Newbie question on DDL Generation

[PeteH]

Hi,

 I'm trying to generate some DDL using the DDL transform from a model I have been given in UML. In it several of the classes contain other classes - for example (although a bit of a pointless one if you ask me) a Location may have a description element, which is class String20. Class String20 is an int, bizarely enough. When I generate the DDL for Location I get a column Description with a datatype String20. Is there a way to 'collapse' or 'import' these classes so that I get usable datatypes (int, varchar, etc...) when I generate the DDL?

Thanks,

Pete

[Martin Terreni]

Are you using the DDL for tables generation? if so then I think it is OK. How would you expect nested classes to be generated as tables?

[PeteH]

Thanks for the response Martin. The DDL won't be executed by the database as is, as it doesn't recognise String20 as a datatype. I would expect (hope) either the colums of that class to be replicated into the table as regular datatypes, or as a foreign key to a table of that class - probably the later. Does that make sense?

Thanks,

Pete

[Martin Terreni]

While it does make sence, it is not a standard. I would suggest, if it is ipmortant for you to model it this way, to create a conversion from your model to a model which can generate "legal" DDL you can use.
As for the string 20, I would need to check it...

[PeteH]

Thanks Martin. I have also worked out that many of these values are 'constrained values', which are not described in the UML. So I will try to model them as well - in fact this might be the cause of my problem in the first place. I will do some more reading up, and try to build some classes of my own to test out the theory. Big thumbs up for EA though, as it is the only tool that has been able to import the model at all!

Thanks again,

Pete