Declaring a reception

[tonyhedge]

Sorry if I'm being dim, but I can't find any way of adding a "reception" to a class or object - ie to specify what signals it is able to receive, as per

"The OMG UML specification (UML Superstructure Specification, v2.1.1, p. 450) states:

A signal triggers a reaction in the receiver in an asynchronous way and without a reply. The sender of a signal will not block waiting for a reply but continue execution immediately. By declaring a reception associated to a given signal, a classifier specifies that its instances will be able to receive that signal, or a subtype thereof, and will respond to it with the designated behavior."

Any help would be much appreciated, but be patient - I'm just migrating to EA from Visio!

Thanks!

[«Midnight»]

If I understand you correctly...

Start by using a Signal element. This is (very briefly) addressed in the EA help, indexed under Signal | Element.

From there look into using a Receive element (perhaps with a send element of course), depending on the diagram type and context.

There's also a reference to this element, indexed under Receive | Element, and also look at Receive | Event.

On the Event page (mentioned in the paragraph above) you'll find a quick note about using the Advanced pad of the context menu (which comes up after you add the element and then right-click it on a diagram.

HTH, David

[tonyhedge]

Thanks, David, but I'm still struggling!

Let me explain what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to model a C++ class which can receive an Event (in something like Win32 it would be a WaitForSingleObject on an Event handle).

I'm trying to draw a Communication Diagram (ie UML Behavioural/Communication), showing the communication between an instance of this class and an instance of a class which can send such an Event.

[In my case, though its not strictly relevant, but might help if I explain, I've got a FIFO class that when it detects a particular sequence sets an event which signals to a MessageHandler class so that the MessageHandler knows it can go and read the FIFO].

In Visio, what I can do is add a "Reception" to a class. When you look at the class in the browser you will see it has a number of Attributes, Operations and Receptions. The Receptions define what Signals that class can respond to. When you then come to add a message to a Communications Diagram (or a Collaboration diagram as we used to call them!), that Signal then appears as one of the messages you can add.

I'm trying to find a similar way in EA7.1 to add the Signal to the list of messages that the class can "receive" in a Communications Diagram. I can "manually" draw an Asynchronous Signal message and give it a name (eg MsgAvail), which lets me draw the diagram, but rather defeats the idea of "modelling" the signals the class can receive.

Hope this makes sense to somebody!

Regards
Tony

[KP]

For a Reception, create an Operation and give it the «signal» stereotype.

[«Midnight»]

Thanks for shedding more light on this Neil,

Somehow this does not seem to be documented. The EA help Index mentions only the Signal element I cite above. Searching help uncovers several more references, but still nothing quite like what you've mentioned. The closest thing is mentioning a «signal» type for a state diagram transition.

Perhaps you could pass this concern on to Roy so the documentation can be clarified (or re-indexed as appropriate).

David

[KP]

Perhaps you could pass this concern on to Roy so the documentation can be clarified (or re-indexed as appropriate).

Done

[RoyC]

And, in turn, Done.

In the Signal element description:

To define a reception, create an operation in the receiving object and assign the stereotype <<signal>> to it. The reception has the same name as the signal that the object can receive.

Indexed under Reception.

Changes available with the release of build 834.

[tonyhedge]

Thanks guys - just tried it and that does exactly what I was trying to do.

Excellent support!

Regards
Tony