Document Generation Options: document each contained image

[skiwi]

I want to generate a document including some entities from different packages.
I created a diagram to drag them to, and selected the diagram properties as shown above.
What do you think these settings should produce?

[Glassboy]

This isn't really a fun sort of game to waste twenty minutes on before I leave to catch the train home.

[Geert Bellekens]

I have a hunch that it will produce an empty report.
I'm guessing "Exclude image from Documentation" should better be named "Exclude diagram from documentation"

Geert

[skiwi]

_{Sorry GB, guess you have to leave early up there to get home b4 the roads are choked, me, I'm on the train, thanks for the attention though}

Geert, you are on the money,
in my document nothing is generated.
I expected that the image would be suppressed, but the documentation of the elements would occur.


Soooo, any ideas on how I can achieve the inclusion of notes from elements that are not in the current package in a document.
E.g. using a catalogue approach elements are held in packages that are not part of the architecture per se.

[Geert Bellekens]

Hi Skiwi,

What I usually do in these circumstances is either use a script/SQL fragment, or use the virtual document approach.

A model document can be based on a selection of elements returned by a (SQL) search.
So if you make a search that returns all the elements shown on a certain diagram..

Geert

[Glassboy]

This is why it would be nice to have a user contribution wiki along with the help.  We'd be able to collect useful fragments for people to use.

[philchudley]

My answer would be to check the elements check box which is a child of the diagram checkbox in the document template editor.

Do not include any data for the diagram tags, but do include data for the element tag:

package >
{Pkg.Name}
diagram >
Elements on diagram:

element >
Name: {Element.Name} : type : {Element.Type}
< element
< diagram
child packages >
< child packages
< package

This produces a list of all linked elements, but no image

Cheers

Phil

[skiwi]

Reported

viz:

I believe that the options 'Exclude Image from Documentation'
and
'Document each contained element ...'
should be treated independently.

i.e.

If Exclude image is set the image should not be shown.

If Document each contained element is set then documentation should be generated regardless of the exclusion of the image.


I note the option does not say "Exclude Diagram" from documentation"

[skiwi]

My answer would be to check the elements check box which is a child of the diagram checkbox in the document template editor.

Phil
this is a useful suggestion, but means that I need a more complex document, as this is one diagram in the middle of a package.
Thanks


Simon

[Glassboy]

What happens if you go into that Diagram's properties, and in Diagram | Document generation Properties, you "exclude image from Documentation"?

[skiwi]

What happens if you go into that Diagram's properties, and in Diagram | Document generation Properties, you "exclude image from Documentation"?

THis image is not in the document, and the contained elements are not documented either.

[Glassboy]

Well that isn't helpful 

[Glassboy]

Maybe the option below it needs to be on also (for the whimsey)

Exclude image from Documentation:  Select this checkbox to exclude this diagram image from any document report generated on the parent Package or element.

Document each contained element in Documentation:  Select this checkbox to include documentation on each element in this diagram, in any document report generated on the parent Package or element.
 

[skiwi]

It gets murkier, I thought I'd try the following settings,
i.e. show the image and document the elements, but set the elements in the diagram to non-printable
the outcome was

• the image was printed with the non-printable elements shown
• the notes from the elements contained in the diagram were not printed

Seems wrong to me, can anyone else confirm?

[skiwi]

Sparx Support provided the following information:

Referring to your "Entities, no diagram" example, this diagram has the "Document each contained element in Documentation" however your template does not appear to return any fields in the "Package > Diagram > Element" section therefore nothing is returned.
To return diagram element details in your report the template would need to include this section. I.e. Currently, even when I disable the "Exclude image from Documentation" option for this diagram, no diagram element information is returned.

Regarding the "Diagram, non-printable entities" example, when generating the report please select the "Options" tab and ensure the "Hide non-printable objects" option is enabled. When enabled this your report excludes the elements as expected.



I looked at this further and made the corollary query:

• I had assumed that the element under diagram under package would use the existing element definition, in the same way that package element under package picks up the element definition.
• I don’t seem to have the ‘Hide non-printable objects’ option you refer to

Sparx Support helpfully replied:

• Please refer to the "Child Objects" help topic
• As mentioned, "Package > Element > Diagram" is considered a child to "Package > Diagram", therefore it does not have its own sub attributes. If your template includes the "Package > Element > Diagram" and its content is left empty, then the generated report will return the details included under "Package > Diagram" for the element diagrams.

• The ‘Hide non-printable objects’ option cannot be set in a template, you must use the Options tab on the "Generate Documentation" dialog. Please see the "Non-printable Elements" help topic for details.