Import Error: Root Import Package already exists

[michaelok]

Hello,

I'm using EA 6.1 on Windows 2000.  I'm trying to export a package from one project and import into another project.  

This is the sequence I follow:

1.  Open project1, select package, select export to xmi where Root Package = MyUseCases1

2.  Open project2, select package, for example, MyUseCases2 (so the root package is different from step #1) and select Import.

3.  The import fails with "Error Root Import Package already exists in another location: Conflict with Existing Package: MyUseCasePackage3".  

Now, I have gotten this to work by exporting the entire structure (from the root), and then importing into a temp package, and then copying over to the package I originally wanted to copy the items to.  However it seems I should be able to do this more directly, but I'm not as familiar with EA as other tools (Rational Rose).

[toyo_EA]

Not sure if yours is the same situation as me, but I too had a similar problem where I tried exporting packages from two different files and then importing them both into another file.

The first import worked fine, but afterwards the second import would erase the data from the first import.

A solution to this was when I checked off the 'Strip GUIDs' checkbox and everything appeared as desired.

Hope this helps.

[«Midnight»]

You've got the correct idea Toyo.

(But note the trick below...)

EA uses GUID values to ensure things (elements, packages, and everything else) are unique. The first time you did an import, the GUID values from the original project were used.

The second time (before you stripped GUIDs) EA checked to see if the imported elements (including packages) already existed. On finding them (from your first import) EA issued an error message.

The third time (when you stripped GUIDs) EA created new GUID values for each thing in the import before it looked in your project. On not finding them, EA built new elements.

EA also allows you to overwrite older elements with the same GUID.

The trick is to watch out for the root element of the model. You cannot delete this element. If you set the GUID, and EA panics if it needs to overwrite this element.

There is a separate (context) menu option for importing an entire model, possibly for the above reason.

David