Achimate 2.0 MDG: Behaviour of Add vs. Apply

[csousa]

When creating a new Archimate element on top of an existing element (composition or assignment) , EA prompts to choose between ("Apply Type" and "Add").....

Add always adds a model element at the same level/location as the diagram.

Apply Type seems to create containment (e.g., drop a "representation" on a process and choose Apply Type, the representation becomes 'part of' (composite) of the process).


However, if you try this with shapes of the same type (e.g., processes), the "Apply" choice has no effect.  

Processes can be composed of other processes in Archimate so its not clear what the MDG add-in is trying to do with this and I couldn't find anything in the documentation.

Are they really meaning "Assign Type" (model an Architect assignment?)

[ken.norcross]

I couldn't find anything in the help on this, but I don't think this is archimate specific. If you drop a regular UML Class element on a diagram and then switch to the archimate toolbox and drop an archimate Representation on the plain class, and choose Apply Type, the plain class gets the archimate profile type applied to it and it mutates into an Archimate Representation.

If you choose Add Type you get a new element and then the new one becomes a child of the first element, as you can see in the project browser tree.

Seems like a sparx shortcut, not anything to do with archimate.

Also the parent/child relationship is more of  sparx concept than any archimate relationship concept. If you want real composition or aggregation or any relationship you have to create the real relationship.

I think it is sometimes unfortunate that sparx forces the parent/child behavior when sometimes all you want is the visual containment.

[ken.norcross]

Just found a way to turn the forced parent/child relationship off.

Tools>>Options>>Objects>>Support for composite objects.

[csousa]

If you choose Add Type you get a new element and then the new one becomes a child of the first element, as you can see in the project browser tree.

Seems like a sparx shortcut, not anything to do with Archimate.

Much appreciated Ken.  Like yourself I couldn't find anything in the help/core tool so I relegated it in my mind to the add-in. This must be a new feature in 10 (or I just missed it in 8.x/9.x). My use of v10 coincided with a focus on Archimate modeling hence my confusion.

So its just a stereotype application shortcut after all and thanks for the tip on the settings for composites.