Status Types per Package

[cgreuter]

Hi all

I am currently using custom status types (draft, approved, modified) to keep track of which elements in my model i need to discuss with colleages, which ones we already agreed on etc.
The option to define custom status types comes in very handy here, however i now have a new requirement:

I would like to use a different set of status values depending on the package (or based on stereotype would also be possible). The reason behind this is that some of the definitions i make in my model needs to be discussed with different group of people, who follow a different review process.

I think the Built-In functionality in ProjectTypes->general_Types-> Status cannot be used for this, but perhaps i am missing something.

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Best regards
Claudio

[qwerty]

Why do you think that? Those are exactly for that purpose. Add a new value (or delete some) and you see the changed drop down.

q.

[Oliver F.]

Why do you think that? Those are exactly for that purpose. Add a new value (or delete some) and you see the changed drop down.

As far as I can see Claudio wants to have a different drop down content depending on the package the items are in which is something which is not available in EA as well as status colors can not be set by stereotypes.
An alternative option is using different shape scripts which change the color according to the stereotype of the item (afaik package is not available in shape script criteria). However this is not very flexible, I have to say, as it requires changing the scripts for new statu texts and colors.

Writing an addin could be an option which changes the color according to package and stereotype or tagged values. This approach is more flexible and can rely on existing status strings.

HTH,

Oliver

[qwerty]

Now reading it again, you're probably right, Oliver.

q.

[Uffe]

Hello Claudio,


Your surmise is correct. There is only one set of status values per project.

In general, it isn't possible to customize any part of EA's behaviour on a per-package basis. There are global settings, and per-project settings, but not per-package settings. In this particular situation there are three workarounds that I can see.

1) Add all the status values the different teams use, possibly with some prefix, to the project settings and instruct each team to only use those values that are relevant to them.

2) Create (enum) tagged values with the different status types and use those instead of the built-in status. If you create a profile, you can define stereotypes which auto-create these tagged values, but you can also just add them manually to the elements where they are needed.

3) Split the project so that different teams work in different projects, each with its own set of status values.

It should be noted that EA does some special handling for the status field, and can display a colour for the element based on it. It isn't clear from your question whether you use that feature or not, but if you do then that's where you need a shape script if you go with option 2, as Oliver pointed out.

HTH,


/Uffe

[cgreuter]

hey all,


Wow, thanks for the numerous and fast replies. Yes, i'd like a Dropdown specific to a stereotype or Package and i want to avoid mixing the different stati in one big Dropdown.
I will follow Uffes advice and will use tagged values for my purpose. I want to filter the described classes based on their Status during the reporting, so i guess i can manage that with tagged values.

many thanks
Claudio

[matthew.james]

Your surmise is correct. There is only one set of status values per project.

So - I'm looking for something like what cgreuter requested, specifically to have discrete set(s) of status field values for different types - actually for different stereotypes (using Archimate).  For example:
- Capability: Initial, Repeatable, Defined, Managed, Optimising
- Application Component: Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, Eliminate
- Project (work package): Proposed, Mandatory, Discretionary, Implemented

I note that there are some 'special case' status fields for tests and constraints (which seem to be special types of elements in the Sparx model).  However I'm going to assume by the lack of activity and participation in this topic that there was not general interest in extending this as described above.

I gather that I could do this by extending / sub-typing the elements and adding tagged values ... ?

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Your surmise is correct. There is only one set of status values per project.

So - I'm looking for something like what cgreuter requested, specifically to have discrete set(s) of status field values for different types - actually for different stereotypes (using Archimate).  For example:
- Capability: Initial, Repeatable, Defined, Managed, Optimising
- Application Component: Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, Eliminate
- Project (work package): Proposed, Mandatory, Discretionary, Implemented

I note that there are some 'special case' status fields for tests and constraints (which seem to be special types of elements in the Sparx model).  However, I'm going to assume by the lack of activity and participation in this topic that there was not general interest in extending this as described above.

I gather that I could do this by extending / sub-typing the elements and adding tagged values ... ?

(My emphasis)

yes, that's what we've done.  We've also created shapescript widgets to "surface" the values on the diagram (usually in the form of small coloured rectangles).

Paolo

[matthew.james]

yes, that's what we've done.  We've also created shapescript widgets to "surface" the values on the diagram (usually in the form of small coloured rectangles).

... I wonder if Sparx would be prepared to 'open source' the Archimate MDG.  It doesn't seem to get much love and there seem to be a few people out there 'rolling their own'
(although to be fair they have promised to fix some of the rendering bugs I have raised)

[Geert Bellekens]

yes, that's what we've done.  We've also created shapescript widgets to "surface" the values on the diagram (usually in the form of small coloured rectangles).

... I wonder if Sparx would be prepared to 'open source' the Archimate MDG.  It doesn't seem to get much love and there seem to be a few people out there 'rolling their own'
(although to be fair they have promised to fix some of the rendering bugs I have raised)

That is a great idea.

Geert