Missing UI elements description in RTF output

[suki]

I have a problem that concerns generating RTF reports using latest EA ver.7.5.848

After generated the description of "User interface" (using RTF generator) all description of UI elements are missing in the output document. They are shown in diagram only.
There is  just screen element and grid description including the attributes. Any UI component (button, textbox, combobox, etc.) are missing.
I should say that all elements are placed in one package in project browse (the same one as diagram is).

I'm sure that my template is correct. If I generate the same package (same User interface) with the same template but using EA version 7.1.834 result is correct.

Has anyone this experience or I am doing something wrong?
Thx Kamil

[«Midnight»]

I don't think you are doing anything wrong. [But I am not sure. I could be incorrect about this.]

You might be running into something along these lines. If so, there is a possible workaround. [See the end of this message.]

As I remember it the documentation function, at least for some reports, only outputs full details the first time it encounters an element. If it should 'hit' the same element later it only outputs basic tombstone information. You generally see this behavior when a diagram in one package contains elements from a different package and both packages are included in a report.

Sometimes this produces results that can seem strange. In the above case, if the package with the diagram is reported first the 'foreign' elements have their details output at that time. When they are encountered later in their 'home' package only minimal information is output. This can seem strange if other elements from the same package have full details in that report section.

Note that in situations like the above, if both packages have diagrams that contain elements from the other package, this reporting quirk will always occur in at least one 'direction.'

If that's what you are seeing, then you need to turn off documentation of 'foreign' elements. This will cause report generation to 'skip' elements that don't belong to the same package as a diagram you are reporting. That way these elements will only be handled (if and) when their parent package is reported. This will therefore be the 'first' time the report handles each of these elements, and full details will be output. I don't remember where the setting is. [Check the tabs on the diagram properties dialog; it should be on one of these.] Play around with this a bit and see if it solves your problem, or at least makes the results more usable.

HTH, David

[suki]

I don't think you are doing anything wrong. [But I am not sure. I could be incorrect about this.]

You might be running into something along these lines. If so, there is a possible workaround. [See the end of this message.]

As I remember it the documentation function, at least for some reports, only outputs full details the first time it encounters an element. If it should 'hit' the same element later it only outputs basic tombstone information. You generally see this behavior when a diagram in one package contains elements from a different package and both packages are included in a report.

Sometimes this produces results that can seem strange. In the above case, if the package with the diagram is reported first the 'foreign' elements have their details output at that time. When they are encountered later in their 'home' package only minimal information is output. This can seem strange if other elements from the same package have full details in that report section.

Note that in situations like the above, if both packages have diagrams that contain elements from the other package, this reporting quirk will always occur in at least one 'direction.'

If that's what you are seeing, then you need to turn off documentation of 'foreign' elements. This will cause report generation to 'skip' elements that don't belong to the same package as a diagram you are reporting. That way these elements will only be handled (if and) when their parent package is reported. This will therefore be the 'first' time the report handles each of these elements, and full details will be output. I don't remember where the setting is. [Check the tabs on the diagram properties dialog; it should be on one of these.] Play around with this a bit and see if it solves your problem, or at least makes the results more usable.

HTH, David

Thank for your comments David!
I understood what did you try to say me. But it is impasse.
Perhaps i did wrong describe my problem (my english is not very good-sorry for that).

All my elements are placed only in one package in project browse (the same one as diagram is).

Error, which I have described above will occur even if I put the cursor straight  on one package in project browse and started simple RTF generating only of content this one package (I choosed related template only - of course). Every time UI elements are missing, althought they are included in package.

Thx, Kamil

[«Midnight»]

You might have to create a customized template. Several of the standard templates filter elements, thus reporting only a subset of those available.

If you've never customized a template before here's a hint--one that I wish I was aware of when I first did this. Remember that you must make a [/i]copy[/i] of a template (usually one that comes with EA) first, and then customize the copy. You cannot directly edit the templates that come with EA.

HTH, David

[suki]

I have a problem that concerns generating RTF reports using latest EA ver.7.5.848

After generated the description of "User interface" (using RTF generator) all description of UI elements are missing in the output document. They are shown in diagram only.
There is  just screen element and grid description including the attributes. Any UI component (button, textbox, combobox, etc.) are missing.
I should say that all elements are placed in one package in project browse (the same one as diagram is).

I'm sure that my template is correct. If I generate the same package (same User interface) with the same template but using EA version 7.1.834 result is correct.

Has anyone this experience or I am doing something wrong?
Thx Kamil

I got answer to this issue from Sparx Support today. They wrote:

**
Thanks for pointing this out.

I have reproduced the problem and passed it on to be resolved.

I tried your template on a similar Package in the EA model and
reproduced problem. However trying the system template (basic template)
this did return the full data set, so as a work around you might try
editing a copy of this to generate a similar report.

The issue number for this is: 09093515
**

[«Midnight»]

Let's hope Sparx can turn this around quickly. Build 849 should not be too far down the line from now. Watch for new builds to be released (check Announcements and Latest News in the forum) and then look at the release notes (in the History section of the products page) to see if this has been addressed. Actually, test it yourself even if it does not show up in the release notes. Small tweaks that affect only a single template might not be listed even through they've been added to EA.