activity diagrams for operations?

[Andre F.]

Hi there, this is my first post here and I am new to modeling with EA, so please bear with me.

In our project we modeled components that provide interfaces, and we define the operations on the interfaces. But now we want to put activity diagrams behind the operations, so that it is clear for a developer that to implement this operation (method) this activity diagram has to be used. The only way we found is basically put an activity diagram under the interface (in the project browser), next to the operation and let it have the same name.

Is there another way, that links the operation with the activity diagram somehow?

Many thanks in advance
André

[SomersetGraham]

Hi
You can use the Behaviour tab of the operation properties dialog

[Rouven]

Hi,

just to detail on that, the following could work:

• Create the Interface IF1
• Create an operation myOp
• go to Project Browser, right-click IF1 and select "Add\Activity\With Diagram"
• per convention name your activity myOp like the operation
• now return to your operation and - as mentioned in the previous answer - navigate to the 'Behavior' tab
• there don't put in the code or a description, but click on 'element' to select the Activity myOp you just created

Only downside: EA does not seem to visualize or support double clicks. So yes, formally linked, but not really navigable unless I overlooked something. If you at least select 'Show behavior in diagram' it will list the activity name below the operation name - but you already knew that...

Regards and hope to see you around sometime ;-)
Rouven

[Rouven]

Oh, forgot one thing, if you are looking for clickable navigation, you could extend the model as follows:

• right-click on the interface IF1 and select "Add\Diagram" to add a (select something) diagram; this diagram should be the only one within this interface and thus should open up automatically when you doubleclick the interface on a diagram.
• drag the interface IF1 and the "operation-action" myOp onto the diagram
• now create a dependency from the interface to the activity
• right-click on the dependency close to the interface and select 'Link to element feature' - there select the operation myOp
  

What you get with this one is (1) a clickable diagram and (2) a visualization that the operation is implemented by the operation.

Artificial solution, maybe somebody has a better idea...

[Andre F.]

Thanks, I will have a look at your solution!

[Geert Bellekens]

If you link the operation using the behavior tab as Rouven suggested you can use the EA Navigator to quickly navigate between the activity and the operation.

Geert