Updating package from third-party XMI

[Igor Lobanov]

Greetings,

I have a question with regard to partial model update from external source. We have a requirement that part of our model must be synchronized with third-party modeling system.

We import only classes from the XMI file, but all diagrams containing these classes are created in EA. The problem is that it seems impossible to update existing package from the XMI file, only add model elements from them. So in order to update package I have to delete its contents and import whole XMI file. Deleting package contents cleans out diagrams and I have basically to redraw all diagrams after import.

I tried to experiment with baselines, but EA compares objects based on GUIDs and classes with same names are considered different.

It there any way to update a package from third-party XMI file?

[Frank Horn]

Couldn't you import the third party package, create a separate package on the same level, put the diagrams into the separate package, and for update only reimport the third party package? EA would keep your diagrams then, only it would delete from the diagrams all those elements and connectors which are no longer contained in the third party package.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Couldn't you import the third party package, create a separate package on the same level, put the diagrams into the separate package, and for update only reimport the third party package? EA would keep your diagrams then, only it would delete from the diagrams all those elements and connectors which are no longer contained in the third party package.

Hi Frank (and Igor)

I don't think Igor can...  Reading between the lines it would appear the third party package doesn't generate GUIDs that EA can understand...  So every import would generate new GUIDs.

I was thinking along the same lines as you until I thought about his point that he couldn't compare (with the baseline)  based on GUIDs.

Paolo

[Igor Lobanov]

Frank and Paolo, thanks for your reply!

Couldn't you import the third party package, create a separate package on the same level, put the diagrams into the separate package, and for update only reimport the third party package? EA would keep your diagrams then, only it would delete from the diagrams all those elements and connectors which are no longer contained in the third party package.

Paolo is right, I can't. EA seems to unable to reimport packages from third-party XMIs. EA uses some undocumented XMI extensions to store its GUIDs for model elements and it is unclear how to properly add this information manually.

I don't think Igor can...  Reading between the lines it would appear the third party package doesn't generate GUIDs that EA can understand...  So every import would generate new GUIDs.

I was thinking along the same lines as you until I thought about his point that he couldn't compare (with the baseline)  based on GUIDs.

Yes, exactly.

[Igor Lobanov]

I am really looking forward a reply from Sparx team. Is is possible to either:
1) merge packages using element names only, not taking GUIDs into account?
2) somehow assign EA-specific GUIDs to model elements in third-party XMI?

Or maybe there is some other way to achieve similar results?

[RoyC]

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[Geert Bellekens]

Igor,

I'm pretty sure merging won't work since it is based on the guid's.
Elements with another guid are considered to be different elements.

I think your only option is to adapt the xmi's and add those ea_guid's yourself, which promises to be a major PITA.

Geert