Move Interfaces

[MagnusH]

Hi,

We're using the "realized" interface functionality on components in order to visualize dependecies between components and interface. But for some reason these interface are not possible to move around. They are fixed on the left side of the component. Any reason? We want to place them freely.

BR
Magnus

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Hi Magnus!

What's your setup?  Seems to work fine for me... Win7 build 850.

I used <Context Menu>|Embedded Elements|Add Required Interface to add it.  After that, I could move it around the component fine...

Are your components rendered explicitly (such as with a shape script)?

HTH,
Paolo

[MagnusH]

Hi Paolo,

We're using <Context Menu>|Embedded Elements|Show Realized interfaces. (We have separate diagrams showing what interfaces that are realized by what components.)

My question is why Sparxs has made a difference in the UI between these two approaches. What's the difference from an UML perspective someone might be able to explain...

// Magnus

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Hi Paolo,

We're using <Context Menu>|Embedded Elements|Show Realized interfaces. (We have separate diagrams showing what interfaces that are realized by what components.)

My question is why Sparxs has made a difference in the UI between these two approaches. What's the difference from an UML perspective someone might be able to explain...

// Magnus

I see!  Your actions create a rendering of the realization link between the element and its interface. From my limited knowledge of the way EA works internally, I can have a pretty fair guess as to why you can't select your "widget" while I can select mine.

From a UML perspective, it might be argued that the two things (provided Interface and Realized Interface) are almost the same thing.

In fact, EA has similar problems with the Assembly 'connector' versus its component bits... If you search you'll see some comments of mine on the subject.

I don't think this will be fixed any time soon.

Interestingly, the Help says:
Show Realized Interfaces
 Display each interface directly realized by a Class.
 
Show Dependent Interfaces
 Display each dependency relationship for that model element as a lollipop style node attached to its left-hand side.

Note how the behaviour is explicit for the dependent but not for the realized...
 
Also, if you attach a dependency to the Provided Interface and then go to the dependent class and use <Context Menu>|Embedded Elements|Show Dependent interfaces  you get an incorrectly named rendering.

It looks to me as though this whole areas is seriously wonky... I'd send in some formal bug reports.  It's worth your while spending some time experimenting with the area so you can understand what EA is doing/not doing.  Then submitting a formal, extensive, bug report (copied here) so that we can all comment on what you find.

HTH,
Paolo

[son-of-sargasso]

My fading memory says I wrote something about this some years ago.  IIRC, they (exposed, dependant and realized) are not "exactly the same thing" with a fairly good reason.

Maybe things have changed, maybe not.  Sorry, I can't even come up with a search topic. It might have something to do with components though.

b

[Paolo F Cantoni]

My fading memory says I wrote something about this some years ago.  IIRC, they (exposed, dependant and realized) are not "exactly the same thing" with a fairly good reason.

Maybe things have changed, maybe not.  Sorry, I can't even come up with a search topic. It might have something to do with components though.

b

yes, bruce, I was a bit too hasty (getting ready to go home).  Certainly, downstream they're pretty similar.  I recognize the differences, but from a rendering point of view, they should be treated fairly similarly.

The problem has to do with many diagrammatic elements not being first class citizens of the model and with other items, perhaps incorrectly, being first class elements of the model.

This leads to these types of inconsistencies...

Paolo