Export/Import of packages with Cross references

[Prasad Boddu]

Hallo all ,

I am new to this Forum. We are a having a problem in using Enterprise Architect. Your help would be much appreciated.

We are using Enterprise Architect Version 7.1.

Out application has 6 module, each one has some common data in it.

Each module is getting modified at different places.

Configuring our Application in Enterprise Architecture, we decided to have a 6 separate packages (one package per one module) and a common package for the common Reference data.

From each module package there will be some cross references to the elements (diagrams etc) in the Reference data package.

The idea is to export each module package as an XML and sending it to its development location. Once the changed XML comes back from the development team, it will get imported back.

Now the problem is with the Reference data.

When we are exporting and importing module packages with some cross references to the common packages elements,   that information is getting lost. Whatever is native to that package stays there. Whatever is cross referred to some other package (in this case Reference data), is getting lost.

We tried to export and import Reference data package also along with each package. Exporting is OK. But while import, it is overwriting earlier reference data changes from other module packages .

How to avoid this problem? If it is an Enterprise Architect Tool limitation, is there any ‘way around’.


Thanks in advance for all your help !

[Geert Bellekens]

You might want to look at the compare and merging facility in EA.
I think that could be of help.
If you really want to fix this issue then you are probably better of with a version control system such as SVN or CVS or...
This way you really have control over who changes what, and you can avoid those overwrites.

[Prasad Boddu]

Thank you Geert Bellekens, for your feedback.

In fact, before raising the question in the forum, we evaluated the mentioned options.

One problem with the version control is (like CVS), the control is being done mostly at the package level. The whole package need to be taken or left. If some element is changed inside a new package, and for some reason if we want only that change need to be incorporated into the current master package, there is no way we can do it. Either we have to overwrite the current master package with the new package or leave it, thus loosing changes in the new package.

To some extent compare and merging is ok. Replicas can be taken. While merging they can be compared and the differences can be judiciously accepted or ignored. But when the changes in the new package are many, this takes substantial amount of manual effort. Some of the User documentation from Sparx also does not recommend compare and merge facility for the heavy changes in new packages.

The only promising option seems to be the Baseline concept. But here again we have this Cross references problem, as I mentioned before, while doing export / import.

Anyway, Once again I thank you Geert Bellekens  for your valuable feedback. At least it gave us  confidence that, we are not leaving any available option / facility without evaluation / consideration for our project requirements.

And for the rest of the Forum, I once again request if any of you faced this sort of situation, please kinldy let us know what approach you used.

Thanks & Regards
Prasad Boddu