Multiple instances of element in diagram

[Ian Mitchell]

I'm with Geert on this one. Having been teaching people EA for a while now, it's about the most common question from new users when they start to use EA diagrams. I, like others above, have mumbled something about 'better style', 'smaller diagrams' etc, which is partly true, but it's a decision I'D like to make, not have EA do for me.
So, Spaxians, please can you look at this for us? Or is it, as Geert suggests, hard-coded?

[Thelonius]

This idea has been suggested many times before.

It gets my vote, but I've given up hoping for it.

[RoyC]

Can you submit a Feature Request or Bug Report (depending on how you feel about it) so that your request finds its way to the right people? Thanks.

Using this forum to ask Sparx to do something is like telling your next-door-neighbour you wish the council would fix the street lamp. Unless your neighbour is the council officer for raising work orders to fix street lamps, ain't nothing gonna happen!

[Doug Blake]

From my point of view, I dont see the need for it. Use more diagrams. Keeping it simple is always better and I expect it would be a real PITA to implement. How would you choose which relationships to apply to the various instances of an element?

[skiwi]

Then see
Multiple Instances of an Element in a Diagram
Multiple instance of same element in diagram
Multiple instances of elements
Multiple instances of diagram elements

Me, I find it really useful for data modelling and ERD diagram to clarify/simplify the layout. (implemented well in PowerDesigner)

Multiple Instances On A Diagram

[spirax]

Just curious here - what is it about the way EA implements "multiple instances of an element on a diagram" that doesn't meet your needs?

On the rare occassions I need to do this, it works as I'd expect it to.

[KP]

Hi spirax, I think that's a different meaning of the word "instance". If you have a class X, you can have any number of elements classified by X (instances of X), but they are distinct elements. X itself can only appear once on a diagram.

And before anyone asks, I have no information on whether or not we have plans to address this.

[skiwi]

Feature request made

[Graham_Moir]

Does that mean there has never been a feature request for this functionality until now ?  

[qwerty]

Since none of us users has insight in Sparx' bug tracker we don't have an answer. Except for those having sent a FR formerly. I'm pretty sure there are quite a number of those.

q.

[skiwi]

Can you submit a Feature Request or Bug Report (depending on how you feel about it) so that your request finds its way to the right people? Thanks.

Using this forum to ask Sparx to do something is like telling your next-door-neighbour you wish the council would fix the street lamp. Unless your neighbour is the council officer for raising work orders to fix street lamps, ain't nothing gonna happen!

Roy

without wanting to diss you (cause we appreciate your being on here) to point being made in this forum is that this request has been made possibly many times directly to Sparx as a feature request.

Graham

I certainly have made a request for this feature at least twice (see earlier post for one of these).

Why do we have to do it again?

Simon

[RoyC]

Arrr - you got me there. Any one person should only need to submit a Feature Request directly to Sparx once. It possibly isn't a good idea to submit a Feature Request on behalf of several other people, as it obscures the level of demand for the feature. (Unless you link to the forum post and perhaps list a few names and numbers...? Dunno.)

I'm not one of the technical decision makers, so I can't comment on how or why a feature request is selected for implementation. Or not selected. I can only observe that there has been some argument between the users as to whether the feature is necessary or practical, which might reduce the number of actual requests for the feature we have received.