Linking Use Case pathways to Activity Diagrams

[mbc]

... but what is the point of evaluating obsolete software when there is a FULL version (i.e. not only the Desktop version) of the NEWEST release available for FREE download? It is not even a large download, it will only take a few minutes. It is allowed for an evaluator to advise his superiors that the software which is provided is not current. EA moves forward in significant steps in every single build. I can't even imagine how many important features are missing in version 2.5.

Don't get me wrong, I am just trying to help you find the right software. Trust me when I say that you will get an incorrect result of your evaluation if you do not get the newest release. It is like evaluating Windows 3.11 in order to decide whether to purchase Win2000.

I think I have made my point now, and if you still insist, that is up to you. Happy evaluating.

-
Mikkel

[kelly_sumrall]

Farfetch,  do your team a favor and let those who spend the money see this post.  I don't think coparing a Model-T to a Porsche 926 is a fair comparison.  Also, I too have used Visio and have run into it's weaknesses.  If all you want is a drawing on a piece of paper, Visio will do that, you can probably get Word to do that as well.  If you want reports on the various UML diagrams, issues reports, time estimations, ..., you need a real CASE tool.  I challenge you to produce a Use Case report from Visio.  By report, I mean a document that displays  the heading information, scenarios, steriotype, tagged values, and all other user friendly (Management friendly) information that is tucked away inside the bubbles.  Last time I checked, there were only about 5 reports available from Visio (withoud coding one yourself).

I work for a company that is very reluctant to change and is Microsoft all the way.  I finally bought my own copy and couldn't be happier.  Get the current eval version and do some testing at home.

[Farfetch]

We're about to have an ISO inspection, and we're not supposed to have unlicensed software on the computers. I've tried downloading Visio (naughty naughty I know, but it was at home not on company time ) but got nowhere with it.

While I'm not ignoring your opinions, the MD of the company had suggested to my immediate boss that they buy Visio for me to use, we just happen to have EA on a coverdisk, and as a full copy is allowed by the ISO people.

I'll happily download 3.0 at home (its laughable, but I have a faster connection at home than the office.. 1MBs Cable vs ISDN). However, at the moment, all I am using EA for, and indeed, all I can see myself using EA for is to draw diagrams and arrows between them as an outline of sotware development programs.

I've tried 3 different projects and have yet to actually use requirements etc. The times I've experimented with them they don't print out, so when I have a hard copy, all it shows is the icons and any text labels I add, this rendors the requirements etc useless for me, so in this example, all I'd need is this copy of EA.

While I appreciate the benifits of upgrading, I'm of the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" school, especially with so many problems with MS Windows Update corrupting things, so while I'll try the full trial version at home, unless I see anything wonderful about it, I'll wait till we can trial Visio and say for definate that we should buy EA.

Remember, I'm a student on a placement, I'm 21, I don't make business choices, I'll see what happens, and by all means if EA serves the purpose (and the fact it is cheaper is a + as well), I'll get it.

However, I've got no use for any of the programming tie ins, or the XML exports or any of that stuff, so what's easiest and best for me is what I'll choose, and that won't be influenced by people other than me, as I'm the one using it.

[jaimeglz]

About Farfetch's question:

"For instance, I'd like to know how to print out all the listed requirements for an entity (as in, any shape) on the diagram, as well as several other things, but that will hopefully be found through experimentation."

You can print requirements in your diagram in basically the same way we've been discussing for scenarios; namely, through the "Link this Note to an Element feature" feature. Just select Requirement as Feature type, and then select the object's responsibility you want to appear in the note.

Be sure to have filled your requirements in the "Resposibility" tab of your diagram object before you attemp the link.

Also note that you can use the Move External feature in the "Responsibility" tab to create a project Requirement with the object's responsibility. (See Help for more details.)

By the way: Could you keep us posted (under a different thread) on the comparison between Visio and EA?

Jaime Gonzalez

[mbc]

Farfetch, I didn't think I would post about this again, but now I feel compelled to. A "30-day free evalution version" downloaded from the company website is not unlicensed software. It has a 30-day evaluation license.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it", does that justify sticking to a mechanical typewriter while given the option to use a word-processor for free? Even the drawing parts of EA have improved within the last 10 builds. There are more than 500 builds between your version and the current one.
And you are not going to stick to version 2.5 if your evaluation turns out in favour of EA, are you? Anybody is allowed to make business suggestions, 21 or not, especially when they are good suggestions. Using the current version will also get you more support, because that is what everybody in this forum is using. Sparx Systems gave me unparallelled support, while I was working on a free 30-day license.
I swear this will be my last post on this topic.

[Farfetch]

No need to be sarcastic mate.

But yes, I will upgrade to EA very latest version should we buy it. As I've said we're only trialing Visio (with the 30 day trial free from MS), and I believe I can make a valid assesment of that compared to EA 2.5 as currently it does everything I need.

Certainly the extra features may or may not be useful, but I believe in supporting companies and purchasing their software whenever possible.

The only thing that will lean me towards MS is if it does everything I need better than EA does. While some have said Visio is a drawing tool and nothing more, that is all I am using EA for, and perhaps all I will use it for, in which case it will be a direct comparison of features.

I like EAs features like the Requirement image feature, but I believe it should say "Requirement" on the diagram, like Process says "process" on the diagram.

In the end, I want software that is easy to do and does everything I need, and if that software is EA or Visio, that is what I will recommend we buy.

[CJ]

Has this topic been beaten to death???  Actually, it's been a fun read.  Maybe we could summarize the gist of the conversation?

It looks to me like those who use EA love the product (me included) and would hate to see Visio win out over EA under any circumstance ... especially if comparisons were made between the latest version of Visio against an older (ancient?) version of EA.

Maybe some of us have a genuine/justified disdain for MS (or just Visio), and would vote for any alternative product every time, but it looks to me like this conversation shows, again, how great a product EA is, whether used as a true CASE tool or even used as pure drawing tool (it does make "pretty" diagrams).  A little bit fanatical is a good thing, me thinks.

As always, congratulations to Sparx Systems for a terrific product, and to the rest of you, thanks for making this forum wild, wacky, fun, informative, etc. etc. etc.

[johnbeat]

Sorry to butt in so late in this thread, but I've been struggling for a while with this very problem of linking diagrams to use cases. Is it just me, or does it seem that this is about the only area in which EA is inferior to products like Visual UML? I think the proposed solution, while workable, is a bit of a hack compared to the simplicity of linking diagrams in Visual UML. Even better is objectIF, where you can keep the standard model flow of use case - activity diagram - sequence diagram - classes in total sync very easily and elegantly.

Come on Sparx! We know you can produce kick ass features when you want to. So many people are puzzled by this linking issue, won't you make it a bit easier on us? How about having diagrams appear in the link list, and make this accessible from the context menu of each item?