Sparx Systems Forum

Enterprise Architect => General Board => Topic started by: skoennie on June 13, 2016, 10:45:52 pm

Title: Not able to select a message in the sequence diagram
Post by: skoennie on June 13, 2016, 10:45:52 pm
I am setting up a sequencediagram, and want to be able to select a message via the dropdownlist "message" in the "messageproperties-popup".

Pressing this dropdownlist, no messages appear. I am able to insert free text (so I can insert the messagename), but I want to be able to select (so, I need to define the messages).

in a helpfile I found the following concerning this:
If the Message flow is towards a Class element (dropped in from a Class diagram) or a Lifeline element having a classifier, and the destination Class has defined operations, you can click on the drop-down arrow and select an appropriate operation name; the Message then reflects the destination Class operations.

Tried to do this, however simply don't know what to do? Who can help me? (can't be that hard, but truly tried for some time now.....:-)
Title: Re: Not able to select a message in the sequence diagram
Post by: Geert Bellekens on June 13, 2016, 11:21:03 pm
Create a class on a class diagram, add operations to that class.
Then drag that class on the sequence diagram as a lifeline and you will be able to select the operations.

Geert
Title: Re: Not able to select a message in the sequence diagram
Post by: skoennie on June 14, 2016, 02:53:05 am
Thank you Geert,

Although your explanation 'works', I still haven't the result I try to reach:

I created the sequencediagram by inserting lifelines. Those lifelines were connected via the advanced menu-option "instance classifier" to actors (internal systems and external relations) that were defined in a Use Case Diagram.

So as I already connect my lifelines to the actors as defined in the Use Case diagram, it seems impossible to connect the same lifeline to the class.

Is that correct?
Title: Re: Not able to select a message in the sequence diagram
Post by: Geert Bellekens on June 14, 2016, 03:52:58 am
If you have connected the lifelines to actors then you should add the operations to the actors, but that might not be possible in EA.
UML doesn't allow operations on Actors.

(which kind of makes sense since actors are by definition outside of the system, so it does not make much sense to model things outside of your system scope.)

Geert
Title: Re: Not able to select a message in the sequence diagram
Post by: qwerty on June 14, 2016, 06:07:27 am
Just remember: the method is where the message points to. Not where it comes from.

q.
Title: Re: Not able to select a message in the sequence diagram
Post by: skoennie on June 16, 2016, 08:24:10 pm
Dank Geert:-), it indeed seems impossible to connect an operation to the actor. It is a shame, as the diagram is finally ready, I don't feel like do it all over again. Thanks for the effort! Next time I will do it the right way...

qwerty, please explain? why only where it point to? The diagram I created explains all messages going from and to various systems and from and to various external partners. Is that not allowed (or not as meant) in the sequence diagram?
Title: Re: Not able to select a message in the sequence diagram
Post by: qwerty on June 16, 2016, 08:48:37 pm
The operation is invoked at the callee side, not on the caller side. I remember been puzzled with that the first time I did a SD. As I interpret it (in your case) you have an actor trying to invoke some operation. So, these are not part of the caller (actor) but the callee (the called object).

q.
Title: Re: Not able to select a message in the sequence diagram
Post by: skoennie on June 16, 2016, 09:06:51 pm
ok, thank you. I will close this subject.