Sparx Systems Forum

Enterprise Architect => General Board => Topic started by: James on January 23, 2002, 09:38:42 am

Title: Association links
Post by: James on January 23, 2002, 09:38:42 am

In an object/class diagram, the 'plain' association link now appears with a direction arrow.  It should start with no arrow - during early stages of design when putting together a domain model such directional information simply doesn't exist.  

The user manual still shows it as a non-directional plain link - is this a bug?

I've just upgraded to 3.10 build 450 and I'm sure that in previous builds the link had no arrows.

Title: Re: Association links
Post by: gsparks on January 24, 2002, 04:59:15 am

Hi James,

We modified thedefault behaviour - which has caused some consternation - so in the latest build there is now an option to revert to the undirected association style as used previously - it is on the Diagram page.

The latest patch update for registered users can be downloaded from the registred section of our website. The Trial and Full distributions will be updated early next week.

Geoff Sparks

Title: Re: Association links
Post by: kiwi on February 27, 2002, 02:50:56 am

Hi Geoff, I too also want no arrows in my association links... you mentioned 'in the diagam panel' but where? Can you please be specific? I see nothing that says 'don't put arrows on association links'...

cheers,
Julian.

Title: Re: Association links
Post by: gsparks on February 27, 2002, 03:08:56 am

Hi all,

I apologize for the confusion ... and the misleading statement in my previous post!

The option is in the Local Settings dialog on the Objects page
"Asociation default is directed Source->Target"

Clear this check box for old behaviour.

Hope this clears things up

Geoff

Title: Re: Association links
Post by: kiwi on February 27, 2002, 09:51:08 am

Cool thanks for clearing that up Geoff.

One question... what on earth is the rationale behind adding an arrow at one end? I'm no UML expert, but surely a 'no line' version is how it's Supposed To Be? (UML 1.2 anyway..?)

Title: Re: Association links
Post by: gsparks on February 27, 2002, 01:47:38 pm

Hi Julian,

The arrows explicitly define the 'navigability' from one end of the association to the other ... meaning the classifier at the end with the arrow head is visible or accessible from the end without.

So in code terms, the source end has an explicit variable of the type at the other end, but the end class knows nothing about the class which has a reference to it.

Page 3-72 of the UML 1.4 specification has a few notes on this.

I have decided to change the default behaviour back to no arrow .. this seems to be a general preference - and the option can always be turned back on if required in the Options dialog.

Geoff Sparks