What's the point of MTS Files???

[Shawn Stepper]

I'm struggling with sharing Model Views across multiple models. The Help Files describe (sort of) how to create an MTS files and add references to searches and views. Is this the only way to share searches and views, or can they be shared through MDG XML files? What is the point of an MTS file?

[Paolo F Cantoni]

I'm struggling with sharing Model Views across multiple models. The Help Files describe (sort of) how to create an MTS files and add references to searches and views. Is this the only way to share searches and views, or can they be shared through MDG XML files? What is the point of an MTS file?

Hi Shawn,

Since I've recently had problems with my MTS file, I think I can shed a little light on this.

I believe (without Proof) that MTS stand for "MDG Technology Specification".  It's the file EA uses to construct the MDG XML file you see...

So your comment about "or can they be shared through MDG XML files" is predicated on the fact that the individual XML files are re-packaged up into the overall MDG XML file via the MTS specification.

Does that help?
Paolo

[Shawn Stepper]

So can I skip the MTS file altogether and just use an XML file if I create it manually?

[Paolo F Cantoni]

So can I skip the MTS file altogether and just use an XML file if I create it manually?

I guess so, but why bother? - unless you're generating the XML from a model directly...

Paolo

[RoyC]

Quote from the Help:

An MDG Technology Selection (.MTS) file stores the selected options that you define when creating an MDG Technology File using the MDG Technology Wizard. If you use a .MTS file, you can edit it to change the features selected when you generate the file, and to add or remove advanced features.

[Dave_Bullet]

As stated, the MTS allows you to "package up" all the components you want to share.  When you point a client to an MTS, you can then update the generated technology centrally (via URL etc...) each time the search or default views change.

If you generated them just as XML - then you'd have to do a per project file import on each change, rather than manage one central definition all EA clients "pull" from (regardless of project open).  Make sense?

[Oliver F.]

As stated, the MTS allows you to "package up" all the components you want to share.  When you point a client to an MTS, you can then update the generated technology centrally (via URL etc...) each time the search or default views change.

Almost correct- except that from the MTS file EA generates the MDG technology XML file which is then shared by the client EA installations.

The MTS file is the "source file" of the technology, not the technology itself.

Oliver

[Shawn Stepper]

Oliver, I think your last comment clarified it for me. MDG technologies are shared through XML files. The MTS file is like a configuration file used to generate the XML file. The benefit of using the MTS file is that you can use a wizard to create/update it. If you don't need the wizard, you don't need the MTS.

In the help, it states that Searches and Model Views can be shared by manually adding them to the MTS file. This is all I am really trying to do. So if the MTS file is just used to generate the MDG XML, then can I add the shared Searches and Model Views directly to the MDG XML? It seems to work OK for the Searches, but not for Model Views. So I have trying to figure out if there is a problem with the way I set up the Model Views, or if the Model Views could ONLY be added to an MTS file. This was the source of all my confusion - that the help file says these elements must be added to an MTS file.

Thanks for all of your input, everyone.