Consistent Treatment of Tagged Values from MDG Tec

[wikitect]

In order to get consistent entry of, say, date/time values for object attributes I've defined DateTime tagged values within my MDG Technology. The intention was to invoke the calendar control so that when the user clicks in the space next to the tagged value.

EA doesn't, however, allow this. In order to get the calendar control the user has to 1) click in the space next to the tagged value for the selected object 2) go to the bar above the tagged values and click on 'New Tagged Value' then 3) select from the drop-down list the tagged value from the MDG technology and 4) enter the value.

If the tagged value definition is entered via the Settings | UML | Tagged Values dialog then all the user has then to do is to 1) click in the space next to the tagged value for the selected object and 2) enter the value.

This latter method is much better for the user - fewer steps (per selected object) and it's much more obvious how a value is entered - just like any other. The problem is, however, is that either a data file has to be provided with the definitions and imported for each project (so the user has to know this) or they have to enter the definition manually. As it is editable you can then get inconsistent data entry with some remembering to do this and others not.

A typical definition is:

Code: [Select]

Tag Name: closedDate
Description: The date at which a concern is closed
Detail: Type=DateTime;Stereotypes=Concern;
which in XML looks like:

Code: [Select]

<DataRow><Column name="Property" value="closedDate"/><Column name="Description" value="The date at which a concern is closed"/><Column name="Notes" value="Type=DateTime;Stereotypes=Concern;"/></DataRow>

All this seems daft if the definition is available from the MDG in an inviolate form. Why should EA treat the 2 sources of tagged value definitions differently?

The tagged values provided by MDG technologies aren't, however, visible in the Tagged Values displayed using Settings |UML | Tagged Values.

The suggestion is that it doesn't - it displays al the tagged value definitions under Settings | UML | Tagged Values. In order to identify where the definitions arise from the suggestion is either to add a column that would show 'TOGAF', 'MODAF', 'TRAK_AF', or blank if entered directly or to provide a drop-down filter in the same way that is provided when selecting a stereotype(s) to apply to the selected object.

The current approach to display tagged value definitions or not depending on source isn't consistent and lack visibility / affordance. It also makes data value entry longer than needed and increases the risk of inconsistent data entry.

What do you think? Does this make sense?

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Well, as you probably know I'm all for consistency...

 

But your points are valid and I've been "hit" with the same type of problem.

I, too, have suggest that both stereotypes and tagged values be identified by their MDG source (even if you can't change them).

Paolo

[wikitect]

I, too, have suggest that both stereotypes and tagged values be identified by their MDG source (even if you can't change them).

The whole point of MDG Technologies is that they provide library-like definitions that cannot be changed thereby improving consistency - but only if made readily available to the user (i.e. good 'visibility' and 'affordance' in human factors terms)

Wherever there is choice or difficulty in use you will get inconsistency. Bit of a theme with me -(http://www.slideshare.net/largehadroncollider/uk-incose-annual-systems-engineering-conference-case-study-implementing-trak-in-sparx-systems-enterprise-architect)!  

[qwerty]

I remember that I reported a strange behavior (before tracking it with an issue tracker) with MDG (so I can't find the related correspondence). It is that you can add Tagged Values (and their type like Date a.s.o.) in the MDG generation but they don't appear after importing the MDG. This was confirmed by Sparx' support but I have no state (probably still 'under investigation').

q.