Variable Content In Documents

[«Midnight»]

The Tools | Options | XML Specifications dialog allows you to select the default XML Directory.

If nothing is set EA will use its installation directory, since it can guarantee that folder exists.

[Claudia_Dogaru]

I used the method you suggested, Tools/Options/XML Specifications and defined the following XML default location:

C:\Enterprise Architecture\EA Tests - both Enterprise Architecture and EA Tests are folders that I created. I also defined this location in the Filename field of the Export package to XMI dialog box, but the Export failed and gave me an "Error writing XML file message."

What am I doing wrong? Please help, I just want the artifact element to copy properly.

[«Midnight»]

Suggestions:

• Try copying the DTD file - check EA help - to the destination folder. Also, ensure the folder exists as you have named it by using the browse button on the dialog I mentioned earlier.
  
• Use View XMI (or whatever it is called) before you write the file, to ensure that the error is related to writing the file rather than something else.
  
• Try Tools | Data Management | Project Integrity Check to see if there is a structural problem with your project.

[KP]

the Export failed and gave me an "Error writing XML file message."

That's a bit of a "catch all" error message so it's hard to know the cause but whenever I've seen it in the past it's been caused by an invalid code page value. Go "Tools > Options > XML Specifications" and check the "Code Page" field. I'd suggest you type "UTF-8" in there.

HTH

[peter.zrnko]

Jan's instructions how to copy elements using Export/Import are correct.

But David' instructions are also correct. I' tried them on an Document Artifact, and it works.

1. Select the 'source' artifact on a diagram (On a DIAGRAM, not Project Browser!)
2. Choose Copy from the Edit menu.
3. Go to the 'target' diagram, click somewhere to make sure no element is selected, and from the main menu Choose Edit | Paste Elements | As New.
(If the As New option is disabled try again, making sure you've selected and deselected carefully.)

If your Document Artifact isn't on a  diagram (it means it is only in the Project Browser), then you can put it on a new diagram, use above instructions, and delete this new diagram.

[Claudia_Dogaru]

I have one more question. We are creating a template solution for documentation using virtual documents and document artifacts. We also want the flexibility to include or exclude specific content from the generated RTF report. For example, when we generate a document for a client we would require the ability to include/exclude certain elements like a requirement that is specific to one customer only. One suggestion is to use tagged values but I am not sure how to do that, even after reading the help text/user guide, or even if it is the best solution for this purpose. I would appreciate some guidance and feedback as to the best approach/solution that would fit our purpose. I would also appreciate step by step guidance to the solution you suggest.

Here is some extra information before you suggest a solution:

Document Options where you can filter information and select which package phase, element status and what to exclude details from is not suitable to our needs
We need the entire template solution to be created and reside in EA, we do not want to use MS Word documents as part of our template solution

Can you please suggest the best method to achieve this goal?

[«Midnight»]

We also want the flexibility to...filter information and select which package phase, element status and what to exclude details from is not suitable to our needs...Can you please suggest the best method to achieve this goal?

The sad news Claudia, is that this feature has often been requested, but not yet delivered. Over the past (very) few days Sparx has said they are looking at this, and working on how best to deliver some kind of filtering capability.

This is probably worth waiting a bit longer for. Adding filtering (in a meaningful way) requires that Sparx tinker with the document generation engine, rather than just enhancing a few templates. Doing it well will involve some planning and testing.

There was no information on specific time frames. With luck we won't have to wait for EA 7.1.

David

[Claudia_Dogaru]

Is there no other feature currently in EA (other than the filtering capability in Document Options) that allows some filtering/selection ability?

Currently we need a solution that includes/excludes requirements so that we can generate a report with specific requirements based on the customr. To clarify, if we have a model with requirements a, b, & c we may want to generate a report with requirements b & c for customer 1 and requirements a & c for Customer 2. Of course there will be many more requirements, I am just simplifying to illustrate my point.

[thomaskilian]

You probably should sit down and think about what automation could do for you. It's fairly easy to get information programmatically out of a model. There's just the step on formatting the output well. That might give you a few headaches but I can tell you that once you were over this hurdle you are served much better than with the generic RTF stuff.

[Claudia_Dogaru]

Can you please clarify your answer? I am not sure what your suggested solution is form your answer.

Thanks,

[thomaskilian]

Sorry, but I wouldn't know how to do that except getting more wordy. So instead I try a shorter approach. Dump EA's RTF Generator. Write your own thingy using their Automation. There could be said so much, I unfortunately don't have the time to. If it's not your way to go: simply forget my reply.

[peter.zrnko]

What about to make a search and then select all and
RTF report / Generate one report for all selected.

It's possible to define advanced search and to save it (unfortunately not as an element or resource - it's not visible in the project or resource browser).

See also this topic  Save search as a hyperlink?