Difference between Association and Use case connectors in use case model

[Richard Freggi]

EA 13.1 I see both listed as association types between use case and actors.  It's impacting my relationship matrices as I can filter the matrix by one or the other but not both.  Does anyone know what is the difference between the two connector types in EA?  Use case association does not even appear in the toolbox (unless it's the "Use" relationship... but I thought that that is the old UML 1.1 "Uses" association?   Any easy way to convert use case association into regular association?  Thanks!

[qwerty]

All I can say is that the one is a plain association. The Use has connector_type = UseCase. I can't recall this being a legal UML connector, at least I could not find a definition on the fly. You can (I think) only change them by scripting and altering EAConnector.Type.

q.

[Richard Freggi]

Thanks qwerty that makes sense.  Note to Sparxians, maybe consider removing the "Use case" association from future versions if it's not UML compliant?

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Thanks, qwerty that makes sense.  Note to Sparxians, maybe consider removing the "Use case" association from future versions if it's not UML compliant?

As you should know Richard, you need a formal request via the links below to even have a HOPE of getting a change.

Paolo

[Eve]

Thanks qwerty that makes sense.  Note to Sparxians, maybe consider removing the "Use case" association from future versions if it's not UML compliant?

If only it was that simple.

Anything that changes it to always create Association results in complaints from people who already have the other relationship type in their model. EA is now no longer allowing (or even making it harder for) them to maintain consistency, use some existing API client or direct database access. Even migrating everything reliably complaints. Very often it seems like the only option left is to leave two things in so that every user can choose to do it the old way. Which is probably why there are things still from UML 1.x available in EA.

[qwerty]

Somehow it's like the Microsoft and the Apple way. While the first still run on the shoulders of DOS, the latter have more than once consequently deprecated things. That was always painful but people knew that having done the step it would be easier for them afterwards. Did not work always but saved them from carrying the mess from the past like Microsoft. Now guess in which category falls Sparx!

q.