Messages

1

Suggestions and Requests / Re: Which version to buy ?

« on: November 01, 2009, 01:48:07 pm »

It does not matter which version you purchase, if the update and upgrade support is not there.  I purchased the Ultimate version, but the DoDAF update to version 2.0 still has not been implemented after many months.  EA has been very good about updating, but recently Sparx has failed to come through on critical issues--EA does not allow the user to select UML 2 compliance as an option.  The result is that loosey-goosey EA models can be created that are no better than M$ Visio.

2

Suggestions and Requests / Re: Sparx MODAF-DODAF MDG Add-In

« on: September 27, 2009, 07:38:59 am »

I am also very interested in DoDAF version 2.0 support, especially if EA is going to comply with that framework.  Operational Nodes have changed considerably in DoDAF v 2.0.  In general, more viewpoints have been added, some of the names and designations for them have changed, and sadly, some of the rigor has been stripped away.  DoDAF v2 now allows mixing up a bunch of different concepts within the same view--such as allowing all kinds of things in the OV-1 that were not allowed in the more systems engineering version of DoDAF v1.5.

3

Suggestions and Requests / Re: DoD Architecture Framework version 2.0

« on: July 16, 2009, 10:03:18 pm »

Thanks, Slade,
I am very interested in the package details.  I have always believed that MoDAF was more complete than DoDAF, and DoDAF v2 borrows heavily from MoDAF in adding some of those viewpoints.  I sent you an email.

4

Suggestions and Requests / DoD Architecture Framework version 2.0

« on: June 16, 2009, 12:13:04 am »

The new version of the DoD Architecture Framework (DoDAF) version 2.0 was released last month and is applicable to all DoD programs immediately.  There are some significant changes in version 2.0 that are not supported by the current version of the EA DoDAF-MoDAF MDG plugin.  I respectfully request that the EA DoDAF-MoDAF plugin be updated to support DoDAF version 2.0.  I use EA, especially the DoDAF views in all of my projects, so this update is very important to me.  I realize, of course, that it will take some time to make the changes.  Just asking if there are any details of the roadmap.

5

Suggestions and Requests / Automatic Generation of Sequence Diagrams

« on: July 16, 2004, 09:32:01 am »

 ;)The reverse engineering facility for C++ source code is great, although the class diagram ends up being a bit complicated.  Is there any way that EA Pro could generate seqence diagrams from the paths through the source code (I have a testing tool that uses sequence diagrams to perform tests).  Thanks.

6

General Board / Requirements Management in EA Corporate

« on: November 11, 2005, 06:57:54 am »

 :)Could you briefly state the Requirements Management capabilities of EA (RM traces and requirements views) and what enhancements an add-in tool like RaQuest brings?  It looks like <traces> relationships and the full traceability aspects of RM throughout the model must be done manually.  Can EA produce a Requirements Diagram or Parametrics Diagram (I know SysML proposes these new diagrams, but some tools offer them now).  Thanks.
v/r
bonzo5

7

Bugs and Issues / Re: Dear Geoffrey...

« on: September 27, 2009, 07:28:53 am »

As I recall from another topic, http://www.sparxsystems.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1247237010, that EA does not enforce unique names for actors, most of you wanted to play fast and loose with UML, doing whatever you wanted to do.  In fact, most of you wanted to use EA as nothing more that a glorified Powerpoint palette, rather than as a serious systems engineering tool.  Paulo and Midnight were the only voices that wanted to allow the engineer to strictly enforce UML 2.1 rules, perhaps allowing to toggle it off for the gamers, so they could play at UML.  Great call, Paulo--any tool such as EA should enforce consistency, because complex projects quickly overwhelm anyone's ability to keep it all in their own minds.  EA must help to manage this complexity, but require that UML rules and SE rules be followed, in order to assure high fidelity and high pedigree in the completed model.

8

Bugs and Issues / Re: png transparency not supported?

« on: July 16, 2009, 10:36:24 pm »

I use Gimp to remove the ugly black background from PNG images, and it works very well.

9

Bugs and Issues / EA Does Not Enforce Unique Names for Actors

« on: July 16, 2009, 10:33:37 pm »

Thanks, all for your helpful comments.  Not to further ruffle feathers, I also believe that activity diagram swimlanes should also correspond to the actors whose activities they represent.  In short, the swimlane should not exist as a different name from an actor--it should be the congruent.  A swimlane without a corresponding same name actor is not valid--I should be able to toggle between the two views, since they are the same.  The issue is that EA swimlanes are nothing more than background, window-dressing, or wallpaper and do not properly enforce the concept that they are congruent to the actor.

10

Bugs and Issues / Full UML 2-compliance

« on: July 14, 2009, 11:34:15 pm »

EA's failure to enforce UML 2 means that it is not fully UML 2-compliant.  If some users want to play fast and loose, naming every object with the same name, then they should be using Visio or Powerpoint.  Perhaps Sparx could add a toggle that would explicitly enforce UML 2, SysML, etc. for the users that have complex models and desire to comply with OMG.

11

Bugs and Issues / EA Does Not Enforce Unique Names for Actors

« on: July 11, 2009, 12:43:30 am »

I imported some model data into EA and was disappointed to see that EA allowed multiple actors to all have the same name, rather than enforcing the rigor of unique names for each actor.  It is always desirable for a modeling tool to enforce rigor, such as systems engineering schema or UML, and not to allow the user to do whatever he wants to.

12

Uml Process / Use cases and sequence diagrams

« on: December 03, 2008, 08:18:52 am »

The sequence diagram is the realization of the use case, and use cases capture requirements.  These relationships help to show the traceability of requirements to interaction / behavior.  IDEF0 is equivalent to a use case, although it can capture much more information, especially if the user has full ICOM (Inputs-Controls-Outputs-Mechanisms).

13

Uml Process / Re: Sequence diagrams and Multicast

« on: December 09, 2007, 08:25:55 am »

Event Studio v4 (www.eventhelix.com) does a marvelous job of showing multi-casting.  I use it all of the time to show network-type messaging, such as tactical data links, where broadcast mode is the appropriate paradigm, rather than the "simultaneous" point-to-point representation that is normally presented.  Another plus is that EventStudio automatically generates the diagrams (Sequence and Communication) from a structured text file (Feature Description Language or FDL).  We create this file from CSV exports from systems engineering tools, convert them into FDL with a python script, then open the FDL file with EventStudio.  Outstanding tool and outstanding support from EventHelix.  Hope this helps you out--no one tool does everything, so we always try to at least get them working together in an architecture development environment.  So, EA is used where it fits and EventStudio is used, along with other SE tools, where it fits (great for showing system behavior to stakeholders).

14

Uml Process / Reverse Engineering

« on: April 15, 2004, 12:44:53 pm »

I had some poorly documented C++ source code dumped on me that needs to be independently tested (it is display management code).  Using the EA Pro reverse engineering, I got some complicated-looking UML class diagrams (attributes, operations, associations and dependencies).  What is the next logical step?  How would I go from this class diagram to relevant use cases or sequence diagrams, so that I can have test cases to exercise the code?  Any suggestions would be helpful.  I am already grateful that EA Pro lets me start from at least a class diagram.  I just need to understand how to "reverse engineer" that class diagram into sequence diagrams (since other tools allow sequence diagrams to be animated for checking out the code logic).  Thanks to all.

15

Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools / Does anyone know what Sparx plan for UPDM?

« on: December 03, 2008, 08:36:46 am »

I am certainly hoping that Sparx supports DoDAF version 2.0, when it is approved (hopefully this month), since I use DoDAF views for most of my MBSE work.  I purchased the plugin and hope that it gets updated as additional perspectives are added.