Rectangle notation for Actors- Bug or feature?

[colin_e]

EA Version: 12.0.1215

According to the EA online help: "You can display various shaped elements, such as an Interface, Use Case or Actor, using rectangle notation. This displays the element as a rectangle, with an icon of the 'normal' shape in the top right-hand corner."

Now, when I try this, a Use Case or Interface behaves as expected (although rectangle notation is the default for Interfaces), but the rectangle notation for an actor is NOT a rectangle with the actor "stick man" in the corner as stated, but a rectangle with a stereotype in Guillemets (i'd add a screenshot here but it doesn't look as if the board supports image upload.

I think the stereotype notation is less clear, if for whatever reason you decide to use the rectangle notation for actors.

Is this a bug or a feature?

[qwerty]

I'd say that it's a feature you see the icons. Basically the textual display is what is required. So that's correct this way. You might ask for a feature to show the stickman instead, or you write your own shape script.

q.

[colin_e]

I'd say that it's a feature you see the icons. Basically the textual display is what is required. So that's correct this way. You might ask for a feature to show the stickman instead, or you write your own shape script.

q.

If that's the case, then I guess this represents a bug in the documentation (which is currently out of line with what EA actually does), and then possibly an enhancement request.

[qwerty]

I have to come back to this since I now stumbled upon

although rectangle notation is the default for Interfaces

It's not only the default for Interface but any element. Once you use

Code: [Select]

HasProperty("rectanglenotation")a newly created element appears with Rectangle Notation turned on. That's probably not wanted in all cases. In my case I used it for Activity and there I definitely want an element to appear natively (rounded rect) and only want the rectangle in certain circumstances. So: Is there a way to tell EA the default?

q.

[Eve]

although rectangle notation is the default for Interfaces

It's not only the default for Interface but any element. Once you use

Code: [Select]

HasProperty("rectanglenotation")a newly created element appears with Rectangle Notation turned on.

Not quite true.

The first check in the shape script controls the default.

HasProperty("rectanglenotation","1") defaults to true.
HasProperty("rectanglenotation","0") defaults to false.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

although rectangle notation is the default for Interfaces

It's not only the default for Interface but any element. Once you use

Code: [Select]

HasProperty("rectanglenotation")a newly created element appears with Rectangle Notation turned on.

Not quite true.

The first check in the shape script controls the default.

HasProperty("rectanglenotation","1") defaults to true.
HasProperty("rectanglenotation","0") defaults to false.

WOW!!!!

That may explain why one of my shapes suddenly changed!

I mean that IS intuitively obvious...  (it's irony, )

Also, does that override the

Code: [Select]

<Property name="_UCRect" value="0"/>value in the MDG?

Paolo

[Eve]

I don't believe it overrides an explicit default.

[peterc]

Also, does that override the

Code: [Select]

<Property name="_UCRect" value="0"/>value in the MDG?

I don't believe it overrides an explicit default.

I have just tried implementing this in an MDG (I specifically want a rectangle notation Actor to represent a group of Actors).
But adding _UCRect with an initial value of 1 to an Actor metaclass element does NOT result in a rectangular Actor but a stick man.
Testing it out on a Use Case metaclass element does result in a rectangular Use Case (with the oval in the corner).

So I think that there may be a bug here, unless there is something else that must be done to make an Actor automatically be initialised in rectangular notation. It's not a new bug as both 14.1 and 15.1 (and even 13.0) exhibit the same behaviour.

[Modesto Vega]

I have never managed to represent an actor with a rectangular notation and a stick man as the icon. The icon is always missing irrespective of what technique I use.
It is actually very annoying, life will be easier if I could do it out of the box.

It could be a bug or a ‘feature’. Don’t know.

[philchudley]

I agree with peterc, I too have implemented this is an MDG and can confirm the setting in a Use Case works, but the setting in an Actor has no effect

All the best

Phil

[peterc]

I reported this last week as a bug...