Is SysML use case "extend" and "include" broken?

[OwenInCanada]

Hi all,

I cannot seem to connect two Use Cases with the Extend relation from the SysML Use Case toolbox. Neither can I make an Include relation between Use Cases.

In the SysML Use Case toolbox, there exists relations Associate, Generalize, Include, Extend, Realize, Dependency. (The tooltip says "UML4SysML use case elements".) For the Associate, Generalize, Realize, and Dependency relations, the cursor is a hand and I tested these relations can be created. For Extend and Include relation it is a box with an arrow with a plus sign, and these relations can't be created.

Is this broken, or am I attempting something that is not compliant with SysML? In SysML_Example there exists extend and include relations but these appear consistent with having been created from the (standard UML) "Use Case Relationships" toolbar.

I appreciate your help with this.

Regards,

Owen

[«Midnight»]

Hi Owen,

Did you create the use case elements with the SysML tools or the 'usual' UML tools?

Also, how did you create the diagram in the first place? Did you choose a Use Case diagram from the UML Behavioral set, or did you choose something from the SysML set?

David

[OwenInCanada]

David,

Thanks for the question.

The Use Case diagram was from the SysML behavioral set.
The Use Case element and the relation element (Extend or Include) were both taken from the same toolbox called "SysML Use Case".

But after your question I tried different combinations and the common problem is with the relations in the SysML Use Case toolbox. They do not work for me regardless of whether the Use Case element is SysML or UML and regardless of whether the empty diagram is from SysML or UML set.

The funny cursor is the same cursor that appears temporarily when you pull a Use Case element into the diagram: funny cursor then round blob appears then the properties open then the cursor changes to a pointer. But for relations that work properly the cursor is a hand for most of the time (except while buttondown). It's almost as if the Extend and Include relations are partially configured as elements rather than relations.

I think its a genuine bug.

Owen

[«Midnight»]

Yes, almost certainly.

Didn't we see a 'related' post sometime in the past week? It did not deal with this problem, but was something to do with the SysML add-in. I keep thinking one of the Sparxians posted something to the effect that the add-in was getting a bit old (for EA 7.1) and did not handle gracefully all the new conventions (or something like that).

Perhaps sending in a bug report will get this going. I gather that the add-in needs to be refreshed.

BTW, the strange cursor behavior is typical of an MDG Technology that is 'close' but not 'correct' after installation. Sometimes EA does not catch any obvious error until you try to drag something onto a diagram. Then you might get nothing (other than a strange cursor for a moment). It looks like you have a variation on this theme.

David

[OwenInCanada]

I submitted a bug report in the registered users area.

[«Midnight»]

Thanks Owen,

Please let us know where this leads. I'm thinking that SysML might give me a leg up on something, but don't want to have to program around it.

David

[OwenInCanada]

I don't know what functionality is lost with the absence of these Use Case relations, probably something in the traceability of requirements.

Interesting that the SysML_example.eap appears to have made use of "extend" using the old toolbox.

I will keep you posted.

-Owen

[OwenInCanada]

Sparx support was helpful.  The workaround is to access these connectors not from the toolbox but from the resources window (Alt+6). In the resouces window the path is

Resources
  MDG Technologies
    MDG Technologies for SysML
      UML Profiles
        SysML Use Case
          Include
          Extend

(Presumably you need to have MDG for SysML loaded to see this.)

Regards,

Owen