Sparx Systems Forum

Enterprise Architect => Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools => Topic started by: Michael Proske on March 22, 2012, 07:07:25 pm

Title: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Michael Proske on March 22, 2012, 07:07:25 pm
I search for a way to automate profile generation. As i have several profiles to integrate in my technology i would like to use the "save as UML Profile" function via the automation interface. I only find the function to export the package as xmi.
Is there a secret repository command or something like that ?
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: qwerty on March 22, 2012, 10:44:20 pm
Unfortunately no. I asked for improving the process of creating profiles  which has been taken into account. But it will take time to see it in EA.

For the time being: Instead of using the MTS file just write an external bundler. This is quite simple as the MDG itself is just a bundling of single profiles. The advantage is that you can look into the single files and see whether they are the correct ones. A major issue I found is that you save single profiles in the wrong file and the MTS bundler does not recognize that.

q.
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Lars J. on March 31, 2012, 07:49:36 am
I want to do exactly the same thing and I came across exactly the same problem.

From my point of view it is unbelievable to just "remove" this functionality - be it temporary or not. Honestly: I am really disappointed.

Has this been fixed in 9.3.1 already? If not I would have to revert back to 8.0 as I need this functionality urgently.

Lars
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Geert Bellekens on April 02, 2012, 03:44:40 pm
Lars,

Where do you get the idea they "removed" that functionality?
Looks more like it never existed in the first place.

Geert
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Lars J. on April 02, 2012, 05:45:59 pm
Quote
Looks more like it never existed in the first place.
Geert
In 8.0 the mentioned menu items were there, which was really good because the workflow outlined in the documentation could be done 1:1 (one of the very rare examples in the software world). I really liked it.

Unfortunatel I cannot efford to change the "implementation technology" with levity and invest time in learning a new way to do old things (thanks for this article http://community.sparxsystems.com/tutorials/extensibility/intro-creating-mdg-file btw) because I need to get something done.

Probably the guys at Sparx should have chosen a less disrupting migration strategy for the improvement of the UML profile creation....

cheers,

Lars
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Makulik on April 02, 2012, 06:04:07 pm
Hmmm Lars,

I don't think Michael referred to menu items, but an automation interface function doing the same as the menu item 'Save as profile'.
The menu item is there in version 9.x and ever was. I'm using the package context menu from the project browser, but as far as I remember it was also available under the Diagram main menu (maybe context also). I can't get what you're missing.

Günther
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Michael Proske on April 03, 2012, 01:05:53 am
Correct I want to use the "Save as profile" functionality from the automation interface.
Qwerty thanks but that doesn't help. I have about 15 profiles, profile toolboxes and diagrams and I'm just to lazy to export them all before creatíng the profile and i want just top make sure that the latest version is available.
Maybe its time to develop my own version of profile export.  ;)
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: qwerty on April 03, 2012, 01:29:10 am
I guess that's too much work. A profile export differs quite much from a XML export. Maybe someone can find a XSLT to convert XMI to profile. But that's not easier I guess.

q.
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Makulik on April 03, 2012, 02:25:11 am
Quote
I guess that's too much work. A profile export differs quite much from a XML export. Maybe someone can find a XSLT to convert XMI to profile. But that's not easier I guess.

q.
That'll be bone hard when it comes to binary data like image references  :P

Günther
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: qwerty on April 03, 2012, 03:26:22 am
Someone willing to raise a feature request referencing this thread?

q.
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: g.makulik on April 03, 2012, 05:13:52 am
Quote
Someone willing to raise a feature request referencing this thread?

q.

Michael should?!?
I'll support it, because meanwhile I'm also a bit bored by exporting all my profiles manually  :P

Günther
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Lars J. on April 03, 2012, 07:08:47 pm
Quote
I can't get what you're missing.

It's as I say, I am missing the menu entry:

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7nmpVlm4r3E/T3q9hNRh-5I/AAAAAAAAADA/IuH3QQH4Rzc/s1600/noSaveUML.jpg)

EA 9.3.930

cheers,

Lars
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: qwerty on April 03, 2012, 07:42:29 pm
Quote
Correct I want to use the "Save as profile" functionality from the automation interface.
Qwerty thanks but that doesn't help. I have about 15 profiles, profile toolboxes and diagrams and I'm just to lazy to export them all before creatíng the profile and i want just top make sure that the latest version is available.
Maybe its time to develop my own version of profile export.  ;)
Michael,
I just have implemented my own MTS-generation. Of course it does not help in exporting, but alone the fact that it checks the contents of a profile against its name saves me hours and hours. EA's MTS just plugs together files even though they contain the wrongly saved profile. I have just two profiles to maintain. But if you have so many you should consider implementing this MTS generator.

BTW: you have been elected by the German team to submit a feature request on behalf of the rest of us...

q.
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Makulik on April 03, 2012, 07:44:41 pm
Quote
Quote
I can't get what you're missing.

It's as I say, I am missing the menu entry:
Lars
It will be only provided for packages with the sterotype <<profile>> of course ...
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Lars J. on April 03, 2012, 08:13:03 pm
Quote
It will be only provided for packages with the sterotype <<profile>> of course ...
sorry, missed that in the previous screeenshot.

this one should be better:

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q8Ihh1esAZg/T3rMtKS2YmI/AAAAAAAAADk/2haB4aD1b3M/s1600/noSaveUML.jpg)

Lars
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Makulik on April 03, 2012, 08:20:01 pm
Quote
sorry, missed that in the previous screeenshot.

this one should be better:
...
Lars

Hmm, not sure but could this be a restriction of your EA Edition??
I'm working with the latest Professional Edition (and Corporate at work) and the menu entry is definitely there.

Günther
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: qwerty on April 03, 2012, 08:47:00 pm
Lars,
you should start a thread in the Bugs list.

q.
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Lars J. on April 03, 2012, 09:04:39 pm
Quote
Hmm, not sure but could this be a restriction of your EA Edition??
I'm working with the latest Professional Edition (and Corporate at work) and the menu entry is definitely there.

Günther

Although we have an ultimate edition it says that it is running as a professional edition - there seem to be problems with the licensing. I'll check if this is the reason.

Lars
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Lars J. on April 03, 2012, 09:37:27 pm
Quote
Lars,
you should start a thread in the Bugs list.

q.
ok, I'll do that, because even after fixing the problem with my licenses (used accidentally the previous 8.0 professional instead of the 9.3 ultimate) the problem is still there.

Thanks for your patience.

Lars
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: KP on April 04, 2012, 09:06:42 am
Quote
I just have implemented my own MTS-generation. Of course it does not help in exporting, but alone the fact that it checks the contents of a profile against its name saves me hours and hours. EA's MTS just plugs together files even though they contain the wrongly saved profile. I have just two profiles to maintain. But if you have so many you should consider implementing this MTS generator.
Have you tried using a merge utility such as WinMerge or Araxis? Each time before I build a technology, I use WinMerge to compare the current profiles with an archived version, checking what has changed in each file. If the answer is "everything" then I've saved to the wrong file and it's a single keypress to restore. I wouldn't be without it!
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: qwerty on April 04, 2012, 07:56:27 pm
No. I use Perl to examine / merge the contents (I'm just used to that). But WinMerge is surely an option for others.

I hope my feature request is not too far off in the pipe. Basically MTS should verify or re-save the single profile files before building the new MDG.

q.
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Michael Proske on April 04, 2012, 08:52:18 pm
On behalf of the german team i will start a feature request  ;)
Title: Re: Export of UML Profile via Autoamtion Interface
Post by: Michael Proske on April 04, 2012, 09:04:20 pm
Done.