Author Topic: Best settings to export/import with XMI (Read 7399 times)

Guillaume · « **on:** March 27, 2008, 10:01:53 pm »

Hi

Since EA doesn't allow to copy/paste a full package within the project explorer, I'm export into an XMI file the package, and then import this XMI file (with strip GUIDs enabled) and rename the package...

The user manual does not reveal to much about the "Enable full EA Roundtrip" option.
If the exported package will be imported in the same version of EA only, should I enable or disable this option?

thanks

Geert Bellekens · « **Reply #1 on:** March 28, 2008, 04:20:31 am »

Enable. It keeps all EA specific stuff in the xmi file thus allowing to export/import without loosing anything

thomas.kilian · « **Reply #2 on:** March 28, 2008, 06:29:23 am »

So for what reason should one set it to disabled?

Jan ´Bary´ Glas · « **Reply #3 on:** March 28, 2008, 07:48:41 am »

Quote

So for what reason should one set it to disabled?

XMI is a format that should be supported by other CASE tools as well. The EA specific things might do some problems then. In fact I didn't try it.

thomas.kilian · « **Reply #4 on:** March 28, 2008, 07:53:55 am »

As I said somewhere else XMI is not XMI. I guess even setting the roundtrip to No would not make it unique.

«Midnight» · « **Reply #5 on:** March 28, 2008, 09:13:45 am »

A lot of that isn't Sparx' fault though.

XMI carries around a lot of baggage from its 1.x days. It was originally meant as a transport mechanism to exchange models between two instances of the same application. Cross support for other applications was left as a desirable feature, that vendors would (likely) have to cooperate on. Only very limited support was built into the dialect, and that generally meant bending things very much out of shape.

XMI 2.x was meant to be much better for exchange between applications. Unfortunately it seems that downward compatibility won out over interoperability. The end result was somewhat of a compromise, with the least useful [IMHO] support components for both purposes. One thing that (the final, watered-down) 2.x was supposed to do well was support diagram exchange between applications. Of course this meant that the applications involved needed to have compatible paradigms for diagrams and the underlying elements. So far this has not gone well.

XMI between applications remains somewhat of a PITA, but Sparx didn't make it that way.

David

[PS: There are some third-party applications that handle this kind of thing, sometimes via XMI. They generally cost some serious coin, but if you really need something to switch models around it can be worth your time and your dime.]

Guillaume · « **Reply #6 on:** March 29, 2008, 01:35:09 am »

Thanks for all your replies and further info about XMI.

I discovered a potential bug in EA using this import/export feature...

I have a couple of packages all imported from the same XMI file based on a template which has an interface, and operations defined for this interface.
On a separate model I created sequence diagrams invoking these operations.

The problem I get from time to time is that the SD doesn't display the name of the operation I selected, but the name of a different interface's operation (defined in a separate package)

Sounds like there is a conflict for EA when referencing to the elements within this sequence diagram which is very odd.

I selected the Strip GUIDs option and enable the EA Roundtrip so it's not to do with GUIDs used by more than one element...

the only workaround with this is to delete this interface and create it again...

Help !!

«Midnight» · « **Reply #7 on:** March 29, 2008, 11:04:53 pm »

Guillaume,

First, please take a look at build 828, which has been released while this thread was active. Perhaps the issue has been resolved.

If not...

Please report this to Sparx directly. If you can send them a (compressed) copy of a project where this happens - you might want to send both the project and the XMI file - that would help a lot.

You'll find the bug report page by either:

clicking on the Report a Bug link below the Support link near the bottom of any forum page; if you are a registered user follow the appropriate link above the form.
Clicking the Registered Users link near the top of any forum page, then following the link at the end of the paragraph under the Registered Users Support heading near the top of that page.

Thanks,
David

PS: Please post back and tell us what Sparx has to say. With luck this will make it into build 829.

Guillaume · « **Reply #8 on:** March 31, 2008, 07:13:03 pm »

Hi David

Thanks for the suggestions.
I'll give a try with the latest build and if I still have a problem, I will report it as a bug.

Thanks
Guillaume

Guillaume · « **Reply #9 on:** March 31, 2008, 08:48:23 pm »

Build 828 hasn't sorted the issue so I've reported the bug today.

I will post a new message when this is hopefully resolved.

Guillaume

«Midnight» · « **Reply #10 on:** March 31, 2008, 11:17:53 pm »

Thanks for doing the legwork on this Guillaume. I look forward to hearing what Sparx can tell us. They - or other forum members - might have a usable workaround, which could get you going sooner than a new build would.

David

Guillaume · « **Reply #11 on:** April 01, 2008, 06:59:47 pm »

SparxSystems identified the problem - this is due to a sequence diagram I'm exporting where the strip GUIDs feature doesn't work on a message between 2 lifelines, and which invokes an operation.

They will investigate it further to fix it in future releases.

Thanks
Guillaume

Jan ´Bary´ Glas · « **Reply #12 on:** April 01, 2008, 07:54:51 pm »

Nice work Guillaume and Sparxians. 8-)

thomas.kilian · « **Reply #13 on:** April 01, 2008, 09:18:55 pm »

Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.

Jan ´Bary´ Glas · « **Reply #14 on:** April 02, 2008, 06:24:10 am »

Quote

Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.

Okay, okay.

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