Sparx Systems Forum
Enterprise Architect => General Board => Topic started by: Jan van Mastbergen on February 01, 2009, 10:56:24 am
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In an attempt to define a structure for a data dictionary I have created a UML profile that contains a hierarchy of stereotypes like f.i.
_stbase (generalizes) _actor (generalizes) role, person, organization etc.
Each level has a small collection of tagged values. The profile is created in a separate project and exported to XML to be loaded into other projects. The tags are defined either as attributes on the stereotype (type a) or as associations with <<taggedValue>> stereotype to other stereotypes (type b). These constructions have a number of issues:
When I select a stereotype from the resources window and 'synchronize tags and constraints' it adds not just the stereotype's tags but also the inherited tags. This is good but when I select to add a single tag to an element, the pull-down list does not show any of the type a tags.
I would like to be able to 'synchronize tags and constraints' selected model elements rather than synch all affected model elements from the resource browser.
When I define a type b tagged value that takes elements with f.i. stereotype _actor as its value, I would have expected to be able to select from elements stereotyped with role, person, organization etcetera. This is unfortunately not so.
When I select to add a single tag, the pull-down list does not show any of the type a tags, only type b.
Is there a DTD or XSD for the XML format of profiles?
Is there a DTD or XSD for the XML export of 'Reference data' w.r.t stereotypes & tags?
Are both formats equivalent, i.e. carry the same information?
Model elements allow multiple stereotypes to be selected; the stereotype field on the element properties windows typically show just 1 after apply. Modifying the displayed value there changes just that value. Other selected stereotypes which were not shown are unaffected. This is misleading.
A type b tag, which is no longer present in a later import of the same profile, is sort of half-deleted from the model. It still shows up in the Settings/UML types/tagged values dialog; in there it can be modified but neither saved nor deleted. Existing values of both type a and b tags are retained. The profile import process should provide some options for deleted and modified tags, i.e.
1) leave the tag definition and values in place (deletions)
1a) rename the old tag definition and leave values in place (modifications)
2) move the tag definition to an 'orphan' profile and leave values in place (del+mod)
3) remove both tag definition and all values from the model (del+mod)
A new empty model shows no profiles loaded in the resource browser but when selecting a stereotype for a class, it is apparently preloaded with profiles BPMN/DFD/EAUML/WebModelling/MindMapping and associated stuff.
Etc, etc, I guess this section of EA needs some work. Is there any movement in this area?
Regards, Jan