Adding Wizard patterns (V14 upwards)

[qwerty]

In V14 there's a new folder named ModelPatterns (inside the EA program folder, where else?). Since normal developers fall under the admin ban (of the company I'm working for) access to that folder is prohibited. No chance to distribute our own stuff. Now the simple question. Under Config/MDG/Advanced it's possible to define a (local) folder for MDGs. Is it possibile to define a similar different location for the ModelPatterns?

[KP]

I'm sure there's a folder you can use but I can't quite remember. It could be one of
- the same path as the technology
- ModelPatterns folder in the same path as the technology
- %APPDATA%\Sparx Systems\EA\ModelPatterns

I'll come back and edit this post later and make like I got it right first time...

[qwerty]

Tried them but did not work (I might also have been not careful when doing it). Will wait for your update. Thanks in advance!

q.

[Glassboy]

Can't you specify them in the MDG file any more?

[qwerty]

IDK. V14 has a preview created from a RTF which is stored along with the XML for the wizard pattern in the mentioned directory. That will probably not fit (the same way as before) in  a MDG.

q.

[qwerty]

Any news in sight for this?

q.

[qwerty]

I was prepared for that. However, nobody likes the bringer of bad news. For now I have to tell my customer "You have been sweet talked by a sales man. This is just another useless EA feature"

q.

[KP]

I'm sure there's a folder you can use but I can't quite remember. It could be one of
- the same path as the technology
- ModelPatterns folder in the same path as the technology
- %APPDATA%\Sparx Systems\EA\ModelPatterns

I'll come back and edit this post later and make like I got it right first time...

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you but the answer is, if you don't put a path in your filename, the Model Wizard will look in %APPDATA%\Sparx Systems\EA\ModelPatterns

[qwerty]

Thanks Neil, I already tried that one with no success, but will give it another shot. Maybe specifying a full path might be the crucial point?

q.

[qwerty]

Sorry, I don't get it to work. Probably it's something completely different being the issue.
Now, here's my slightly altered MDG entry

Code: [Select]

<ModelTemplates>
  <Model name="Logical domain" description="C:\Profiles\010 MDG Profile\modeltemplate\LD.rtf" location="C:\Profiles\010 MDG Profile\modeltemplate\LD.xml" default="no" icon="4" filter=""/>
</ModelTemplates>
In V13.5 the description attribute is shown in a box at the bottom of the dialog. In V14 there's only that large box that shows the rtf file content. The description text is not shown anywhere any longer. Is there any migration concept?

Now I started playing. The above description was a try to get that rtf working. Of course, it did not. Further, the list of patterns shown in the wizard is endless. And my pattern are where? Yes, at the very end. I don't need that predefined rubbish. If at all I just want my own patterns be shown. How can that be achieved?

q.

P.S. I skimmed the result what the "help system" return for "mdg wizard pattern". That were 112 pdf files. So I looked only in the big ones (greater 30MB; they are almost all named "Enterprise Architect User Guide Series"). None contained even a trace how to handle my issue.

[KP]

In V13.5 the description attribute is shown in a box at the bottom of the dialog. In V14 there's only that large box that shows the rtf file content. The description text is not shown anywhere any longer. Is there any migration concept?

I can't find anywhere in the code where the template description is used. Presumably it was considered redundant when the large RTF pane was added. That is where you put everything your users need to know about a template.

Now I started playing. The above description was a try to get that rtf working. Of course, it did not.

EA will remove the .xml from the filename, add .rtf and search for that in the same places.

Further, the list of patterns shown in the wizard is endless. And my pattern are where? Yes, at the very end. I don't need that predefined rubbish. If at all I just want my own patterns be shown. How can that be achieved?

Define a custom perspective which includes just your technology.

[qwerty]

I can't find anywhere in the code where the template description is used. Presumably it was considered redundant when the large RTF pane was added. That is where you put everything your users need to know about a template.

Well, it appears below in the wizard creation dialogue once you select a model template.

EA will remove the .xml from the filename, add .rtf and search for that in the same places.

That's what I figured too. But for me it does not work this way. Both .xml and .rtf are in the same directory and have the same name.

Define a custom perspective which includes just your technology.

Ok. I have to dig into that. It's new with V14, right? Anyway that would only make sense if I get those model templates to work.

q.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

[SNIP]

Further, the list of patterns shown in the wizard is endless. And my pattern is where? Yes, at the very end. I don't need that predefined rubbish. If at all I just want my own patterns to be shown. How can that be achieved?

[SNIP]

Hi KP,
Notwithstanding your point about perspectives, this kind of thing occurs in MANY dialogs.  The user's stuff is at the END of a long list of default/preddefined (and usually unused) stuff.

The user's items should be at the beginning!  If they've been added locally, they are meant to be used; so make them easy to find for the "punters"!

Paolo