Kimball Star Schema modelling

[nmcdermaid]

HI,

I am working on a star schema physical database model in Sparx EA

I'd like to tag tables as "Fact" or "Dimension", then I'd like to utilise this with a few features.

Stereotypes look promising for this. I've created two "stereotypes" from the "UML Types" button in the Configure/Reference Data menu called "Fact" and "Dimension" with base class = "class"

Then I've gone to the table in my model and added the new stereotype to the table. Now the stereotype is both "fact" and "EAUML::table"

My objectives are:

A. Make the tables visually different - DONE

B. In the "Matrix" view I'd like facts in rows and dimensions in columns (this gives me a Kimball enterprise bus matrix), however there doesn't seem to be a way to filter on stereotype for rows and columns in this view. If I could get "fact" and "dimension" in the "Type" drop down list this would work.

C. Also I've noticed that now I've added the extra stereotype, the column order in the table is no longer honoured

D. Without extending the scope of this question too much, it would also be great if I could pluck a fact straight out of the toolbox.

Can anyone assist with items B and C?

I've read some help files around D but it seems quite complex

[Geert Bellekens]

You need a UML profile and put that into an MDG.

See https://sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/16.1/modeling_frameworks/mdgtechnologies_2.html

Geert

[nmcdermaid]

Thanks for your response.

I was hoping there was an already built MDG for me but it looks like I need to create my own.

I have been through the profile creation process once without success (I couldn't find any of the stereotypes that I created). Will the Profile creation process allow me to "inherit" all table features as well as filter in the Matrix view?
 
Regardless I'll try again

[Geert Bellekens]

When it comes to extending EAUML::table you might be out of luck.

A lot of features in EA depend on an actual hardcoded stereotype, and won't work for an extended stereotype.

So in theory; yes your steroetype will inherit everything. In practice there are a few snags.

Geert

[nmcdermaid]

Thanks for that feedback. With regards to C (the columns not being ordered), I just removed and readded the two stereotypes. Strangely I now found "table" in the "none" category. So now instead of these stereotypes in the property page

dimension
EAUML::table


I have these

table
dimension


as long as "table" comes first then column ordering works. It seems like I just need to click in the right order