Messages

1

Suggestions and Requests / Using Visual Source Safe and EA

« on: May 25, 2004, 03:41:41 pm »

I've been using this product for over 6 months and I like a lot of things about it.  I also there is a lot more to learn.  When we started using EA we had dead lines so we didn't worry about integrating EA with VSS.  We have all of our major products behind us and we are starting to refactor and make enhancements.  All of our code is in VSS and we use Visual Studio as our IDE.  I've associated my model with the project in source safe that the model is for and set the directory to the working directory for VSS on the PC.  What does this buy us, if we make changes, EA doesn't check out the class so we can generate the class to include our changes.  Ifind that I have to go to VSS or the IDE and check out the class, go to EA and generate and then go back to VSS or the IDE and check it back in.  There should be an easier way at least I hope there is and it is just my inexperience with the product that is causing my extra work.  I would think that if you have VSS enabled in EA, it should ask you to check out and give you the ability to check it back in.  

If this is already possible, please let me know how to do it, the help wasn't really helpful on this subject.  Also if it is not possible, when might it be.

Thanks,
Jeff Carlson

2

Suggestions and Requests / Re: Source code synchronisation

« on: May 26, 2004, 06:46:45 am »

Well one, I'm using VB.Net and two, if it is an option that is selectable, then you can CHOOSE to use it or not use it BUT it is a valid option.  I too like that EA doesn't mess with the code in existing methods.  The purpose of a modeling tool is to model, that includes refactoring.  If the tool is only good for new projects then its not much of a tool.

This option does not have to be the default, but it is needed to make this tool COMPLETE.  If you and your team don't want it then don't select the option, but to say don't ever put it in is very self-centered.  I believe that you and your team are probably bright enough to not select that option if it was to be included and therefore it would never affect you.  If one of your team had a brain fart, then I'm sure if you have so much code, then you must have it in VSS or some other repository.  So you can just undo the check out and the mistake would be easily corrected.

We too have have thousands of classes and Drawings so huge that I'm tired of taping the D sized sheets together.  You can choose to hide virually any part of the classes from the diagrams and it won't affect the outcome of the generated class.

3

Suggestions and Requests / Re: Source code synchronisation

« on: May 25, 2004, 03:02:34 pm »

I feel your pain Christiaan, as I also wish that the synchronization worked better.  I would like to design and refactor my classes via EA, but I can't fully.  The product will not remove anything from the class if I remove it from the model.  I can add things all day long and it does a nice job of leaving my existing code alone.  But in refactoring, I'm renaming and removing attribute and methods and I have to go and manually do it in the class as well.  There is the chance of missing things and that should not have to be the way to do it.  I'm almost better off doing the whole refactor in the IDE and then reverse engineering it to see the diagram.  Thats not realy why I bought this tool.  I think it is a great tool and it worked fine for my new projects.  But not everything is new.  I could let it replace the original file and then it would put only the methods and attributes that I want, but all of the meat of the methods would be gone and then I would be cutting and pasting to fix that back.  

I like Christiaan's idea about bringing up the differences and letting the user decide which to keep.  I also understand that that is a big code change.  In the interim, could we give a check box that would allow the delete from code for methods and attributes not in the model.  That would put the control in the Users hands and would make my life 150% better.

Thanks,
Jeff Carlson
Senior Analyst

4

Suggestions and Requests / Re: Tabbed MDI Windows for Diagrams

« on: December 02, 2003, 02:39:53 pm »

Add my vote.  I just evaluated a bunch of products for my company and chose this one.  I’ve used Rose and Together for a couple of years(at other companies), but some of their features didn’t out way the cost difference.  We will have a lot of newbie’s to UML as we are trying to get everyone more OO aware and EA was one of the easiest I found to get up and running quickly and being productive.  Having the MDI and being a plug-in for VS.Net would make it a much better product.  I also have multiple copies of EA open to get my job done, please help.