Tagged values in CSV export, how?

[imaddison]

Can't find how to get the tagged values appear in the csv export.

Can anyone assist please?

[imaddison]

Did some experiments with xmi (that does include the tags), however it made no sense in exce. Sparx advise a VB program to extract and write out. Anyone know of any other workarounds please?

[thomaskilian]

You probably can go directly to the database and issue a query.

[sargasso]

This is quite worthy of attention.

Given that the entire idea of tagged values is to provide a means of extending the UML to suit local needs and supposing that those local needs can easily be serviced by extracting that information out of the EA model into another tool, then we should be able to "get that value".

I have tried the direct SQL route and while it works fo a simple tag/value set, it is nightmare when you have a disjoint set of tags.

The goal is to extract a set of element information E where the tag would be column (attibute) and the value would be a, well a, value.  The extract must be capable of  coping of null instances (where for a given element, the tag/value pair does not exist) and it probably requires a more sophisticated approach than just a "blanket" t_object / t_objectproperties denormalisation.

Someone   ought to write and publish an add in on this, even if it was in PERL  

bruce

[sargasso]

Here's a start:

TRANSFORM First(t_objectproperties.Value) AS [Value]
SELECT t_object.Object_ID, t_object.Object_Type, t_object.Name
FROM t_object LEFT JOIN t_objectproperties ON t_object.Object_ID = t_objectproperties.Object_ID
GROUP BY t_object.Object_ID, t_object.Object_Type, t_object.Name
PIVOT t_objectproperties.Property;



bruce

[imaddison]

Thankyou for applying your guruness to this Bruce, much appreciated.

How would a newbie like myself and use those few powerful lines to tame EA? I confess my skills are sadly lacking in that area.

Any guidance will be most graciously accepted

Ian

[TomO]

Hey Guys,

I have just written a "VERY" basic example of how you could access the tagged values in your model (as well as any other element property) and dump them to a CSV file. Pls Note that this was 5mins work and should only be used as a guide. You can find it on our Automation Interface Examples page here:
http://sparxsystems.com.au/resources/developers/autint.html

Or download it directly here:
http://sparxsystems.com.au/bin/CS_AddinTaggedCSV.zip

No support is given for this Add-In, but it should give you a really good start.


Hope it Helps

TomO

[imaddison]

Thanks very much guys. I'll get on with this and by Monday will have dusted the rust from my VB skills and learned much about the newly discovered automation interface.

Ian

[thomaskilian]

Someone   ought to write and publish an add in on this, even if it was in PERL  

I was probably too slow...

[BaerJE2]

Although the use of Visual Basic and database access may be a solution for some, it is most likely beyond the skills of many EA users. I would assume EA users come from a variety of backgrounds, many of which do not include software engineers/programmers. Also, schedules typically do not provide engineering time to investigate and implement add-ons for tools.

Excuse me if I have overlooked any postings, but this is the only thread I found addressing the subject. Has a request for the export of tagged values using the CVS import/export feature of EA been submitted? This would be a very valuable enhancement, especially for us that have to deal with other tools such as DOORS. I am familiar with the DOORS add-in but require the ability to round trip requirements between EA and DOORS. The CSV export is my only option until the DOORS add-in is enhanced to work in the other direction.

Any attribute added to DOORS can be imported using CSV so that half of the problem is solved. Now if I could just EA to play along...

Thanks.

[Dave_Bullet]

Sparx - is this feature going to be included in 7.0?

Here's my recommendations
a) Synchronise on import must be supported
b) Tagged values must be supported

How?:
1. Extend the CSV import / export to be tagged value aware
2. Ensure CSV export can export the EA GUID (for synching on import if needed)
3. Have a checkbox option "synch under package".  Checking this will always import and sync if a sync column has been set to the current package.  Unchecked means it will import new elements under the current package and synch other elements regardless of where they exist in the package hierarchy
4. The synch option should allow a column to be specified to "join".  Either a single column (like the EA GUID) or a composite on name, stereotype and type

The above would be a key feature to help convert spreadsheet and Visio users over to EA.

Cheers,
David.

[jamessher]

Hi, I see there is no reply from Sparx on this which is a pity. I too would really like to see tagged values supported in CSV import/export.

My need is to extend the Requirement element because its properties are too restrictive. For example, high/medium/low for priority - we need 'undefined' to indicate a requirement whose priority is not defined. From what I can tell I cannot add 'undefined' as a legal value, so I have gone down the tagged values route ony to find that I can't import CSV (from Excel in my case) because I can't populate tagged values :-( This is a pity - I had just finished defining a nice prototype for my requirements which had colour-coding based on priority. I don't really want to go down the route of learning the DB schema and interacting with the DB, and I'm similarly slow to get to grips with automation interface.

Please, please Sparx can you support tagged values in CSV import/export ?

Thanks
   James

[Matt]

Hi there,

Can I suggest that you take a look at the new, sneak peak of Time Architect 2.0? available from
http://solutionsreality.com/products/timearchitect/home.aspx

This version includes improved grid functionality that lets you add tagged values to the grid as columns.

You can then use these to help filter and sort your elements.

Time Architect also includes export to Excel functionality (with or without notes) which exports the contents of the datagrid directly to .xls format.  From this you can then convert to CSV (if you need to).

It also adds lots of other functionality too - take a look around the website for full details...

I think that you should find that this does exactly what you are looking for!

The fully functional evaluation version lasts 20 days so this should give you a chance to fully try it!  It is still at the special introductory price of $100 - so give it a try...

[RobertGeigerUSA]

Since, using Profiles, we can extend MetaClasses with Stereotypes that extend the available Tagged Value "Attributes", it would make sense to be able to import and export the Tagged values.

There is a bug, however, in the use of Profiles:  Create a bunch of objects based on a profile, export them, and re-import them without GUID's (as new object), they will import just fine... except the Tagged values from the profile are not present.

A possibility...You could use a Tagged Value format for a TaggedValue field in the import/Export CSV based on Python's Dictionary List, like this...

{'NumericTag': 4139, 'NumericTag2': 4127, 'Person': 'Jill'}

It's just an unordered set of key: value pairs.

[Frank Horn]

Robert,

you just gave me a nasty shock:

There is a bug, however, in the use of Profiles:  Create a bunch of objects based on a profile, export them, and re-import them without GUID's (as new object), they will import just fine... except the Tagged values from the profile are not present.

But it's not true, fortunately. I just tried it out with EA 7.0 Build 818 and exported a package based on a profile to XMI 2.1. When I imported it with the stip guids option to the same project  all the tagged values were there. Then I created an new project, imported the profile and then the XMI, and that worked fine as well.

Frank