Messages

1

General Board / Re: Instance doesn't update from change in element

« on: June 26, 2014, 02:35:26 am »

I have the same question but for different purposes. My situation is to model a very large set of independent systems and subsystems that are each deployed in similar, but different, configurations on different networks. The relationships between these components is always the same, but some components may or may not be present.

My goal is that when I change the behavior or relationships of the abstract components, that those changes are reflected in the instances of the component on component diagrams and deployment diagrams. How does everyone else handle this situation?

2

General Board / Interfaces in one diagram, Dependency in another?

« on: June 19, 2014, 01:39:16 am »

Is it possible to create detailed component diagrams with all of the interfaces and assemblies, and use the same components in another diagram but display the dependency or information flow only?

3

General Board / Re: parallelism in sequence diagrams?

« on: August 20, 2004, 07:43:25 am »

I was reading up on that very thing yesterday but I don't understand how to do it in EA.  Are there any examples that you could point me to?

4

General Board / parallelism in sequence diagrams?

« on: August 19, 2004, 08:26:12 am »

I have a desire to illustrate parallelism in some sequence diagrams.  When I try to do this EA shifts messages of other things around so I cannot get the illustration of parallelism in the diagram.  It also breaks the activation boxes.

Is there a way to illustrate parallelism in a sequence diagram with EA or is it inappropriate for parallelism to be in a sequence diagram?

Thanks for any help on this.

Cheers,
Scott

5

General Board / Re: custom documentation questions

« on: May 25, 2006, 12:19:25 pm »

Another short round of questions.

Is it possible to specify the order of packages, order of diagrams, and order of elements for the documentation?  I'm guessing this needs to be done in the packages, diagrams and elements and not in the documentation template.

Also, is it possible to specify a specific package, diagram or element by name, GUID, or other reference for a specific section in the template?

I tried searching the forums for other posts like this but didn't any.

6

General Board / custom documentation questions

« on: May 25, 2006, 10:43:01 am »

I'm trying to create a custom document template and am using the virtual document capability.  Which is cool by the way.

I have a bunch of questions that will probably go all over the place.

I've created an template RTF with some formatting and other standard company junk that's supposed to be in it.  I have it loaded into EA as a new template.  There are some items of data that our company applies to all documents that are essentially unique metadata that we use on every document.  I'd like to express this in the EA class object, and have to template peel out these attributes.  I have more questions than just this... but this is where I'll start.

I was about to add attributes to the documentation class object for each of these and set the initial value for each attribute for this specific document.  Then I started thinking I should create a class for the company's standard documnent attributes and include this, but I don't see how to set the specific values for this document in the class object.  Then I started thinking maybe this is more appropriate to a tagged values.  Then I realized I really don't have a clue what the appropriate was is to do this and here I am looking for pointers.

I know I could easily manually enter in this information after each time I generate the document.  But that doesn't have as much coolness factor.  

7

General Board / Re: This is probably a dumb question ...

« on: April 28, 2006, 03:06:53 pm »

I want to do the same thing but I have to admit... I'm still missing something after reading this short thread.

I have a class that defines an enumareted type.  I created a new attribute for each enumerated value, I specified the type of each enumerated value to be an "int" and then gave a value to each attributes.

In another class I used this enumerated class as a type for one of the attributes.  I wanted to set the initial value for this attribute, and I have to manually type the value.  With how tied in everything is in EA, this doesn't make me feel like I'm doing it correctly.  I'd expect to be able to select from the set of enumerated values in the enumerated class.

Did I do something wrong?

Scott

8

Uml Process / Re: Sparx EA training?

« on: June 07, 2006, 03:55:24 pm »

Is this the same JD Baker that I work with?

The Wiki seems like a great way to handle this.  At least as a first shot at attempting it.    I will check it out.

Thanks
Scott

9

Uml Process / Re: Sparx EA training?

« on: May 17, 2006, 11:21:38 am »

Oh.  I see.  I was thinking there was a blog for each topic in the toturials to discuss them.  There isn't too much difference between a forum and a blog other than how the structure for the topics are created.  I just assumed that there was a discussion specific to each topic in the tutorial and this website used a blog for that.  Seems reasonable.

Thanks for your hunch.  I think you're right.  

Cheers,
Scott

10

Uml Process / Re: Sparx EA training?

« on: May 17, 2006, 11:12:22 am »

I've been reading it.  It's very simplistic and doesn't address more complicated issues.

Where is this blog that you're discussing it on?  I don't see any references to it.

Scott

11

Uml Process / Re: Sparx EA training?

« on: May 16, 2006, 03:01:03 pm »

Also try the courses on the EA website we are blogging on now - great online tutorial.

How do I find this blog?

Scott

12

Uml Process / Re: Sparx EA training?

« on: May 16, 2006, 02:15:33 pm »

Thanks everyone.  I was expecting a notification by default.

I think the ICONIX CD-ROMs are what I'm thinking about.

I guess I'll have to dig deeper into the tutorials.  They always seem so incredibly basic, yet it's so obvious when I'm using Sparx EA that there is an incredible amount of capability avialable.  If only I knew how to use it all.

I will try to spend more time on these forums.  That's probably how I'll learn it better.

Cheers,
Scott

13

Uml Process / Sparx EA training?

« on: May 04, 2006, 10:00:15 am »

I didn't know where to post this question so the UML topic seemed reasonably appropriate.  I apologize if it's not.

I've been an Sparx user for about three years and love the tool.  However, everything I know I've learned on my own.  I just recently started visiting these discussion boards.  I've heard there will be Sparx EA training on CD/DVD some day.  I would very much like to read complete and comprehensive documentation on how to fully use Sparx EA.  I know it can do a lot and I want to be able to use it properly.

I have read UML books, done way too much PowerPoint engineering, and hacked my way through Sparx EA.  I'd like to be a bit more knowledgeable.  Everything I've found on the Sparx website is the most basic example possible or just barely enough information to be a teaser only.  Maybe it's all there and I don't know how to find it.  Any pointers would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Scott

14

Uml Process / Re: BPMN Association

« on: May 22, 2006, 06:00:09 pm »

I love this discussion, and am glad I'm not an idiot in asking.

It's going to be a while before there is a BPMN profile in UML 2.x.  They are still hammering out the very issues that we are discussing here.  Whatever Sparx does, is not wrong.  ALthough we can certainly ask Sparx to do things that help bridge the gap in the mean time.  The fact that they even support BPMN is awesome.

BTW, who's this Nick fellow and why do you need permission to discuss BPMN on this forum?  I'm guessing he's an employee or moderator.

I figured out how to change the Activity type to a Sub-Process.  The best recommendation is to permanently add Tagged Values to the desktop.  This tip comes from the help file (I figured the tip out on my own about five minutes before reading it.. ouch).  When you select the activity change the tagged value Activity Type to Sub-Process and the object will change per the BPMN specification.  Pretty cool... now if only I knew BPMN better.

One thing that is missing in my opinion is that if the linkage between actor, swinlane, and activities/objects.  In UML we know that if we open up the properties for an object that anything linked to it will show up in the Links tab and will also show up on all diagrams that object is included on, and in all reports that are generated from the tool.  This isn't the case with the swimlanes and anything that is placed within it.  The best work around I could find to this is to create a UML actor a BPMN Swimlane, and BPMN activities.  Then drag the Actor to the BPMN diagram, associate the UML Actor to the BPMN Swim lane, and associate the UML Actor to the BPMN Activities, then remove the UML Actor from the BPMN diagram.  This is more maintanence but does provide for a transition between the two so you can do business process modelling in BPMN while doing the rest of the EA goodness in UML 2.x.

The one catch is that as you make changes to the BPMN diagram, you'll need to drag that UML Actor back to the diagram as a test to make sure that all objects are linked to the UML Actor.  It's work.. but it seems to work out.

Would it make sense for Sparx to consider doing something like this automatically?  Like a duality for actors?

Scott

15

Uml Process / Re: BPMN Association

« on: May 18, 2006, 05:39:30 pm »

I'm with you now.  I agree regarding the reference difference.  I noticed it as well and changed it in my BPMN to be what I intended, but didn't recognize the inconsistency with the rest of the tool.  Good thing to point out.

I think I see the point on pools and lanes.  I need to think about it more though.  It isn't just arbitrary because if I understand right, a sequence flow cannot pass through a pool boundary, but it can a lane boundary.  Oh.. yeah.. I got it.  I like it.  It helps separate the business in a way.  I should only use a pool for a very discrete and independent business entity (be it an entire company, unit within a business, or a role/individual).

I'm still learning BPMN.  I'm trying to make some BPMN diagrams in Sparx EA, but I'm having troubles figure out how to use EA to do some of the things that I know can be done with BPMN.  For example, there are a bunch of specilizations for each of the BPMN types.  Like a sub process.  How do I draw a sub process?  How do I tie the sub process as a single activity object to the actual full blow up sub process itself?  I know this is a tangent from this thread, but we're on the topic.

Cheers,
Scott