Attribute constraints / Model issues

[stabiplan]

Hi,

My company is evaluating EA using the trial edition.

In our domain models we would like to have the lenght of attributes visible. For example a person class with attributes  like firstname, lastname etc do have different lenghts.

First, there seem not to be language independent attribute types. Of course we can make classes for that.

Questions:
1. Are there language independent types?
2. Apart from constraints linked to attributes, is there a way to set the length for a attribute with certain type?
3. Is there a way to make the attribute constraints visible in the class? Only the class constraints are visible if the visibility of constraints is true.
4. What is the best way to do this (see below)?

A pure domain model probably does not need types for attributes. In that case you add types in a later phase like when extending the domain model with application and implementation classes. I wonder, is this case-like approach possible? I found out you can make references in a model to another (rather than copy). That way I can make an application class model referencing the domain model. But the changes made in the application class model are refelected in the domain model too. I in this approach however I only want changed from domain propagate to application. I can then add type information to the attributes without making my pure domain dirty.

I can of course make a copy of the domain model and work with that. But then I have to update two models in case of changes, and updates happen often in a short-iterating process.

Just extending the models with technical information is an option, but then you cannot really distinguish anymore between the various phases in OO-design (of course this depends on what you see as OO-design phases).

5. About code generation. If I choose to make classes for general domain types, is it possible to map those classes to specific language dependent types?
6. If I make a 1-* relation, seems not to have an array of objects on one side which I expect on the many side. Maybe I forgot to set some properties or is this normal behaviour?
7. Can I ease make links from one model to another? Say I do have a business process with a process in it. I want to link to specific use cases. I saw an example with that represented, but it looks like I have to draw that manually. Is my observation correct?

Thanks in advance,

Rob

[sargasso]

In our domain models we would like to have the lenght of attributes visible. For example a person class with attributes  like firstname, lastname etc do have different lenghts.
 
First, there seem not to be language independent attribute types. Of course we can make classes for that.
 
Questions:
1. Are there language independent types?
etc etc

Attribute type is not validated. You can just stick say "text 159 chars long" in  there if you want.  You "should" select language type as none at the domain modelling level anyway.

Just extending the models with technical information is an option, but then you cannot really distinguish anymore between the various phases in OO-design (of course this depends on what you see as OO-design phases).

Finish phase - archive model - use copy a basis for next iteration. Dont go "back" and change the prior phase material.

Sorry about tersosity - all I've got time for today
hth
Bruce

[stabiplan]

Attribute type is not validated. You can just stick say "text 159 chars long" in  there if you want.  You "should" select language type as none at the domain modelling level anyway.

Finish phase - archive model - use copy a basis for next iteration. Dont go "back" and change the prior phase material.

Sorry about tersosity - all I've got time for today
hth
Bruce

OO design is about incremental and iterative development. This means the UML models are evolving. Closing a phase is not the way to go, at least for us. In a pure case model it might be, but our development process is not like that.

My questions were about ways to handle this with EA since I like the tool in general.

About the attributes, I see the constraints are visible in the generated documentation so if those are not directly visible in the diagram, this is not really a problem.

The way to swicth between the several model views and the links between them (domain/application) is still something we have to find the best way for.

Regards,

Rob