How to use Schema Composer for a UPCC2 model

[Ewout124]

I am struggling to find out how to use UPCC2 in Sparx EA. I have created a model using the UPCC2 Model Structure. This resulted in a model containing a number of stereotyped subpackages. In the package «BIELibrary», I have created a diagram containing several ABIE’s, using the Toolbox UPCC2 – BIELibrary Abstract Syntax. Some ABIE’s are used in other ABIE’s as ASBIE’s. Now I want to define a business document. In the package «DOCLibrary», I have created a diagram with an MA representing the name of the business document, using the Toolbox UPCC2 – DOCLibrary Abstract Syntax. I have linked the ABIE that I want to use as the root element (say ABIE001) as an ASMA to the MA.

Now I start the Schema Composer. I expected that I could drag the MA to the Classes pane, and that ABIE001 would then be shown as a child element of the MA. And I expected that, when selecting ABIE001, I would get its ASBIE’s. In short, I expected to get something like this:

MA
---ABIE001
------ABIEX
------ABIEY

However, none of this happens. I cannot drag the MA to the pane Classes. Yes, I can drag ABIE001 to the pane Classes. But in the pane Attributes, the ASBIE’s of ABIE001 are not shown under the heading Associations. It seems an ASBIE relation is somehow not interpreted as an association.

I already tried several approaches, but to no avail. Searching the internet did not provide enough clues. I hope someone reading this post can put me in the right direction. I would be very grateful for that.

[Geert Bellekens]

I have quite a bit experience using the schemacomposer for the UPCC models.
If you have correctly created your model you should be able to select the attributes and associations.
When selecting an attribute or association, the type (or target in case of an association) is automatically put into the left pane as well.

You do have to take into account the direction. If you make naviable associations, you will only be able to select the association at the source.
"Bidirectional" associations can be selected from either side.

Geert

PS. We used my add-in EA Message composer to generate subsets from the model, and another an adaptation of the Vienna addin https://github.com/GeertBellekens/vienna-add-in-BE to generate the XML schema's.

To be honest, I believe trying to use UPCC2 is one of the biggest mistake we made. It was overly complicated and made thing 10 times harder to understand than needed be.

[Geert Bellekens]

Did some testing, and indeed there are issues with the schema composer.

I reported a bug to Sparx https://sparxsystems.com/forums/smf/index.php/topic,48063.0.html

Geert