Any plans for MDG integration into VS 2003?

[sl@sh]

Subject says it. The MDG integration client for EA 7.0 into VS 2005 was just released, and since I intended to switch to the new version I would very much like to know if my IDE will be supported as well?

[sl@sh]

*bump*

As I've noted two more IDEs have been graced with MDG upgrades in the meantime. Can I hope for a VS 2003 MDG integration too?

[sl@sh]

@Sparxians: can anyone please confirm that you at least read my inquiry?? I'm not asking you to do it, now or within a short span of time, just whether or not you intend to.

Considering that VS 2008 (Orcas) is already in beta stadium we are not going to switch from VS 2003 to 2005! So, switching to EA 7.0 would mean the loss of MDG to us. We can certainly live without it for some time, but if no MDG for VS 2003 is forthcoming, we will have to weigh the new features and fixes against the return we currently get from MDG.

What we definitely cannot do is switch to EA 7.0 and hope for the best - because as I understand it we will not be able to switch back to EA 6.5 once we created models using 7.0!

Please, it can't be that hard to answer this question!?

[«Midnight»]

Two suggestions:

• Send this to Sparx directly as a feature request. This is a user forum. Sparx does monitor and is active here, but a feature request is the best way to get something considered. They take these seriously.
  
• Take the time to proof read your topic headers. Do you mean Orcas or 2003? This stopped me from giving this thread more than passing attention the first time I saw it.

David

[sl@sh]

Take the time to proof read your topic headers. Do you mean Orcas or 2003?

Not sure why you ask? I mentioned Orcas only in my last posting, and it should have been clear enough what I'm talking about. We currently use VS 2003, and that is what I'm asking about from the start.

I mentioned Orcas only to make a point of us not not intending to switch from VS 2003 to VS 2005 any time soon, or at all for that matter, since the next version of Visual Studio is already in the line (Orcas)

I would presume that others are in the same situation - not everyone has bothered to switch to VS 2005, and with the new version at the horizon it becomes increasingly unlikely these people will change to VS 2005 at all.

Whether there will be EA 7 MDG support for Orcas is another question altogether, but I expect sooner or later this will be implemented. I'm not so sure about the older version VS 2003, that's why I'm asking.

[«Midnight»]

Not sure why you ask? I mentioned Orcas only in my last posting, and it should have been clear enough what I'm talking about. We currently use VS 2003, and that is what I'm asking about from the start.

Very sorry, my bad. Still, you can see why I asked.

Sparx has used the VSIP stuff to create the links to VS 2003 and 2005. AFAIK, from both reading and personal experience, there are differences in what you can reasonably accomplish with VSIP 2003 and VSIP 2005. These could well have dictated the differences in the two integration products currently offered by Sparx. Also, once again AFAIK, it is not possible to use the VSIP 2005 'extensions' with VS 2003.

David

[Eve]

MDG Link as you know it will still work with Visual Studio 2003 and EA 7.0.  Further, it is still available as a separate product from the newer MDG Integration product.  (See http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/products/#MDGLink)  (Although MDG Integration includes all MDG Link functionality)

I don't believe there are any plans to support MDG Integration for VS 2003, but I'm sure there will be a Orcas version of both in time.

[bmioch]

Sl@sh, this is a user forum. If you wish to contact Sparx Systems with a bug report, feature request or question, please use the links at the bottom of the page.

Report a Bug
Feature Request

There is no guarantee that posts on the forum will be read by someone from Sparx.

[sl@sh]

Simon, thanks a lot for the answer. I somehow missed that the MDG Link download wasn't linked to the older EA versions, I will definitely try this!

@bmioch: Since I had neither a bug report nor a feature request, both of the appropriate links (found on the support page) didn't look the right choice to me. There is no 'inquiry' link that I know of, so where else to put the question?

And: since a question like this is likely of concern for other people too, why wouldn't the forum be exactly the right place to put it?

I'd suggest adding a forum for such inquiries, but that would be a feature request, so I'll leave it at that.  

[«Midnight»]

...since a question like this is likely of concern for other people too, why wouldn't the forum be exactly the right place to put it?

You are, of course, quite correct. The forum is an excellent place to put such inquiries. Informing the rest of the community is one of the main functions of the forum.

One of the recent best practices  we have (somewhat unofficially, at least within this user community) adopted is to post feature requests (and bugs that would likely affect others) to the forum, much as you have. Then we make the appropriate feature request or bug report, and include a link to the forum thread. This allows Sparx to view and participate in any resulting discussion. It also allows the user community to indicate support or alteratives for feature requests, and workarounds or solutions for bugs.

So yes sl@sh, you're doing the right thing IMHO. Please keep up the good work.

David

[KP]

One of the recent best practices  we have (somewhat unofficially, at least within this user community) adopted is to post feature requests (and bugs that would likely affect others) to the forum, much as you have. Then we make the appropriate feature request or bug report, and include a link to the forum thread. This allows Sparx to view and participate in any resulting discussion. It also allows the user community to indicate support or alteratives for feature requests, and workarounds or solutions for bugs.

If I can ask for a slight modification to that practice: when sending Sparx a link to a forum topic, please also include the text of the topic in your feature request - it makes it easier for us to perform searches. Thanks.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

If I can ask for a slight modification to that practice: when sending Sparx a link to a forum topic, please also include the text of the topic in your feature request - it makes it easier for us to perform searches. Thanks.

Yes...  This is an important practice - which I have tried to adopt...

Paolo

[«Midnight»]

If I can ask for a slight modification to that practice: when sending Sparx a link to a forum topic, please also include the text of the topic in your feature request - it makes it easier for us to perform searches. Thanks.

I'll also try to remember to include this in any future (repetitions of) my advice on this subject.

[Hint: FAQ and Best Practices section(s) urgently needed.]

David

[Paolo F Cantoni]

[Hint: FAQ and Best Practices section(s) urgently needed.]

YES!  (And under registered user control)

In fact, I know of one forum where a user has been given admin privileges (I'M NOT VOLUNTEERING ) and the forum has improved (in my view) out of sight!.

Paolo

[«Midnight»]

YES!  (And under registered user control)

In fact, I know of one forum where a user has been given admin privileges (I'M NOT VOLUNTEERING ) and the forum has improved (in my view) out of sight!.

Paolo

So often I am SO tempted, but nor am I volunteering.

It's just so magnetic...