Messages

16

General Board / Re: ETL diagrams

« on: February 12, 2019, 12:05:35 pm »

How about using UML sequence diagram. Since ETL process is data transformation.  The sequence diagram can show the extraction from source data, transformations performed, and new data creation ready for loading.

17

Uml Process / Re: Data Modelling - how to flatten class inheritance?

« on: February 06, 2019, 04:17:01 pm »

Hi, I mean you have to manually edit the model by adding / deleting tables, columns and keys.

Yes I remember also ERWin had something like this but keep in mind that EA is much cheaper and just an excellent UML tool with a nice extension to support data modeling.  It is not a fully fledged data modeling tool nor it aspires / claims to be.

18

Uml Process / Re: Data Modelling - how to flatten class inheritance?

« on: February 06, 2019, 12:33:00 am »

Hello DS I think the most common way is to do it yourself by hand.

It makes sense for this not to be automated because you as data modeler have different choices on how to translate generalization/specification (at logical level) into physical tables.

You can google this but basically you could merge the child classes with parent into one big table; or replicate the parent attributes/relationships to each of the children (along with any other database objects: indexes, triggers etc.); or set up a parent class with identifying relationship to its children.  Etc.  You have to pick the right solution based on your physical data model design criteria.  Good luck!

19

Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools / Re: How to make references between attributes?

« on: January 31, 2019, 01:44:36 pm »

Svend can you elaborate on your goal?

If it's a class diagram, public attributes are public and private attributes are private.  In any case it's the operations that can change the attribute values.

If it's a data model in UML, if it's at conceptual level it should have very few or no attributes; and if it's logical it should be normalized (attributes depend entirely and only on the table-class primary key)

What is the scenario where you would need to include dependencies between attributes in your model?

20

Bugs and Issues / Re: requirement, issue, change etc elements in a sequence diagram

« on: January 23, 2019, 01:09:23 pm »

My understanding is:  if you drag a classifier on a sequence diagram, if will be represented as a lifeline!  So I guess the items you refer to are classifiers as far as EA is concerned.  Suggest to use text boxes and notes instead.
I can annotate sequence diagrams with very little problem, the only issue is that the autorouting of the note links is a little wonky and need to manually route (EA 13).

21

General Board / Information engineering connectors don't display aggregation and generalization!

« on: January 19, 2019, 01:32:05 pm »

I have a UML class diagram (conceptual level) that I want to show as conceptual ERD (using crow's feet notation = Information Engineering connectors in the diagram properties options) for UML-allergic stakeholders.

The diagram properties toggle from UML to IE works fine but generalization and aggregation connectors are shown with UML notation while everything else is changed to crow's feet.  Aggregation should be changed to a non-identifying 1:m relationship and generalization should be changed to the ERD the half-circle notation (a' la ERWin)

To me it seems that the IE connector implementation in EA is incomplete.  Is there a workaround?  Or should open a bug report?  Thanks
(EA 13.0.1310)

22

General Board / Re: Importing DB Schema From ODBC error

« on: January 10, 2019, 05:14:27 pm »

Not being sarcastic here, just realistic.
It may just be the case that your team could benefit working with an experienced contractor or 3rd party who can show you the way.  Several on this forum.  Good luck!

23

General Board / Re: Help! query to list all classes, attributes and all tagged values from a diagram

« on: December 06, 2018, 07:48:35 pm »

I get a "Compile error user-defined type not defined"
with highlight on the row "Sub taggedvalues(j As Integer, k As Integer, Element As Element, outputws As Worksheet)"

Sorry I know nothing about VB

24

General Board / Re: Help! query to list all classes, attributes and all tagged values from a diagram

« on: December 05, 2018, 11:39:44 pm »

Ripertkiwi, many thanks!  I will surely try (after I learn how to run Excel VBA on a Sparx diagram - I'll get to it! Probably during Xmas holidays)

25

General Board / Help! query to list all classes, attributes and all tagged values from a diagram

« on: November 21, 2018, 05:56:57 pm »

So I'm on a tight deadline and I SHOULD just look this up on the manual, or Geert's website etc.  But I'm on a pinch, so I would be very grateful if anyone can provide a query to list FROM A SPECIFIC DIAGRAM the classes, their notes, all their associated custom tagged values, memo type; then the class attributes, their notes, all their associated custom tagged values, memo type.  As a tab delimited flat file.

Example: for [diagramname]
Classname 1 [tab] notes [tab] taggedvalue1 [tab] taggedvalue2 [tab].... carriage return
Attributename1 [tab] notes [tab] taggedvalue1 [tab] taggedvalue2 [tab].... carriage return
Attributename2 [tab] notes [tab] taggedvalue1 [tab] taggedvalue2 [tab].... carriage return
Classname 2 [tab] notes [tab] taggedvalue1 [tab] taggedvalue2 [tab].... carriage return
Attributename1 [tab] notes [tab] taggedvalue1 [tab] taggedvalue2 [tab].... carriage return
Attributename2 [tab] notes [tab] taggedvalue1 [tab] taggedvalue2 [tab].... carriage return

I can get all this with standard CSV reporting but I can only run the report by package, not by diagram (I keep all classes in one package, then diagrams in other packages).

Thanks for any help!

26

General Board / Re: Multi-language model

« on: November 09, 2018, 01:44:46 pm »

jaimeglz wins "best post award".

Thanks for making me laugh!

Hi all,

Last year we had a customer with HQ in Witchita, Kansas, and a local subsidiary in Tlaxcalancingo, Puebla, who wanted everything in English and Español. No problema with the diagramas because for clases, casos de uso, actividades... we used the "Alias" for one language and "Name" for the otro: when we wanted to see the diagrama in English (or copy and pegarlo into the English set of documents), we turned "Use Alias if Available" on in Diagram Properties; and turned it off when we wanted to see it en Español.

The solution (¡caramba!) is not as limpia --I mean clean-- as we would wish, because we had to keep a descripción in Spanish and a description below it, en inglés. This applied to the "Note", Constraint, Requisitos... sections. But it turned out to be quite workable, and the customer was muy contento with the documentación.

Saludos,

Jaime

27

General Board / Re: Customer Journeys in EA

« on: November 09, 2018, 01:36:28 pm »

Use case diagrams are a very robust way to model customer needs, wants and expectations  (business capabilities).
The sequence diagrams let you model the specifics of how to satisfy these wants, needs and expectations.  You can accurately model how the system supports very complex requirements with sequence diagrams.
Then your class diagram shows the sum total of all classes and constraints that are needed to enable the sequence diagrams
Your system (technical) architecture (applications and interfaces) shows what IT systems provide the information defined in the class diagram.  In a good architecture (low cost, easy to implement and flexible to evolve) you will make careful balance of which system provides / enables  / transmits which class.

Each of these diagrams can be at contextual, logical or physical level depending what you want to show your audience.

Voila!  Traceability from customer requirement to IT enabler and back.  Time for a beer.

28

General Board / Re: Logical Data Modelling in SPARX

« on: October 22, 2018, 05:21:57 pm »

Here's quick and dirty from my own notes.  Sorry no image attach b/c I's not really incluied to find out how to use imgr or whatever.  Text based!

MDG: select core extensions, data modeling

Diagram / Features menu:
- Show Qualifiers and visibility indicators
- Elements: show attributes, operations (it want to list FKs in separate box)
- Features: show stereotypes, full attribute and parameter detail (shows PK and FK indicator
- Connectors: show relationships. Notation = IE

Create a data model Package (must have data modeling MDG enabled): right click on a view package (not model or root package) / Add a package / Select and apply model pattern / Select Database type
- The correct stereotype packages and diagrams are created and data modeling tools appear in the toolbox

Draw tables and columns, diagram shows PK/FK/datatype by default (can be hidden by double click on diagram / properties for conceptual and logical level; also select IE notation if you like Crow's Foot). 

Make sure that all tables having relationships have at least 1 PK, then draw association (the relationship), if 'edit association on creation' option is not enabled then double click on relationship, the FK editor opens, select cardinality including 1 or 0 (non-identifying).  FKs are automatically migrated to child entities (including composite keys)

There's much more including data dictionary, forward/reverse engineering etc.  Search data modeling in Sparx documentation. 

Goodspeed!

 

29

General Board / Re: Browse for diagram cannot select class, component and other diagrams!

« on: October 21, 2018, 01:53:27 pm »

Thanks that works much better and makes the buggy diagram browse thingy redundant.  Problem solved, thanks very much!

Makes things clearer. Yes, I have that same behavior. In V14 the option "Browse" appears even greyed out. I never have used that. So I'd bet it's just broken. Or it's one of those Sparxian universe functions that don't made it into my world. If nobody else jumps in: report a bug.

As sort of an alternative you can write your own search that spits out diagrams you want to see. Like

Code: [Select]

SELECT d.ea_guid As CLASSGUID, d.diagram_type As CLASSTYPE, d.Name
FROM t_diagram as d WHERE d.diagram_type like "Activity"

q.

30

General Board / Re: Logical Data Modelling in SPARX

« on: October 21, 2018, 01:28:46 pm »

I don't know how to upload an image in this forum, tried and failed using the 'image' button

If someone teaches me how to upload images I'll upload some examples