Author Topic: UML Profile - Archimate (Read 11786 times)

:bob · « **on:** October 30, 2008, 12:54:06 am »

Since EA has no Archimate support at the moment I am trying to make a UML Profile to achieve a level of support that will hopefully help me out for the time being.

However in the UML Profile description of Archimate (the Archimate creators described a UML Profile some time ago) it is stated that stereotypes of UML elements such as "Model", "Model element" and "Relationship" need to be created. In 7.1 one can, however, not select these types when creating a meta class.

From what I understand Model, Model element and relationship are part of the UML definition and it should be possible to use them in defining a UML Profile. Do I have it wrong? Is there a way to get around the meta class creation restriction?

Thanks, :bob

Sygnus · « **Reply #1 on:** October 30, 2008, 02:26:07 am »

Element, Model and Relationship are all too abstract for you to extend through EA's stereotypes.

To create a profile out of these, you would need to provide not only the shape scripts, but the whole metamodel, including which elements accept which connectors under which circumstances, etc.

So, to cut it short, you would do better (and a lot faster) by extending the closest elements, connectors and diagrams to each of the corresponding items on your desired profile.

And, about connectors, since you probably will be crating some new ones, which may not adhere to standard UML connection rules, my advice is for you to extend these from the Dependency connector, since it is by far the most flexible of them all.

Sygnus · « **Reply #2 on:** October 30, 2008, 02:37:29 am »

One more thing: I was reading the ArchiMate profile proposition, and I understood a little better why they propose to extend such low level classes as Element and Relationship: it appears that these classes introduce some attributes that will be inherited by the more specialized ones.

If this is the case, you can create a Relation stereotype, which will have the base attributes. This stereotype will not extend anything, and you can even mark it as an abstract class.

Later on, when you create concrete relations, you will have them extend the proper metaclasses, so that they inherit the behaviors and validation rules, and make them inherit from (specialize) the abstract Relation class you created earlier, to make them inherit the desired attributes.

Hope this helps.

:bob · « **Reply #3 on:** October 30, 2008, 03:09:38 am »

@Sygnus: Thanks for your remarks, I will continue with them in mind. If I get anywhere I will let you know, and if not probably aswell ;-)

:bob

salayande · « **Reply #4 on:** October 30, 2008, 06:11:45 am »

It might be worth your while placing a formal feature request with Sparxsystems for a Archimate Add-In. I did a few months ago.

Segun

:bob · « **Reply #5 on:** October 30, 2008, 08:06:34 pm »

@ Segun: I saw your suggestion in an old Forum entry about Archimate and placed a feature request before I added this Forum entry. However, I hope I might be able to get something up and running using UML Profiles before Sparx adds support.

If you think you can help please let me know, as you seem to have an interest in getting Archimate support. Thanks, :bob

Andy B · « **Reply #6 on:** November 04, 2008, 06:46:36 am »

Quote

@ Segun: I saw your suggestion in an old Forum entry about Archimate and placed a feature request before I added this Forum entry. However, I hope I might be able to get something up and running using UML Profiles before Sparx adds support.

If you think you can help please let me know, as you seem to have an interest in getting Archimate support. Thanks, :bob

Bob if you do manage to get a UML profile working would you be prepared to share it - I am interested in getting Archimate use inside EA. I'll post a request for the feature too.

Andy

:bob · « **Reply #7 on:** November 04, 2008, 07:09:58 am »

@Andy: Sure, I plan to send the Profile to Sparx. If they find it good eough they can publish it on the EA site. If you want I will send it to you or anyone interested.

I just need to get it working (smallest of details of course) ;-)

:bob

Andy B · « **Reply #8 on:** November 04, 2008, 09:08:30 am »

Bob, let me know when you have it working - cheers Andy

KP · « **Reply #9 on:** November 05, 2008, 09:15:39 am »

Just to let you know, we are currently working on an ArchiMate profile that should be available around about the same time as EA 7.5

:bob · « **Reply #10 on:** November 05, 2008, 08:23:41 pm »

@KP: Cool, thanks for that good news.

My first question would be: when is the 7.5 version coming? I'm looking for an alternative for the few, relatively expensive, tools that support Archimate currently and will need to start modelling soon. Can I offer help/assistance in testing the profile/creating the icons, documenting or any other way?

:bob · « **Reply #11 on:** November 06, 2008, 02:13:24 am »

@KP and Sygnus (if you work for Sparx Systems): it seems that the UML Profiles supplied on the Sparx Systems website do not comply to the rules you describe on your website for the structure of a profile xml file (see below).

I tried constructing an xsd to check profile xml files but that seems like an impossible task from the mixed bag of items I have found on the Sparx Systems website. Were the profiles you supply constructed using different tecnhiques? Do you guys have an xsd and a currently implemented specification that I could use?

Thanks, :bob

Example of inconsitency:
SXDProfile.xml has a constraint tag in line 110 that has a name and description attribute whereas the page "Attributes Supported in XML Profile" (http://www.sparxsystems.com/uml_tool_guide/what_is_uml_modeling/supportedattributes.html) states that a constraint has name, type and notes attributes of which the last is mandatory (not optional).

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