Messages

1

PCS Suggestions and Requests / Re: Add change records for Prolaborate to audit logs in Sparx EA

« on: November 08, 2024, 08:47:52 pm »

I also support this idea. It should be regarded as a flaw if changes can be made to a model with auditing activated without those changes being recorded in the log.

2

General Board / Re: OOSEM Profile for EA?

« on: April 18, 2024, 07:53:44 pm »

This was a long time ago. I ended up creating an extensive OOSEM MDG för the work I was doing at that time, and it worked very well. Unfortunately, I have no access to the result any longer and believe it has been passed to the bin. Today the possibilities in Sparx are much refined, and you could make a very capable MDG with the tools that are available. For more information look at: https://sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/16.1/modeling_frameworks/mdgtechnologies_2.html

//Hans

3

General Board / Colon in BPMN Lane/Pool name

« on: January 24, 2023, 12:26:30 am »

I have started to learn BPMN modeling in Sparx and had much help from the Webinar from Frank Truyen on BPMN, https://sparxsystems.com/resources/webinar/partners/introduction/business-process-models-using-enterprise-architect.html.

There is one annoying thing that I can't seem to solve by my own. When applying a PartnerEntity to a Pool, or a ResourceRole to a Lane you are supposed to see the name of these elements on the Lane/Pool (if the Pool/Lane name is empty). This is not working. Instead I see nothing but a colon (:). I guess the reason could be that I usually want to see the property type when modeling SysML, and that I have some global setting which is set that I want to see part types by default. (This option has been moved under diagram properties from EA v 14 I think.)

I have tried to uncheck the Property Type checkbox on the diagram, but this has no effect. Anyone know if there is another global setting to  change this behaviour?

//Hans

4

PCS General Board / Re: OSLC, tagged value search

« on: November 08, 2022, 08:56:05 pm »

Ok, so now I have learned some more by reading this:

https://sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/16.0/the_model_repository/oslc_where.html

It seems it is not possible to search in ss:taggedvalue, and hence it is not possible to do what I want.

5

PCS General Board / OSLC, tagged value search

« on: November 08, 2022, 08:02:38 pm »

Hi,

I'm trying to make an OSLC request to search for a value of a tagged value (uid), and eventually the element that owns the tagged value (el_guid). However, from the documentation you either have to know the guid of the tagged value (tv_guid) or the guid of the element (el_guid) that owns the tagged value. But I want to start from the value of the tagged value (uid).

element (el_guid)
  - tagged value (tv_guid)
    - value of tagged value (uid)

Anyone know if it is possible to do one or more searches via OSLC to get el_guid from uid?

//Hans

6

Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools / Re: Best method to find conveyed elements with API?

« on: May 02, 2020, 07:55:19 pm »

Hi Robert,

I agree with KP that information flows is not what you would typically see within an activity diagram. I believe that by using information flows between InputPins and OutputPins you are actually violating the UML spec. (You could use them between ActivityNodes but this is also not a very common usage.) Instead you should use object flows as KP suggests.

However, in an ibd, you would typically use item flows (the SysML variant of information flows) that conveys items between properties. In this case Sparx has adopted a somewhat problematic approach with respect to their underlying implementation. The information about conveyed items are stored within the xref table which can only hold up to 7 conveyed items per information flow. If I remember correctly it is alos not possible to realise more than 7 item flows to the same connector because of the length of the Decription field in the xref table.

I attach an example SQL fragment that I use to extract this kind of information. Yes, it is long, but is working fine if you can modify it according to your specific situation. It will extract any information that is conveyed within a block (id 28246). It may be the case that I have used some specific MySQL/MariaDB statement.

Code: [Select]

SELECT
Neighbour_Name, Connector_Name, Connector_ID, Flow_Id,
[Neighbour_Type.Hyperlink],
Consumer_Name AS SIF,ifnull(CONCAT(ConsumerType_guid,ConsumerType_Name),'') AS "ConsumerPort_Type.Hyperlink",
TRIM(TRAILING ', ' FROM CONCAT(GROUP_CONCAT(DISTINCT Recieved_Name SEPARATOR ', '),', ',ifnull(GROUP_CONCAT(Recieved_Items SEPARATOR ', '),''))) AS "SIF_mottar",
TRIM(TRAILING ', ' FROM CONCAT(GROUP_CONCAT(DISTINCT Transmitted_Name SEPARATOR ', '),', ',ifnull(GROUP_CONCAT(Transmitted_Items SEPARATOR ', '),''))) AS "SIF_skickar",
Producer_Name AS IFS,ifnull(CONCAT(ProducerType_guid,ProducerType_Name),'') AS "ProducerPort_Type.Hyperlink"
FROM
(
SELECT
TRIM(LEADING ':' FROM CONCAT(ifnull(PRODUCERPP.Name,''),'::',ifnull(PRODUCERP.Name,''),'::',ifnull(PRODUCER.Name,''))) AS Neighbour_Name,
ifnull(CONCAT(PRODUCERTYPE.ea_guid,PRODUCERTYPE.Name),'') AS "Neighbour_Type.Hyperlink",
CONNECTOR.Name AS Connector_Name,
CONNECTOR.Connector_ID AS Connector_ID,
CONNECTOR.Stereotype AS Connector_Type,
FLOW.Stereotype AS Flow_Type,
FLOW.Connector_ID AS Flow_Id,
CONVEYED.Stereotype AS Conveyed_Type,
NULL AS Transmitted_Name,
NULL AS Transmitted_Items,
CONVEYED.Name AS Recieved_Name,
ITEMPROPERTY.Name AS Recieved_Items,
 
PRODUCER.Stereotype AS Producer_Type,
TRIM(LEADING ':' FROM CONCAT(ifnull(PRODUCERPP.Name,''),'::',ifnull(PRODUCERP.Name,''),'::',ifnull(PRODUCER.Name,''))) AS Producer_Name,
PRODUCERTYPE.ea_guid AS ProducerType_guid,PRODUCERTYPE.Name AS ProducerType_Name,
 
CONSUMER.Stereotype AS Consumer_Type,
TRIM(LEADING ':' FROM CONCAT(ifnull(CONSUMERPP.Name,''),'::',ifnull(CONSUMERP.Name,''),'::',ifnull(CONSUMER.Name,''))) AS Consumer_Name,
CONSUMERTYPE.ea_guid AS ConsumerType_guid,CONSUMERTYPE.Name AS ConsumerType_Name,
FLOW.SubType
FROM
(((((((((((((t_connector FLOW
LEFT JOIN
(
                                     SELECT opid.Property, opid.ElementID, CONCAT(test.Name,":",type.Name) AS Name, test.Stereotype AS Stereotype, test.Object_Type AS Object_Type
                                     FROM ((t_connectortag opid
                                     INNER JOIN t_object test ON test.ea_guid = opid.VALUE)
                                     LEFT JOIN t_object type ON type.ea_guid = test.PDATA1)
                                     WHERE (opid.Property='itemProperty')
) ITEMPROPERTY ON FLOW.Connector_ID = ITEMPROPERTY.ElementID)
INNER JOIN t_xref XCONVEYED ON XCONVEYED.Client = FLOW.ea_guid)
LEFT JOIN t_object CONVEYED ON (CONVEYED.ea_guid in (
left(XCONVEYED.Description,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,40,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,79,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,118,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,157,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,196,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,235,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,274,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,313,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,352,38))) )
INNER JOIN t_xref XABSTRACTION ON (XCONVEYED.Client in (
left(XABSTRACTION.Description,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,40,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,79,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,118,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,157,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,196,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,235,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,274,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,313,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,352,38))))
INNER JOIN t_connector CONNECTOR ON CONNECTOR.ea_guid = XABSTRACTION.Client)
INNER JOIN t_object PRODUCER ON CONNECTOR.Start_Object_ID = PRODUCER.Object_ID)
INNER JOIN t_object CONSUMER ON CONNECTOR.End_Object_ID = CONSUMER.Object_ID)
LEFT JOIN t_object PRODUCERP ON PRODUCERP.Object_ID = PRODUCER.ParentID AND PRODUCERP.Object_Type in ('Port','Part'))
LEFT JOIN t_object CONSUMERP ON CONSUMERP.Object_ID = CONSUMER.ParentID AND CONSUMERP.Object_Type in ('Port','Part'))
LEFT JOIN t_object PRODUCERPP ON PRODUCERPP.Object_ID = PRODUCERP.ParentID AND PRODUCERPP.Object_Type in ('Port','Part'))
LEFT JOIN t_object CONSUMERPP ON CONSUMERPP.Object_ID = CONSUMERP.ParentID AND CONSUMERPP.Object_Type in ('Port','Part'))
LEFT JOIN t_object PRODUCERTYPE ON PRODUCER.PDATA1 = PRODUCERTYPE.EA_guid)
LEFT JOIN t_object CONSUMERTYPE ON CONSUMER.PDATA1 = CONSUMERTYPE.EA_guid)
 
WHERE
CONNECTOR.Stereotype IN ('ResourceConnector','OperationalConnector')
AND FLOW.Stereotype IN ('ResourceExchange','OperationalExchange')
AND XABSTRACTION.Behavior = 'abstraction'
AND (CONSUMER.Object_ID = 28246 OR
CONSUMERP.Object_ID = 28246 OR
CONSUMERPP.Object_ID = 28246)
 
UNION
 
SELECT
TRIM(LEADING ':' FROM CONCAT(ifnull(CONSUMERPP.Name,''),'::',ifnull(CONSUMERP.Name,''),'::',ifnull(CONSUMER.Name,''))) AS Neighbour_Name,
ifnull(CONCAT(CONSUMERTYPE.ea_guid,CONSUMERTYPE.Name),'') AS "Neighbour_Type.Hyperlink",
CONNECTOR.Name AS Connector_Name,
CONNECTOR.Connector_ID AS Connector_ID,
CONNECTOR.Stereotype AS Connector_Type,
FLOW.Stereotype AS Flow_Type,
FLOW.Connector_ID AS Flow_Id,
CONVEYED.Stereotype AS Conveyed_Type,
CONVEYED.Name AS Transmitted_Name,
ITEMPROPERTY.Name AS Transmitted_Items,
NULL AS Recieved_Name,
NULL AS Recieved_Items,
 
PRODUCER.Stereotype AS Producer_Type,
TRIM(LEADING ':' FROM CONCAT(ifnull(PRODUCERPP.Name,''),'::',ifnull(PRODUCERP.Name,''),'::',ifnull(PRODUCER.Name,''))) AS Producer_Name,
PRODUCERTYPE.ea_guid AS ProducerType_guid,PRODUCERTYPE.Name AS ProducerType_Name,
 
CONSUMER.Stereotype AS Consumer_Type,
TRIM(LEADING ':' FROM CONCAT(ifnull(CONSUMERPP.Name,''),'::',ifnull(CONSUMERP.Name,''),'::',ifnull(CONSUMER.Name,''))) AS Consumer_Name,
CONSUMERTYPE.ea_guid AS ConsumerType_guid,CONSUMERTYPE.Name AS ConsumerType_Name,
FLOW.SubType
FROM
(((((((((((((t_connector FLOW
LEFT JOIN
(
                                     SELECT opid.Property, opid.ElementID, CONCAT(test.Name,":",type.Name) AS Name, test.Stereotype AS Stereotype, test.Object_Type AS Object_Type
                                     FROM ((t_connectortag opid
                                     INNER JOIN t_object test ON test.ea_guid = opid.VALUE)
                                     LEFT JOIN t_object type ON type.ea_guid = test.PDATA1)
                                     WHERE (opid.Property='itemProperty')
) ITEMPROPERTY ON FLOW.Connector_ID = ITEMPROPERTY.ElementID)
INNER JOIN t_xref XCONVEYED ON XCONVEYED.Client = FLOW.ea_guid)
LEFT JOIN t_object CONVEYED ON (CONVEYED.ea_guid in (
left(XCONVEYED.Description,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,40,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,79,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,118,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,157,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,196,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,235,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,274,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,313,38),
mid(XCONVEYED.Description,352,38))) )
INNER JOIN t_xref XABSTRACTION ON (XCONVEYED.Client in (
left(XABSTRACTION.Description,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,40,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,79,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,118,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,157,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,196,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,235,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,274,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,313,38),
mid(XABSTRACTION.Description,352,38))))
INNER JOIN t_connector CONNECTOR ON CONNECTOR.ea_guid = XABSTRACTION.Client)
INNER JOIN t_object PRODUCER ON CONNECTOR.Start_Object_ID = PRODUCER.Object_ID)
INNER JOIN t_object CONSUMER ON CONNECTOR.End_Object_ID = CONSUMER.Object_ID)
LEFT JOIN t_object PRODUCERP ON PRODUCERP.Object_ID = PRODUCER.ParentID AND PRODUCERP.Object_Type in ('Port','Part'))
LEFT JOIN t_object CONSUMERP ON CONSUMERP.Object_ID = CONSUMER.ParentID AND CONSUMERP.Object_Type in ('Port','Part'))
LEFT JOIN t_object PRODUCERPP ON PRODUCERPP.Object_ID = PRODUCERP.ParentID AND PRODUCERPP.Object_Type in ('Port','Part'))
LEFT JOIN t_object CONSUMERPP ON CONSUMERPP.Object_ID = CONSUMERP.ParentID AND CONSUMERPP.Object_Type in ('Port','Part'))
LEFT JOIN t_object PRODUCERTYPE ON PRODUCER.PDATA1 = PRODUCERTYPE.EA_guid)
LEFT JOIN t_object CONSUMERTYPE ON CONSUMER.PDATA1 = CONSUMERTYPE.EA_guid)
 
WHERE
CONNECTOR.Stereotype IN ('ResourceConnector','OperationalConnector')
AND FLOW.Stereotype IN ('ResourceExchange','OperationalExchange')
AND XABSTRACTION.Behavior = 'abstraction'
AND (PRODUCER.Object_ID = 28246 OR
PRODUCERP.Object_ID = 28246 OR
PRODUCERPP.Object_ID = 28246)
) DerivedTable
GROUP BY Connector_ID;
//Hans

7

General Board / Re: Information Items Conveyed

« on: October 25, 2019, 07:19:22 pm »

Answer to your issue no 1: Right click on the Information flow and choose Advanced -> Information Items Conveyed...

8

General Board / Re: Should you place BDD and IBDs within the block or in a separate folder?

« on: August 21, 2019, 02:02:02 pm »

You should definitely place internal block diagrams within the block itself. There are many benefits which this approach, there is simply no other way. Yes, documentation can be a little tricky, especially if I have multiple ibd:s within a block. How can you output elements from one diagram at a time in this case? I have had success doing it with document scripts following this guide: https://zubkiewicz.com/nonlinear-generation-of-documentation-in-sparx-enterprise-architect/

Block definition diagrams on the other hand is normally not placed within a block, but can be in some special cases. One example is the diagram 7.10 in the book A Practical Guide to SysML (second edition). There you see the diagram header bdd [block] Camera (Power Subsystem) which indicates that the context for the diagram is a block which indicates that the diagram can be placed under the block itself.

9

General Board / Re: Requirements modeling and choice of element for interfaces

« on: July 17, 2019, 05:49:17 am »

SysML is general in the sense that it can model any system, hardware and software. It can also be used to model logical architectures, i.e. where it has not yet been decided if solution is hardware or software. Yes, UML (and SysML) have diagrams suitable to model non-textual constraints/requirements in use cases, interactions, activities, state machines etc. However, stakeholder needs and requirements are still very often expressed in textual languages and you are often expected to provide traceability from those text based requirements to more refined model based requirements. This is where SysML comes in handy since it provides everything you need to make the transition and traceability from those text based requirements to other parts of your model. UML and SysML can be used together in a model. A suggestion is to add the requirements part of SysML to the UML you are currently using.

10

General Board / Re: Requirements modeling and choice of element for interfaces

« on: July 15, 2019, 05:08:13 pm »

You should look at SysML which is a UML based language (and an ISO standard) for modelling systems and its requirements. SysML includes all the concepts needed to model requirements and their relationships to system elements such as interfaces and other properties. The UML profile for SysML is available in Sparx EA.

11

General Board / Re: Using Quick Link to connect to distant objects in the same diagram

« on: May 28, 2019, 02:18:52 pm »

There is yet another method. You can drag the quick linker to an empty area of your diagram and press the Shift-key before choosing the target element type. You will then be prompted with the search dialog which allows you to search for any element in the whole model. The target element does not need to be present in any diagram.

12

Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools / Patterns from a view specification

« on: April 13, 2019, 09:06:00 pm »

The new metamodeling features in EA14 is absolutely fantastic. Finally meta constraints and view specifications can be easily implemented into a profile to enable constraints to diagrams and model validation. There are a couple of minor features missing that would improve even furter, such as the possibility to set diagram options in a view specification. Another thing that I have not been able to implement is the inclusion of patterns from a view specification. It works well from a toolbox profile, but not from a view specification. Has anybody made it work? From a view specification I tried to expose an abstract stereotype called MyProfileName::MyPatternName(UMLPatternSilent), but it is not working.

Any ideas?

13

General Board / Re: Diagrams in report cropped!

« on: September 06, 2017, 04:36:07 am »

I have noticed similar behaviour when using EA from within a virtualised windows environment (like Parallels on Mac). Depending on the resolution set on the Windows desktop the images are cropped to a larger or lesser extent. Before generation of final documentation I sometimes need to change resolution.

/Hans

14

General Board / Re: ISO 80000-1 Quantaties and Units

« on: May 29, 2017, 06:44:19 pm »

if I have done it correctly, it doesn't look like the ISO Library  (ISO 80000-1 Quantities and Units).

Do you see the Quantities and Units? Maybe I've missed something.

I forgot to mention that the library is only available from the SysML 1.3 Technology which is the one I still use most of the time. Note also that there were some changes made to units in SysML 1.4. Tim Weilkiens has written a post about the changes here: http://model-based-systems-engineering.com/2015/04/13/whats-new-in-sysml-1-4-units/
/Hans

15

General Board / Re: ISO 80000-1 Quantaties and Units

« on: May 29, 2017, 05:24:10 pm »

Those are available from the model wizard (Right click on a package -> Add a Model using Wizard...). My first impression is that they work reasonably ok.

/Hans