Messages

31

Bugs and Issues / Re: Can connection to eapx file be refreshed after network disruption?

« on: October 30, 2019, 04:12:18 am »

Actually,

The message box changes, so Sparx EA isn't completely hung.

I also get message

---------------------------
Enterprise Architect
---------------------------
DAO.Database [3078]

The Microsoft Jet database engine cannot find the input table or query 't_diagram'.  Make sure it exists and that its name is spelled correctly.
---------------------------
[ OK ]
---------------------------

That is, for every box about t_package, I get a varying number of t_diagram messages.

Maybe I just have to click through a thousand or so messages boxes and everything will be fine?
Thanks again
- Håkan

32

Bugs and Issues / Can connection to eapx file be refreshed after network disruption?

« on: October 30, 2019, 03:52:31 am »

I was working with my Sparx EA V.14 client on an EAPX file stored on a shared drive when the network connection went down temporarily.
After the network was restored, I selected one of the diagrams I had open already.
Now I get the message below and it just comes back again and again when I click OK.
Is there a way to make the Sparx EA client refresh its connection to the EAPX file?

---------------------------
Enterprise Architect
---------------------------
DAO.Database [3078]

The Microsoft Jet database engine cannot find the input table or query 't_package'.  Make sure it exists and that its name is spelled correctly.
---------------------------
[ OK ]
---------------------------

Thanks,
Håkan Lidström

33

Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools / Re: DiagramLink is hidden but connector still shows

« on: October 02, 2019, 10:36:58 pm »

That worked!

So simple when you know how. 

And thank for your scripting tutorial. A very good introduction!

- Håkan

34

Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools / Re: DiagramLink is hidden but connector still shows

« on: October 02, 2019, 10:00:04 pm »

Thanks qwerty, but something else must be at play.

I already tried item.update and I just tried it again. I still does not help. I even threw in a currentDiagram.DiagramLinks.Refresh and a currentDiagram.Update, but the connectors are still there.

Code: [Select]

if connector.Stereotype = myType then
Session.Output "Found Diagram Link " & item.InstanceID & ", Type " & connector.Stereotype & ", IsHidden= " & item.IsHidden
item.IsHidden = True ' I thought this would hide the connector
item.Update()
currentDiagram.DiagramLinks.Refresh
currentDiagram.Update
Session.Output "        and now IsHidden is " & item.IsHidden
end if


Any other ideas?

- Håkan

35

Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools / DiagramLink is hidden but connector still shows

« on: October 02, 2019, 04:50:22 am »

Using Sparx EA 14.
I want a diagram script that hides all connectors of a given type. That is, select a connector on a diagram, run the script and all connectors of the selected type are hidden.
Seems simple enough. The problem is that the connectors are still displayed on the diagram, even though IsHidden is True. I must be missing something fundamental.
I can see in the output window that the script finds only the connectors of the selected type and that the IsHidden value is changed. Even so, the connectors are still visible on the diagram. What am I missing?

Code: [Select]


sub OnDiagramScript()

   Repository.EnsureOutputVisible("Script")   ' Show the script output window
   Repository.ClearOutput("Script")         ' clear the output window
   Session.Output "running ..."
   
   ' Get a reference to the current diagram
   dim currentDiagram as EA.Diagram
   set currentDiagram = Repository.GetCurrentDiagram()

   if not currentDiagram is nothing then
      ' Get a reference to any selected connector/objects
      dim selectedConnector as EA.Connector
      set selectedConnector = currentDiagram.SelectedConnector

      if not selectedConnector is nothing then
         ' A connector is selected
         dim myType            ', counter
         dim item as EA.DiagramLink
         dim connector as EA.Connector
         myType = selectedConnector.Stereotype
         for each item in currentDiagram.DiagramLinks
            set connector = Repository.GetConnectorByID(item.ConnectorID)
            if connector.Stereotype = myType then
               Session.Output "Found Diagram Link " & item.InstanceID & ", Type " & connector.Stereotype & ", IsHidden= " & item.IsHidden
               item.IsHidden = True   ' I thought this would hide the connector
               Session.Output "        and now IsHidden is " & item.IsHidden
            end if
         next
      end if
   else
      Session.Prompt "This script requires a diagram to be visible", promptOK
   end if
   Session.Output "DONE!"
end sub

OnDiagramScript



36

General Board / Re: Procedure for upgrading from version 14 to 15

« on: September 28, 2019, 04:46:37 am »

Thank you guys!
This is all I need to know. (For now  )

37

General Board / Procedure for upgrading from version 14 to 15

« on: September 28, 2019, 12:41:40 am »

I want to upgrade from Sparx EA 14 to 15. I have already downloaded the installers I need but I am not a local admin and will have to tell my IT Support exactly what the steps are. I have spent quite some time now, searching the Sparx site in vain for an instruction, so now I turn to the forum.

I need to know things like - Must I uninstall 14 before I install 15? Will uninstalling 14 also uninstall the add-ons (the MDG packages), or will I need to uninstall each separately? Will the 15 installer also uninstall 14 (and all its MDG packages)?; Can I keep 14 and install 15 in parallel?

Thanks,
Håkan

38

General Board / Re: Single Sign-On and Network Drive

« on: September 13, 2019, 11:24:39 pm »

Thanks for the good advice. We are a small team in a large organization. It will take us a while to go through all the hurdles for a server based solution and we need to get started with our model. We will have to live with a shared eapx for a while.
(Maybe with replication as well, to work around slow performance on the shared drive. Which will just add another layer of complexity.)

We do what we have to do.
/Håkan

39

General Board / Single Sign-On and Network Drive

« on: September 13, 2019, 01:19:48 am »

Exploring User Security and single sign-on does not work when the model file is stored on a network drive. It works when the model is stored on my local drive, however. Does anyone have an idea what may be the problem?

This is what I tried.
1) I created a test model and enabled security. So far so good.
2) I logged in to the model as admin and created a local user. Closed and opened the model. Got a log in prompt and entered the id and password I created in the model. This is what I expected.
3) Now I wanted to try single sign-on. I logged in as admin again, opened the Users dialog and checked off Windows Authentication. Next, I clicked the Import button and found my own id in Active Directory. I imported it, saved and closed the model.
4) I double-clicked the model file. Sparx opened without prompting me for id and password and I could see my Windows Id up in the right corner of the Sparx window. Success! SSO works. (I thought.)
5) Next I copied the EAPX file to a network drive and double-clicked again. Now I got prompted for id and password again. Failure! SSA does not work when the EAPX file resides on a network drive.

I am just an ordinary user, as far as PC and network are concerned. (No admin privilege.) There isn't much troubleshooting I can do. Does anyone have an idea why SSO works when the model resides on a local file, but not when it sits on a network drive? Something I could ask my IT support to look into?

Thanks!

40

General Board / Re: Pros and Cons of mixing TOGAF and Archimate?

« on: August 15, 2019, 06:58:55 am »

Thanks to all for the input. It seems I should not worry too much about mixing element types from different perspectives (if that is the proper Sparx term to use here), as long as I and my team mates do it consistently.

41

General Board / Re: Show Notes in Modelview

« on: August 15, 2019, 06:50:54 am »

Thank you both!
That worked like a charm.

42

General Board / Show Notes in Modelview

« on: August 15, 2019, 12:07:44 am »

I wanted to show element name and notes in a package list view. Easy enough to create the view with default columns, but I cannot make it display the element notes. I changed the second column to t_object.Note. There is no error message, but the ModelView does not display a Note column, not even an empty one. Just three columns name, Status and Author.
What is the problem? What am I doing wrong? Or can't notes be displayed in an Element List ModelView?

This is my query:
SELECT t_object.ea_guid AS CLASSGUID, t_object.Object_Type AS CLASSTYPE, t_object.Name, t_object.Note, t_object.Status, t_object.Author FROM t_object INNER JOIN t_package ON t_package.Package_ID = t_object.Package_ID  WHERE t_package.ea_guid = '{B6117A4B-2E34-4138-A30D-655FB0CF425C}' ORDER BY t_object.Name

43

General Board / Re: Pros and Cons of mixing TOGAF and Archimate?

« on: August 14, 2019, 11:19:22 pm »

Thanks all for your replies. I'm really not looking for a discussion about the pros and cons of  TOGAF and ArchiMate as such. That choice has already been made for me.
 I need insights on hands-on modeling in Sparx, using a mix of the ArchiMate and TOGAF types provided in the TOGAF MDG. Yes, TOGAF is a method and ArchiMate is a notation. But when I install the TOGAF MDG I get a TOGAF perspective that provides a set of element types, i.e., a notation. I also get an ArchiMate perspective that provides another set, i.e., the ArchiMate notation. There is overlap between these notations, e.g., the type Perspective that I mentioned in my original post.
 
Another example. There is a TOGAF type "OrganizationUnit". There is also an ArchiMate type "Actor" that can be used to model active structure elements, such as, organization units. Will it matter later on which I use? Will I be restricted to one set of organization relationships if I choose OrganizationUnit and another if I choose Actor? Or, it really doesn't matter because when it comes down to it both are actually stereotypes of Class and I can associate any way I want?

I know Actor comes with a nice shape to show on diagrams and OrganizationUnit just shows as a plain Class box, but I'm not worried about that at the moment. I worry about getting the underlying information structure right. About being able to capture EA information in a way that can be reported on in a format that will give the proper information to decision makers. Keeping in mind that different decisions will require different sub-sets of EA model data.

Any insights on the practical implications of mixing the notations in Sparx EA?

44

General Board / Pros and Cons of mixing TOGAF and Archimate?

« on: August 13, 2019, 10:51:06 pm »

I have some experience using Sparx for UML modeling, but I am rusty. I have worked quite a lot adapting Enterprise Architecture for different organization needs and tools. The organization I work for now has already made the decision to follow TOGAF ADM and use the ArchiMate notation (mostly). My task at hand is to draft the rules that will ensure consistency in our Sparx EA modeling. To that end:

Where do I find documents describing the TOGAF and ArchiMate metamodels, as implemented in Sparx EA? That is, descriptions of element types with their attributes and descriptions of which relationship types can be used (are recommended) between which element types?

Can anybody share pros and cons of mixing TOGAF and ArchiMate types in the same model? E.g., Architecture Principles. Both TOGAF and ArchiMate have a Principle type. I should stick to one. The TOGAF type has attributes (tagged values) for rationale and implications in addition to name and description (which is all the ArchiMate type has) I am tempted to use the TOGAF type, but will that come back to bite me later, in a mostly ArchiMate model?

Any insights would be much appreciated.
Håkan Lidström