Traceability from/to sequence diagram

[wallyjp]

Hi,

I attempt to create traceability diagram including sequence diagrams. How should I operate EA to do this?

I drag sequence in Project Browser, and drop to the diagram for traceability. As usual, I select its drop type as Diagram Reference.  however I realized these opeartion made another 'sequence reference' (like instance).  What I want to do is the sequence appears in several traceability diagram under different some packages. In this case,  I can't trace between sequences and other elements(e.g.,Requirements,US) through the packages because my operations obove means to create another Diagram References for the same Sequence.

Kindly let me know how to trace between the sequence and others ?
Should I drag&drop  Deagram Reference in these case ?

Regards,
Wally

[Geert Bellekens]

Wally,

You shouldn't use diagrams for traceability. A diagram is not really an element in your model.

Instead I would suggest to always nest your sequence diagrams under an Interaction element, and create links to the Interaction to manage your traceability.

If you make your Interaction Composite it will open the sequence diagram when doubleclicked.

Geert

[wallyjp]

Hi Geert,

Thanks to your clear explanation and brilliant suggestion.

I'd like to know more about your suggestion  

Am I right, the following example ?
First, create Use Case Diagram to manage these sequence diagrams like the follows
-Right Click on a Usecase for the sequence,
- Select 'Add' -> 'Select composite Diagram'
And then, in traceability diagram, I put the use case instead of the sequence diagram.

Wally

[Geert Bellekens]

No, you don't use "use cases" you should use the element Interaction. That is the "normal" owner of a sequence diagram. (similar as how the State Machine element owns the State Diagram, and the Activity element owns the Activity Diagram.)

Geert

[rothnic]

Wally,

You shouldn't use diagrams for traceability. A diagram is not really an element in your model.

Instead I would suggest to always nest your sequence diagrams under an Interaction element, and create links to the Interaction to manage your traceability.

If you make your Interaction Composite it will open the sequence diagram when doubleclicked.

Geert

What if you want to take advantage of common elements of the interaction and make alternative sequence diagrams for the interaction? Is it best to only have a single diagram per interaction?

[qwerty]

No. In such a case I either place hyperlinks to the other diagrams in the main sequence. Or iI create a context diagram on top level and link all others from there.

q.

[wallyjp]

Hi Geert,

Could you please teach me how to create an Interaction element, please ?

The things I tried are below;
On Project Browser pane, right click on an package, select 'Add' -> 'Add element' . New window appears. I chose Active Tool set: 'Interaction' from pull down menu' Select Toolset'. however, I have no idea What 'Type' should I select? I supposed that this operation was not proper.

Geert, kindly teach me more, please

Hi rothnic, qwerty,
Thank you for your comments
What I want to do is to check tracability utilizing EA Traceability function(select View-> Traceability, Ctrl+shift+4) to trace from/to design elements, requirement elements.

Wally

[RoyC]

To create an Interaction element:

- Open your diagram.
- In the Diagram Toolbox click on More tools and select UML | Interaction.
- Expand the Additional page of the Toolbox; it contains the Interaction element.
- Drag the element onto your diagram.

For information on the element type, open the Help and find Standard UML Models > UML Elements > Behavioral Diagram Elements > Interaction.

Also see the EAExample Model, and find the IO Class under Systems Engineering Model | Implementation Model | Software.

[KP]

Another way to create an Interaction (and get a sequence diagram for free) is to right-click a Class in the Project Browser and select Add > Interaction > with Sequence Diagram.

[RoyC]

I'll see your Add | Interaction | With Sequence Diagram and raise you what Wallyjp tried to do first:

On the New Element dialog, Wally, you selected the toolset 'UML > Interaction'. In the Type field, you should select the Interaction element type. This adds the Interaction element to the Package, also with a child Sequence diagram.

[wallyjp]

Thanks to RoyC and KP, I succeeded to create Intaraction element, to right click on class in project browser pane, then select Add | Interaction | With sequence Diagram.

However i can't open the sequence diagram when doubleclicked as Geert adviced below. is there more setting I need to do ?

Wally

[RoyC]

I don't know. I have tried changing some workstation options but every time I create the Interaction with a Sequence diagram the diagram opens automatically, ready for editing. Is it doing that on your system but perhaps displaying it in an unexpected place so you don't notice it?

[wallyjp]

Hi RoyC,
Actually I can create the interaction with a Seqence Diagram, opens it automatically. The point I want to do is to open the seqeunce on other diagrams after put the seqeunce as a link. like the Example model you introduced me as below;

RoyC>  Also see the EAExample Model, and find the IO Class under Systems Engineering Model | Implementation Model | Software.

[wallyjp]

How did you create the Interaction elements in the package diagram ' Interactions'  located  under Systems Engineering | Requiremnets Model | Interactions in Example Model ?

it's a thing I want to do.

How should I operate to create Interaction as a element?
ToolBox does not show 'Interaction' as a element although I can choose 'Interaction' category and some elements in interacaion category are selectable like actor, lifline, something like that.
In this example, there is no class in project browser pane. hence I have no idea how to create it projet browser.

wally

[Geert Bellekens]

Wally,

To make the clickthrough work you'll need to set the diagram as the composite diagram of your Interaction element.
To do so right click on the interaction element in a diagram, and select New Diagram|Select Composite Diagram and then select the sequence diagram nested under the Interaction element.

And yes, I would never create more then one sequence diagram under a single Interaction.

Geert