Access to automation interface documentation

[Rehan]

Hi:

I am a newbie to using the automation interface. I am trying to access it using Java in Eclipse. I am unable to see any documentation (like javadoc) for the automation API. Is there some documentation available on the API, i.e., something that would tell me what each method does, and what its arguments mean?

Thanks,

Rehan

[«Midnight»]

Yes, there is documentation.

The Java API is a port - or something similar, being directly related in any case - of the COM API. The documentation for both is the same (perhaps with the exception that you might still need to read a small file stored in the Java API folder below your EA installation location).

In either the EA Help or the User Guide you'll find these under the section named Extend Enterprise Architect - Software Developers Kit. The section you want is probably the second last one: Enterprise Architect Object Model.

HTH, David

[jkorman]

Two things that have helped me.

Reverse engineer the eaapi.jar into EA. Now you can use the Project Browser to find the method signatures.

Second, You will need to use the API documentation in the help

http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/EAUserGuide/index.html?element2.htm

for example. Then you will have to "translate" the docs into Java getter/setter mindset.

Element Elements as a Collection http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/EAUserGuide/index.html?collection.htm becomes getElements() returning a Collection<Element>.

Jim

[Rehan]

Hi:

Thanks for your messages. I reverse engineered the eaapi.jar to get access to the bare bones Java files so I could see what's in them. But, as expected, they are just calls to native routines. That's all good, but none of the methods in the Java files have any javadoc, so reverse engineering bore no fruits.

I then explored the EA help for reference, as pointed to in response to this query, and found that the reference is indeed in the help. It is just not available from within Eclipse because it is not a part of the Java files themseleves.

Thanks for your help guys. I at least have access to it in some form.

Rehan