Topics

16

Bugs and Issues / Create elements with QL

« on: March 03, 2022, 01:53:48 am »

I'm currently working on meta-constraints and came across some weirdness. I drag the QL arrow from a class onto a blank space and I'm offered Note and Common (with some sub-elements). But once I drag it over a boundary EA offers a multitude of elements it would allow to create. I'd guess that's just a plain bug in EA. But mayhap someone has a reasonable explanation for that?

q.

17

Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools / Checking of constraints in automation

« on: February 28, 2022, 10:27:59 pm »

I'm facing the task of checking meta constraints introduced by the profile. There are connectors which are allowed and others which are not. When using the GUI there will be the "Not compliant" pop-up when trying to create an excluded connector. But the API does not croak in any way. It creates anything (like an association between packages). Now, this could well be regarded a bug, though I fear Sparx will have excuses. But from a testing viewpoint it's just horrible. It means I have to create all connectors manually to see whether they work or not. That's a task for people that have killed father or mother. The only thing I can do is to deliver banana software (will ripe at the customer's site) to see if people run into issues and then fix them.

What do you think?

q.

18

Bugs and Issues / Invalid combination... for metaconstraint

« on: February 08, 2022, 10:37:18 pm »

(Once again)

I have added a stereotyped relationship between a stereotyped ActivityParameter and a metaclass ActionPin (in both directions). The code looks like this:

Code: [Select]

<Stereotype name="activity parameter" metatype="Activity parameter" notes="" cx="0" cy="0" bgcolor="-1" fontcolor="-1" bordercolor="-1" borderwidth="1" hideicon="0" generalizes="Noteable" baseStereotypes="Noteable">
<stereotypedrelationships>
<stereotypedrelationship stereotype="myProf::object flow" constraint="ActionPin;myProf::activity parameter"/>
</stereotypedrelationships>
<AppliesTo>
<Apply type="ActivityParameter">
<Property name="isException" value="false"/>
<Property name="isStream" value="false"/>
<Property name="_HideUmlLinks" value="True"/>
</Apply>
</AppliesTo>
</Stereotype>
Now, when I try to add that <<myProf::object flow>> EA croaks Invalid combination...blabla. Why on earth?

And please don't suggest me to turn of Strict Connector Syntax! I'm introducing metaconstraints in order to have a more strict check, not to be forced to have laissez-faire.

q.

19

Bugs and Issues / Oh great. Em-dash again

« on: February 08, 2022, 10:31:35 pm »

I just edited some text and when I sent it I got the "an error encountered, please..." HAHAHA! When I tried to get back to my edit I just got that empty box. I have to redo it (probably this time less polite!). Can you please fix this dreaded forum so it does no run away crying when receiving a unicode character??? This time it wasn't an em-dash but (I guess, since I can't proof it) a guillement for stereotypes. Gaaahh

q.

20

Bugs and Issues / Case sensitive stereotypes

« on: February 04, 2022, 02:54:52 am »

Although the UML spec tells us that the stereotypes are not case sensitive, EA wants the correct case when you define entries in your toolbox. E.g. if you add "UML::association" it will show the guillements only and not create a connector. Only when you type "UML::Association" it will create a correct entry. Same with any other entry here (like Dependency etc.).

Could that be fixed? (I guess not, but at least it's noted here.)

q.

21

Bugs and Issues / stereotypedrelationship does not create stereotype from QL

« on: November 10, 2021, 03:21:22 am »

I have defined a stereotypedrelationship (from a stereotyped Activity to a stereotyped SendEvent and also towards another Activity). When I use the QL it offers my relation with both elements. Creating the Activity results in the stereotyped one as desired. But the SendEvent is created without any stereotype. Just another bug? Would it be fixed?

q.

P.S. I just notice that the QL does not offer all of my definitions. One is just missing :-/

22

Bugs and Issues / stereotypedrelationship on/from metaclass

« on: November 10, 2021, 02:52:56 am »

The Help says:

You can use a «stereotypedrelationship» connector between two Stereotypes or Metaclasses to specify a valid stereotyped connector between instances of those elements.

So I added one from a metaclass to a stereotype and one self-connector for that metaclass (being ActionPin; I just posted another bug related to that one). But neither is exported in the XML.

Is it just the Help being wrong or is there and work around?

q.

23

Bugs and Issues / stereotypedrelationship for ActivityParameter-Pin not taken

« on: November 10, 2021, 02:21:22 am »

I have added a stereotypedrelationship  between a stereotyped ActivityParameter and a metaclass ActionPin representing an ObjectFlow. However, when I create that connector (it's present in the QL) EA complains about Invalid combination...

If I report this as bug, would there be a chance to see it fixed in V17? (My customer seems to skip the even releases and not in my wildest dreams I would expect to see a fix for that already in V16.)

q.

P.S. Yes, yes. I have told him to turn off strict connector syntax. But where's the point in adding constraints if in the same way you need to turn off the checks at all???

24

General Board / Strange boundary

« on: November 03, 2021, 10:25:40 pm »

I stumbled over a strange boundary I never have seen and which I suppose to be a placeholder for missing imports. So before starting experiments I dare to ask here first.

The boundary did not appear anywhere in the model on any diagram but had lots of relations to objects (which was where I stumbled over it). I had to kick EA (with a SQL) to actually put it in a diagram. There it appeared as dashed boundary with a whiteish color  reading External Reference Class (Body) inside. t_object.note for that boundary was "Name=Bode;Type=Class;" and NType set to 1001. Never seen that before. So see my above guess. Am I right?

q.

P.S. I'm suspecting the EA Package Manager to be the culprit since I could not create these with a simple XMI import with missing references. However, the way these boundaries appear make me think it must be something already existing in EA. It renders like it looks being intentional but there's no context menu to manipulate. And the API resists to make them appear on a diagram.

25

Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools / Subtype specification on metarelationship

« on: November 02, 2021, 10:13:41 pm »

The title says it: how would I specify e.g. a UseCaseLink with subtype Include for a metarelationship?

q.

26

Bugs and Issues / Single metarelationship or none

« on: November 02, 2021, 03:26:18 am »

Here's another strange one: I have the _HideUml.. set for the metaclass (being Class) of a stereotype. So it does not show any QL entries. Fine.

I add a metarelationship NoteLink and the Note is in the selection list for creation and nothing when dragging over an existing element/package. Also fine.

I add a Dependency towards the metaclass and now it's getting strange. The creation selection still shows just Note (hmmm). Further when I drag over a Class or Package the selection now offers Abstraction, Dependency, Realization and Usage. Why isn't it just Dependency? And why doesn't the creation list Class?

q.

27

Bugs and Issues / stereotypedrelationship between metaclasses

« on: November 01, 2021, 12:58:55 am »

The help tells

You can use a «stereotypedrelationship» connector between two Stereotypes or Metaclasses to specify a valid stereotyped connector between instances of those elements.

but it does not work. The quick linker does not show the connector. The profile contains

Code: [Select]

<Metamodel>
<Metaclass name="Artifact" notes="">
<stereotypedrelationships>
<stereotypedrelationship stereotype="MyProfile::represent" constraint="Artifact"/>
</stereotypedrelationships>
</Metaclass>
</Metamodel>
So why doesn't my connector not show up in the quick linker?

As a side question: using _HideUmlLinks will not show any of the inherited UML links. But how would I go about showing just certain ones. My guess: does not work.

q.

28

Bugs and Issues / Diagram properties not inherited

« on: October 31, 2021, 10:01:49 pm »

When I define an abstract stereotype then other stereotypes will inherit the stereotype properties. Fine. But obviously the «diagram property» is not being inherited. Not fine.

q.

29

Bugs and Issues / UseCaseLink does not render shape script

« on: October 29, 2021, 08:11:46 pm »

Just now it looks like the connector UseCaseLink does not render the shape script attached to it. I do have another connector with the exact same script to suppress the stereotype label where it works. But for the UseCaseLink the stereotype still is shown. Anyone seen that too? (I seem to remember that I had a similar issue with another connector  but can't recall the details.)

q.

30

General Board / Define a metarelationship towards "stereotype"

« on: October 21, 2021, 02:50:09 am »

As it happens "stereotype" and "metaclass" are no stereotypes belonging to a profile. They are two of those ghost stereotypes. So how to nail the pudding to the wall? Or how to I get these into my Toolbox?

I fiddled for quite a while to realize that

Code: [Select]

      <Stereotype name="My Profile">
        <AppliesTo> <Apply type="ToolboxPage"/> </AppliesTo>
        <TaggedValues>
          <Tag name="UML::stereotype" default="Stereotype"/>
        </TaggedValues>
      </Stereotype>
 will actually create such a ghost. (Trying with just "stereotype" simply did not create a toolbox entry; of course with no warning from EA.) It does show a class icon instead of the expected guillements. Well, I could live with that...

Now, how to do that for the "metaclass"?? The EA default creates a ghost stereotype (as said). Now I started experimenting.

Code: [Select]

      <Stereotype name="My Profile">
        <AppliesTo> <Apply type="ToolboxPage"/> </AppliesTo>
        <TaggedValues>
          <Tag name="UML::metaclass" default="Metaclass"/>
        </TaggedValues>
      </Stereotype>
 That again shows the class icon and offers that wizard (argh) dialog to select. One chosen, EA starts complaining by popping up a message box telling that it does not like "UML::metaclass". Well, what? The created metaclass now has "UML Standard Profile::Metaclass" standing in the stereotype. Not a ghost one. And of course the quick linker does not recognize it (thus not offering Extenstion).

Well, while writing I changed the case for metaclass

Code: [Select]

          <Tag name="UML::Metaclass" default="Metaclass"/>
 
and now that shows the correct icon and does no longer complain. But still it creates no ghost metaclass but a "UML Standard Profile::Metaclass". The QL issue is the same.

I already went up the road defining my own stereotype and metaclass in my profile. Those showed up correctly in the toolbox and worked as expected. However, trying to add a metarelationship to show Extension between both did nothing.

So, what shall I do (except cursing)? I just need to add that metarelationship...

q.

P.S. When addding the constraint I tried something like this:

Code: [Select]

<Stereotypes>
<Stereotype name="stereotype" notes="" isAbstract="true">
<metarelationships>
<metarelationship metaclass="Generalization" constraint="UML Standard Profile::Metaclass"/>
</metarelationships>
</Stereotype>
...
but the Generalization did not show between ghost "stereotype" and the "UML Standard Profile::Metaclass"