Topics

61

Suggestions and Requests / Othogonal Default Line Style

« on: March 26, 2012, 10:11:07 pm »

Hi All

Anyone else out there just HATE the way that connectors default to Orthogonal Rounded in some MDGS? BPMN 2.0 and Archimate 2.0 spring to mind  

These connectors are extremely frustrating and seem to have a mind of their own. I spend a lot of time making the connector appear as I want, save the diagram, then only to find that when I move some elements the connectors are all messed up again!    

[highlight]PLEASE, PLEASE in the next release revert the line style default to Custom so we can have control.[/highlight]

Yes I can change the line style after adding the connector, but until such time as to when we can select multiple connectors and change the line style on a selection, the choice of Orthogonal as the default is causing much unnecessary work.

Here's hoping

Cheers

Phil

62

Suggestions and Requests / Workflow Scripts

« on: February 16, 2012, 02:40:10 am »

Hi All

Am I the only user of EA who finds the Workflow scripts feature in EA, rather disappointing and somewhat misleading?

In my opinion (unless I have missed something), these scripts do not implement workflow at all, rather they allow the checking of access / edit  to Phase, Status, Tag, Version fields ONLY.

Personally (apart from tags) I find these properties little used.

What I was expecting and indeed what I would like to see, is a means to provide total read only access to individual elements (including diagrams and packages), thereby providing a workflow capability. For example, a repository could be populated with a structure using an MDG, and until a certain section was completed and signed off, the remainder of the structure would be read only.

I realise that this effect can be achieved using version control (in particular TFS), but it would be really great if the Workflow scripts lived up to their name.

But what do you think?

63

Suggestions and Requests / Scope of Attributes, MDA and PIM Models

« on: March 12, 2009, 01:56:49 am »

Hi All

This has been around for some time and is also present in EA v 7.5

When using MDA to transform a PIM to PSM, there is a macro Attribute__Property called from the macro Class to generate Properties for attributes defined in the PIM class. Great and useful. BUT, this only generates Properties for attributes whose scope is Public, not Private which is the default (sensibly)

This means that the properties for the attributes are never generated, unless the transformation templates are modified.

Oddly, the role (linked attribute) is Public by default and this gets converted to Private and a Property generated during the MDA process

If the attributes are defined as Public in the PIM class, then all works as expected.

I would suggest, that in a Class if the language is <none>, then the default scope of the attribute should be Public and not Private.

Unless I have missed a method in EA of setting the default scope to Public for PIM classes?

Cheers

64

Suggestions and Requests / Numbering in RTF Notes EA 7.1

« on: February 08, 2008, 02:41:09 am »

In the new RTF enabled notes feature, if a numbered list is used, then it cannot be interrupted with non-numbered lines and then the list continued. For example, here is a simple Use Case scenario using the numbered list. This scenario (copied from EA 7.1) indicates where alternate paths may exist:

1)The use case begins when the Customer adds an item to the cart
2)[ALTERNATE] Create Cart
3)[DATA] productCode
4)[DATA] quanity
5)System creates an Item using the product code and quantity
6)System checks the quanity on hand using the product code and quantity
7)System adds the item to the cart
8)[ALTERNATE] Insufficient stock
9)Use Case ends

If I remove the line numbering from the lines with [ALTERNATE] and [DATA], the result is

1)The use case begins when the Customer adds an item to the cart
[ALTERNATE] Create Cart
[DATA] productCode
[DATA] quanity
1)System creates an Item using the product code and quantity
2)System checks the quanity on hand using the product code and quantity
3)System adds the item to the cart
[ALTERNATE] Insufficient stock
1)Use Case ends

What I would like to happen is:

1)The use case begins when the Customer adds an item to the cart
[ALTERNATE] Create Cart
[DATA] productCode
[DATA] quanity
2)System creates an Item using the product code and quantity
3)System checks the quanity on hand using the product code and quantity
4)System adds the item to the cart
[ALTERNATE] Insufficient stock
5)Use Case ends

That is "Continue Numbering"

65

Suggestions and Requests / Possible Bug in Activity Diagram Version 7.0

« on: July 25, 2007, 02:00:31 am »

Hi All

When an action pin is added to an action, it displays as normal, but if the action pin is selected and moved around the edge of the action, the action pin dissappears!

Any connections to the action pin, appear to be connected to the action pin, but as the pin is no longer visible they end in "mid-air"

Advice?

66

General Board / Doc Gen Stylesheets

« on: December 05, 2015, 02:16:40 am »

Hi All

I may be getting dumb, but I just cannot get the stylesheets in the doc gen to work.

I have created my own stylesheet.
I have created a simple template.
I have generated a document use my template and selected my stylesheet

Nothing, the styles are exactly as defined in the standard template no style overrides.

The help states:

[highlight]A user can choose to apply a Stylesheet to any kind of document report they are generating, in which case the styles in the Stylesheet override the styles with matching names in the template or Normal.rtf[/highlight][/b]

Certainly the names of the styles in my stylesheet ,match those in Normal.rtf, and I have modified them all.

I have used Geerts excellent blog at http://bellekens.com/2015/11/12/tutorial-generate-complex-documents-from-enterprise-architect-with-a-two-step-semi-automated-approach/

I noticed in Geert's example, the styles appear to have been imported into all the templates, but I just can see a method for doing this, or even if this is necessary.

I have seen the menu option File > Update Styles, but only the normal.rtf and the Sparx Styles are listed, mine is not there.

Yes I am probably being dumb, but how can you get stylesheets to work?

Using the latest version of EA version 12.1 and Word 2013

Cheers

Phil

67

General Board / Gap Analysis Matrix

« on: March 05, 2015, 09:21:24 pm »

Hi Guys

Seeking your option / views on EA's Gap Analysis Matrix

This is a common tool using in Enterprise Architecture modelling and something I get asked about a lot.

For Enterprise Architecture Modelling I use Archimate  and often with TOGAF


On the face of it, the Gap Analysis Matrix in EA seems useful, BUT here is what I have found which is, in my opinion, making it a useless feature which needs MAJOR work

1) When selecting an element for Record Gap As [highlight]I cannot select any Archimate elements, but I can select TOGAF elements (for example WorkPackage - gives me a TOGAF element and NOT the Archimate element I want!!). I CAN select Archimate elements for filtering Baseline and Target packages)
[/highlight]2) A lot of background information can be recorded as Notes behind the cells ...[highlight] how an earth do you report it!! There appears to be NO WAY to report on anything in the Gap Analysis Matrix. I could probably work out a fancy SQL script to drive a RTF Template Fragment ....
[/highlight]
Am I missing something or is the [highlight]Gap Analysis Matrix fundamentally flawed
[/highlight]
Using EA version 12 latest build, TOGAF 9.1 and Archimate 2.0

All the best

Phil

68

General Board / Manage Projects Dialog

« on: February 23, 2015, 07:55:22 pm »

Hi All

Just an observation and an annoyance

In EA version 12 including the latest build release the Manage Projects dialog always appears on start up. Despite the fact that I have unchecked the checkbox named [highlight]Show this Dialog at Startup

[/highlight]This checkbox is always checked.

Only since version 12

Cheers

69

General Board / Call Trigger State Machine Diagram

« on: November 25, 2014, 03:47:54 am »

Hi All

I have noticed the following in SysML 1.3 EA version 11.1, but I am assume the same "behaviour" is also true for UML

In a State Machine diagram that is a child of a Block (or Class), and that Block has operations defined in it, a Call Trigger can be set in EA and quite correctly you can pick the operation pertaining to the trigger.

BUT, nothing shows on the diagram!!

You are forced to name the Trigger, (space will do), but rather than displaying the Operation name that is being called by the trigger, EA displays the trigger name.

Is this a bug?

If not it rather defeats the object of linking a Call trigger to an operation

Yes I can name the Trigger to be that of the operation, but that's not ideal

Am I missing something?

70

General Board / Hide Stereotype for SysML 1.3 Ports

« on: September 18, 2014, 12:59:38 am »

Hi All

SysML 1.3 introduced the concept of <<full>> and <<proxy>> ports

Naturally, these stereotypes appear on Block Definition Diagrams along with other stereotypes like <<block>> and <<interfaceBlock>>

This is fine, but with a large number of ports, particularly if ports are nested, the presence of stereotypes on Ports clutters  the diagram very quickly

Using Diagram Properties it is possible to turn off Element stereotypes, which works for <<blocks>> and <<interfaceBlock>> but NOT for Ports  

These stereotypes are still present

Is this a bug that needs reporting, a feature, or is there a way to hide the stereotype on a Port?

My work around (at the moment and SysML purists stop reading now) which is not really valid SysML but works in EA, is to use a non stereotyped Port regardless of whether it is a <<full>> or a <<proxy>>

Another gripe, element alignment DOES NOT WORK ON PORTS   really annoying when trying to align Ports

Cheers
Phil

71

General Board / OSLC Creation Factory Example

« on: May 23, 2014, 11:53:41 pm »

I know this is a long shot since it seems few EA users are trying the new OSCL feature in version 11

I am trying to write a simple OSLC .Net client and have successfully got the OSLC Requirement query (HTTP GET) working perfectly

BUT I just cannot get the Create Requirement (HTTP POST) to work

I have used the example in the on-line help, but, I just get an exception

[highlight]WebException The underlying connection was closed An unexpected error occurred on a receive ...[/highlight]

I have turned on server logs using the Cloud Services admin, but no logs are created  

This is a vain plea (mostly aimed at Sparxians), does anyone have a working example of .net code that uses OSLC POST?

I have trawled the .net C# forums and have tried the HTTP POST examples, but all cause the same failure


The on-line help just states To create a new Requirement, the client POSTs a representation of the Requirement in RDF format to the Creation Factory URL
which is exactly what I am trying to do!

Cheers

72

General Board / OSLC where and wildcard

« on: May 22, 2014, 11:36:24 pm »

Hi All

I have been playing around with Version 11 and OSLC

It appears that wildcard query is not supported, for example the following works just fine

http://localhost:804/ea_demo/oslc/qc/?oslc.where=ss:type="Functional"

but the following returns an HTTP 400 Bad Request error

http://localhost:804/ea_demo/oslc/qc/?oslc.where=ss:type="%Funct%"

Does Version 11 support OSCL wildcard queries?  If not is support for wildcards planned?

Cheers

73

General Board / Error on Attempting to Generate Sequence Diagram

« on: February 27, 2014, 03:09:24 am »

Hi All

The Analyzer is not a feature I use often in EA, but a need has arisen

I have a .net exe the code for which I have reversed into EA and I am now attempting to create a sequence diagram form the execution of the application.

I have followed the Use Guide and the Tutorial on the Community Site, but as soon as the recording starts I receive the following error

[highlight]Failed to Load Common Language Runtime[/highlight]

It appears EA cannot find something, but what and how do I configure where EA should look for the Common Runtime?

Cheers

74

General Board / OSCL Requirements

« on: February 25, 2014, 09:36:37 pm »

Hi All

Been trying out the Cloud Services and OSLC in EA version 11, and it works just fine

The data transferred for a requirement is defined in XML, is it possible to add tagged values to this structure? If so how?

If not, are tagged values likely to be supported in the future?

Cheers

75

General Board / Cloud Service and IIS

« on: February 19, 2014, 08:47:04 pm »

Hi All

Got the cloud service and OSLC working using the default installation, but only on my own machine. Access from any other machine on the internet fails with an error cannot connect to

I have tried this with my network machine ID and my IP address, with the same result

The notes accompanying the Cloud Services, state that IIS integration is not configured, just the files are copied to the installation folder.

What files are these?

How to set up IIS to work with Cloud Services?

Do Cloud Services work with IIS Express?

If so, how do you configure IIS Express to work with Cloud Services?

All advice most appreciated

Thanks