V1426; Why is it not possible anymore to have elements outside of a diagram fram

[PeterHeintz]

Up to now I did some trace relations of elements „really“ belonging to a diagram to elements “really" belonging to something else. To make clear what “really” belongs to the diagram, I put those elements in the diagram frame. The stuff those elements traces too, I put sometimes on the diagram as well but outside of the frame.
Why is this not possible any more after so many years?

[Richard Freggi]

I don't think that's how diagram frames work in UML 2.5....  boundaries maybe, but not frames

[PeterHeintz]

Hi Richard,
what do you mean?
Do you mean, that if you have diagram frames, all stuff must be in the frame according UML2.5 or elements can be outside the frame as well?

[Richard Freggi]

Yes that's my understanding.
Also to note "The elements of UML 2 style", point 42, Avoid diagram frames.  If you can, not having a frame at all is often a good idea. Although the UML standard seems to be driving in opposite direction (OK UML is not perfect, but still very good!)

[PeterHeintz]

Hi Richard,
yes, due to the fact, that the UML specification is not always very precise in some areas one can come to this interpretation.
When using SysML, frames are standard. Both UML and SysML define frame names for different major diagram types (Class, Use Case, …). On the other hand both standards explicit allow having “mixed different kinds of diagram types” (whatever that exactly means).
The standard says nothing in such a mix, if a frame is allowed or not and if allowed how this should be handled. So, if nothing is defined, it is under the responsibility of the tool maker, to define a solution and the many years lasting solution is now changed.

For years, (in EA) the diagram was for me the whole pane what you see when you open the diagram. Now when you create a now diagram it is the pane you see, as long as there is no frame shown. If the frame is shown, it is not the pane anymore but the frame in the pane.
On the other hand when you link in a pane to another diagram, and you show that diagram as a frame your diagram is still the pane and not the frame. Just somehow odd.

My major issue is, that I have several standard SysML diagrams (having frame)  with some small amount of different type stuff.

Example: In activity diagrams it is hard to trace who catches a message sent and who might have sent a message catched.
In this cases when having a accept event message, I put the send signal messages defined somewhere else, outside the frame and connect send and accept by a trace relation.
This makes pretty clear what happens in the activity (what is in the frame) and what is just there to show relation to things outside (outside of the frame).
Now it is not possible to show this such explicit anymore and all those existing diagrams get grubby when updating to that version.

I know, due to other rendering changes on BDD’s, IBB’s, .. (e.g. compartment visibility), that I stitch to the point where I need to clean up almost any diagram after updating from V13 to V14.x. And when you have over thousand diagrams affected this issue becomes a show stopper.