List Numbering in Virtual Documents

[marcelloh]

I know you really try to help (thank you for that).
If read the "working with the RTF Generator" several times, back and forth. But when I read this, I feel dumber then before, and I suppose a manual should make you smarter. If I got this to work, I will make a little manual about how this subject "virtual document" is working,
but for now... it still isn't.

I did do this (in my masterdocument):
- edit > list overrides > create list item > MyList
- edit > list overrides > create listoverride > Mylist
- edit > list overrides > edit list level> Mylist, overrides #001

But the scenario's are still strangely numbered.

So I need a new list override?
Let's asume that is the case, so I do this:
- edit > list overrides > create list item > MySubList
- edit > list overrides > create listoverride > MySubList
- edit > list overrides > edit list level> MySubList, overrides #002

And now, I am stuck, because when I go to the scenario (model) template, I can't choose any of the overrides that I made.
(I made them in my master document.)

So my conclusion is, that the master-template wasn't the place to do the fix. So let's try the normal.rtf.

I open this via File > open source file

Then right menu > edit > list and overrides > create list item
And the context menu disappeares :-( So... nothing to do here.

Opened the normal.rtf via OpenOffice to see if I can change something, did it via MsOffice but since they are new, and in ducth, I don't know where to look for.

That leaves me just as I started... nowhere near my target.

[RoyC]

In the Help, see this:
http://www.sparxsystems.com/uml_tool_guide/reporting_in_enterprise_architect/user_defined_list_numbering.html

We have also added a topic to the Release 8.0 Help (not yet published) that reads as follows:

Virtual documents can contain several sections based on separate templates. To ensure that section and subsection numbering continues sequentially through the sections, the template used in each model document must use the same List Overrides for section numbering.  These have a unique ID, so to propagate the List Overrides across multiple templates, you must:

• Set up the common List Overrides in the Normal.rtf  template (your own customized override list).

• Within each of the other templates used in the virtual document, using the template editor, select File | Update Styles to update the templates to include the common List Overrides.

• In each template use this common List Level for progressive numbering throughout the virtual document.

[marcelloh]

[highlight]Set up the common List Overrides in the Normal.rtf  template (your own customized override list).[/highlight]

As I said before, the normal.rtf won't let me do that!
(You actually could have read this, you know  )

That's why I was looking for a way outside of EA to do this.

Okay, new day, new changes, let's try one more time, 1 step at a time.....
(I hope this is what you mean by [highlight]Set up the common List Overrides[/highlight])
1. open EA
2. File > open Source File
3. Goto DocTemplates directory en select Normal.rtf
4. Right-click (a context menu shows)
5. Edit > List and Overrides > Create List Item

$@##$@$ and this is where the context menu vanishes and nothing I can do about it. No poup window or whatsoever, so...
NOT USEABLE!

I'm using the new 7.5 850 and I know you guys give hints with the best intention, but they don't work.

It there something I can do outside of EA to fix this?
(With MsWord or OpenOffice or so.)

The help states:
[highlight]In the Template Editor, select the Edit | List and Overrides | Create List Item menu option. The List Properties dialog displays.[/highlight]

So let me try this, 1 step at a time.....
1. open EA
2. open myproject
3. Press F8
4. Tab:Template
5. New template "myNormal" (completely empty)
6. Edit > List and Overrides > create List Item "MyList"
7. Edit > List and Overrides > edit List Item "MyList"
8. Edit > List and Overrides > create list override "MyList"
9. Export this blance template as "MyNormal.rtf"
10. Since I don't know how to use this file, I close EA, go to that file, renale the normal.rtf in normal_mybackup.rtf and rename the MyNormal.rtf in normal.rtf
11. Open EA
12. open myproject
13. goto my documentation diagram
14. select the model document "scenario's"
15. Press F8
16. Click edit template
17. File >update styles
18. Do you want import from normal.rtf: Yes
19. Styles have been updated
20. goto  just beyond the scenario-tag inside the template
21. Type "Experimental Header"
22. Select "heading 2"
23. Select numbering (an icon:123)
it now shows: 1. Experimental Header
24. Paragraph > list numbering
it should show "MyList", but it isn't there.

As a check, I do:
edit > list and overrides > edit list item
and yes... MyList does exist!

I don't know what to do next, I like those experiments but they beter bring me some results, because I've been getting headache a lot these days from all the failing experiments.  

[fwoolz]

I'd be interested in knowing how this whole "List Override" thing works out, because I have found the list numbering feature in the EA RTF generator to be unnecessarily clumsy and opaque. As one example, if unnumbered paragraphs intervene between numbered ones, EA will create a new numbering sequence (and a new list override). To continue the previous numbering, you need to use the same list override number - but try doing this 6 or 7 times and then try to figure out which override is which! "List#0005 ..."? "List#0003 ..."?

As I've said previously in these forums, I've taken to accessing the EA database directly and churning out documents programmatically when I need precise control over things like list numbering. It sure would be nice to be able to rely strictly on the otherwise powerful capabilities of EA to do this.

[skiwi]

It seems that the people at Sparx still don't understand that the end result of my work as Information Analist has to be perfect. If it looks sloppy, the customers will think the content is sloppy

I agree totally with this.

I have been having a good run with numbering (once I learnt not to put Document Artifacts in my master documents), but oddly yesterday I created a new document, with two model documents, each with a well used (proven) document template, and the heading 1 numbering resets itself between model documents.
I can't see the rhyme or reason for this. Sparx have got to fix this so it "just worx". Please

[RoyC]

Could you submit your concerns to Sparx Support officially with a bug report and/or a feature request, please? (That is, if you have not already done so.)

The forum does not appear to have helped Marcelloh, even though Graham and Oliver seem to have acheived the results they wanted. Just working off Marcelloh's posts, I cannot identify the problem. It's probably time the Support guys took a closer look at the issues Marcelloh is facing, and why Skiwi hit a problem where the process previously worked.

Thanks.

[skiwi]

Thanks, will do in the new year, I'll need to put together a test case to see if I can duplicate the issue here.

[marcelloh]

I don't know why there must be something like a list override in the first place.
If Look at mailmerging and heading inside such a masterdocument, it all works fine, without any "override" kind of workaround. So it isn't the texteditor (MsWord or OpenOffice) to blaim.

[potterm]

It seems that the people at Sparx still don't understand that the end result of my work as Information Analist has to be perfect. If it looks sloppy, the customers will think the content is sloppy

I agree totally with this.

I have been having a good run with numbering (once I learnt not to put Document Artifacts in my master documents), but oddly yesterday I created a new document, with two model documents, each with a well used (proven) document template, and the heading 1 numbering resets itself between model documents.
I can't see the rhyme or reason for this. Sparx have got to fix this so it "just worx". Please

Agreed.  We've been trying to get list numbering working in Linked Documents attached to use cases.  In each linked document individually the numbering was perfect but as soon as you compile them all into a single RTF report all hell breaks loose, with some documents continuing where others left off, others resetting to 1 (which was what we wanted).

I raised a bug report with Sparx and they were very helpful, but the steps needed to get the report to do "the right thing" were so complex that we just gave up and now don't use list numbering at all - we just create numbered lists manually.

I know list styles are notoriously tricky (MS Word's handling isn't perfect by any means) but this issue really needs to be sorted out.

Martin.