XMI loses stereotype and links

[Thomas Mercer-Hursh]

In an effort to rescue an OpenEdge repository which won't transfer to an EAP file, I did a series of XMI exports from the OE database.  I had to do it in a series of pieces rather than all at once since we seem to be having some SQL issues with the OE database presently and large operations tend to fail unpredictably.  So, it took some slicing and dicing to get a complete export.

I then imported these to an EAP project and discovered that it didn't make a lot of links since the other end of an association was not yet loaded.  So, after I got everything loaded, I went through deleting each package and reloading it and this time it *mostly* has all of the links.

This model consists of a Data Model (database tables), Component Model (the physical structure of the code), and a User Interface Model (menus and functional units).  All of the Data Model and Component Model pieces seem to have their stereotypes and links.  But, the User Interface Model pieces loaded with no stereotypes and no links.  The import logs do say "Error: Unknown ControlFlow Source or Target", but why just this one set?

Suggestions?

Oh, I forgot to note that I can see the stereotypes and links in the XMI files.

[Thomas Mercer-Hursh]

I have discovered that the missing links are of type Control Flow and when I try to recreate them it is telling me that is not UML compliant.  Is that why it has lost the links?  (see thread under UML process for the question of what else I should be doing here)

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Hi Thomas,

When moving data via XMI between a repository (in the general sense) where all the ends of the relation ships are (a priori) present, to one where the ends are not all, a priori, present, you need to import at least twice.

This is a Sparx recommended work-around.  ( for the fact that EA doesn't create anaemic destinations (while awaiting the real ones) - ala Rational.  In very odd (and fortunately, very rare) cases, we found we had to import three times to ensure all the "ducks were in a row".

HTH,
Paolo

[Thomas Mercer-Hursh]

Twice did it for me for everything except the part under User Interface Model.  That part I did five or six times, even breaking it down into three smaller pieces one of those times.  The menus still failed to retain the stereotype and nothing in that section retained its connections.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Glad to have been able to help....

This forum is another of EA's saving graces...  Being able to spread the magic incantations required to make EA actually work, at a fundamental level.

Paolo

[Thomas Mercer-Hursh]

Only in this case, no magic incantation did work for the UI model.  I lost stereotypes and links, no matter how many times I loaded and no matter how I broke up the packages.  I only got a complete model again by remaking the links.