parameter!

Is there something I can do to make it visible? Better still, is there a way to make it visible on the edge of a diagram frame or boundary or something?

Thanks,
John

[«Midnight»]

Don't know the answer to your question.

But, assuming you are using the current build - at this point it is 804 - to be sure this has not been addressed, this should be reported directly to Sparx as a bug.

From the forum follow the Support (top of page) and then the Bug Report (left menu) links. From the EA main menu choose Help | On-line Resources | Bug Report Page.

[thomaskilian]

8 ) Right-click the action and choose Add->Insert Related Elements.

The action now has a connection to an invisible activity parameter!

Is there something I can do to make it visible? Better still, is there a way to make it visible on the edge of a diagram frame or boundary or something?

Thanks,
John

I once noticed that the "Insert Related Elements" has a flaw and (quite sure) reported a bug (well, it might have slipped through as well :-/). So you should follow Davids advice...

[JohnWSaundersIII]

Thanks, I'll report this when I get home.

Another fun feature of this ... feature is that it affects the size of the page for the purposes of "Copy Image to Clipboard". I just had an invisible action pin on my diagram and it made the diagram twice as large as it needed to be. I had to lasso-drag in the "invisible" part of the diagram to find the invisible node.

John

[thomaskilian]

One bug usually doesn't come alone

[Paolo F Cantoni]

One bug usually doesn't come alone

I agree!   Based on my experience in EA they come along like the proverbial London busses - in clumps of three (at least)...

Paolo