Messages

1

Suggestions and Requests / Re: Project Guidelines

« on: September 10, 2007, 11:13:48 am »

Hi "Stringer",

Please note that zicom EA Introduction is based on EA 6.5, although most concepts are still valid. I am not sure about their plans to update, I have asked the question to support, but I did not get a planned release date!

Additionally I am curious why their link has "vanished" from the Sparx site? Is that of any relevance, i.e. how much is Zircom committed to maintain this product for EA?

On the whole, I think the product can be of great assistance to entry level users in the UML notation.

Regards,

Jesmond

2

Suggestions and Requests / Re: Project Guidelines

« on: August 24, 2007, 01:46:59 am »

Hi Thomas,

I do understand your point! Perhaps it's just the beginner's frustration, combined with the deadlines that adds to the pressure and to the quest of the holy grail! Well I guess as you have pointed out, it's better to get started and just do it.
I am aware of ICONIX, I did have a look at their product offers, however I decided not to proceed for this first project for a couple of reasons. Namely, ICONIX uses a modified UP/RUP methodology, which I had not heard of until I visited Sparx website!, and I do not have the time for this first project! delivery deadlines again! However, I will consider that after this assignment is over, in about 3 weeks time.

Thanks once again.

Regards Jesmond

3

Suggestions and Requests / Re: Project Guidelines

« on: August 23, 2007, 11:36:31 pm »

Thanks Paolo,
I must say that the problem right now is too much information! Again coming back to the "getting started" syndrome. I guess it's too easy to get side tracked!

Again on the topic of templates I located yet another project used in the recent Modelling 2007 conference by Ben Constable COO of Sparx!:
http://www.modeling2007.com/speakers/sparx_tut_eaproject.eap

I still think that a "learn by example" approach can be very helpful! Perhaps the EA Admin. can take note.


Regards to all,

Jesmond

4

Suggestions and Requests / Re: Project Guidelines

« on: August 23, 2007, 09:31:55 pm »

Hi Paolo,

Thank you for your observations. But I am afraid you have lost me there! Do you refer to MDA transformations? I am still an entry level user for the product, and I guess you have a few years of experience.
On another not, I just came to a practical example for a template posted on this URL by a Microsoft engineer http://realworldsa.dotnetdevelopersjournal.com/pleumlone.htm

Perhaps this could be an idea for Sparx to setup a template projects for specific application or discipline.

Any further ideas?

Regards Jesmond  

5

Suggestions and Requests / Re: Project Guidelines

« on: August 23, 2007, 07:29:49 pm »

Hi Thomas,

Thank you for your insight. Deep down, I sort of expected this, however as you have pointed out, this could be very useful for those who are starting out! Perhaps if there are more EA project examples, diverse examples rather than big full features ones.
My current situation, for example, I have to extend the functionality of an existing application. Should I reverse engineer the existing model, and start another root node for the extensions?

Thank you for your input.

Best regards,


Jesmond

6

Suggestions and Requests / Project Guidelines

« on: August 23, 2007, 12:58:01 am »

Dear Members,

I just started using EA professional. I have browsed the several white papers and tutorials, in addition, also purchase the Zircom Mentor add-in for UML mentor and EA introduction.

I have a few points I wish to put forward:

1. I would like to see a "Project Structure Guidelines" to give a best practice approach in defining root level points, package tree structure for model, views. As an example, I examined the example EA project supplied with version 3.6, and the latest 7, and the structure is very different. I understand that perhaps one example is showing an actual software design project, and another is illustrating EA features!

2. Following from point 1, I believe that this might be subject to the discipline chosen by the modeller. For example wheter to use RUP/UP, Agile??, XP. Personally I am looking into OpenUP, AgileUP methodologies. I have noticed the ICONIX discipline which also have add-on to the product. However I am not familiar with this methodology.

I would appreciate any other point of views!

Regards,

Jesmond

7

General Board / Re: Does any of these products run on Windows Vist

« on: August 18, 2007, 10:33:07 am »

Hi,

I have installed, and using EA 7 under Vista Business edition, no problems noticed. There might be some minor issues with the 2007 visual style (docked components), otherwise no problems. In addition I am using ZICOM mentor add-on.

Regards,


Jesmond

8

Uml Process / Re: Extending an existing project

« on: August 31, 2007, 08:04:33 pm »

Hi Jes,

Sorry for not following up, and thanks for your interest.

Following up on the project I imported the existing requirements, and used EA custom model to express the underlying relationships. Additionally I split then into three separate packages. Then I created a separate package to contain the new and/or changed/extended requirements. I am not quite sure how to you express a change" or "extension" using EA requirements custom diagrams though.

As far as the use cases, unfortunately the were not re-usable, since the previous project had actually (perhaps inadvertently) performed functional decomposition, and actually express functions rather than a use case! So I am re-defining the use cases.

At the moment I am concluding the documentation for the inception phase of the project, for which I have been following the OpenUP guide (http://www.eclipse.org/epf/) that I found quite useful.

Regards,

Jesmond  

9

Uml Process / Extending an existing project

« on: August 26, 2007, 12:02:45 am »

Dear all,

I have a contract assignment to analyse and subsequently modify/recommend an existing web based application (small add-in application).

I have reverse engineered the models into EA professional (as mush as possible), and a next step I plan to add/modify the model in order to reflect the changes required for the new requirements.

I am note familiar what proper UML discipline I should use in order to modify functional requirements, modify business processes, use case models, etc.

Should I just create new views/diagrams, or just modify the structure (I would loose the history, since I do not have version control enables). I could copy/clone the project, and use a "two copy".

Note: This project scope is limited to the business analysis / inception stage only (possible more if the customer decides to use EA for the whole project lifecycle).

I would appreciate any point of views from experience users how would this be tackled.

Best regards,

Jesmond