Notes for Tables/Columns Are Not Shown In Diagrams

[Wilber Perea]

Hello,

I created a database project, and then executed the "Code Engineering" -> "Import DB schema from ODBC" option to import a schema from a SQL Server 2005 database.

The descriptions for table’s columns were imported into the notes attribute of each column.

I checked the check box with the label that said "Notes" (Diagram -> Properties -> Elements -> Show Compartments -> Notes), but I am not able to see the notes besides each column on the diagram model.

Is this a bug or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks

[«Midnight»]

Hi Wilber,

It is either a bug or neither choice, depending on your definition of a bug. [Yes Paolo, I hear you, and I agree.]

The notes display seems not to have applied to «table» and [see below] «column» stereotypes for some time (I go back to version 4.0). These two stereotypes are drawn by EA's internal rendering engine, so are not open to us; we have to rely on how Sparx implemented them.

It seems that when the notes compartment was added to drawing options, these shapes got left out of the mix. [That's where you can, and I do, consider this a bug; if it is inconsistent something is wrong somewhere.]

If you really need to display the notes, use the EA help index and look up Note | Link to Element Feature. This will clutter a diagram pretty quickly, but for a few notes it works well.

HTH, David

[Eve]

Notes for tables show for me. (And have since the notes compartments were introduced.)

However, the notes for features such as columns, attributes, operations, (internal) requirements, (internal) constraints, (internal) test cases aren't effected by this option.  You can do this using the linked note though.

[Wilber Perea]

Thank you very much guys, I appreciate your comments.

Is there any way to automate the creation of the linked notes, I have 1.858 columns in this database, so if the information is already there in the notes, it is not worth to create every single linked note/description by hand.

[«Midnight»]

It can definitely be done with a small add-in.

Unfortunately I do not have any sample code for this that I can share with you. It's been quite some time since I did this.

Remember that you would still need to position all those notes, which could be quite a chore. Perhaps if you use an add-in you could create a consolidated note that had the information for all the columns in a table concatenated, and just display that. That would likely help with clutter.

David

[Wilber Perea]

Do you know if there is any Add-In available to buy in order to do this task?

[«Midnight»]

I doubt it Wilber,

My guess is that this is one area where the size of the add-in would be so tiny that they get custom built each time. Even though there's (probably) not much code involved to get the core function to work - just create and attach the note) - packaging and integrating the add-in probably depends on the precise details of what you need there.

These things usually get done in house, or whipped up on a custom basis. Sort of like manufacturing, where sometimes you just cannot buy a small, simple 'thing' off the shelf. They would be no trouble to build, but the builder would only sell one of each; there's no business case for small unique items.

Sigh...

David