How to embed guidance documentation in Model Templates

[Jayson]

Rightio

I am trying to create a Model Template in my MDG as per the following link

https://sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/15.2/modeling/model_templates2.html

When I look at the model wizard built into Sparx, they have lovely (relatively speaking) document providing information about the model wizard.

How do I add this information to the Wizards that I am creating for my MDG?

Cheers

Jays :-)

[Geert Bellekens]

I think it was something like adding an RTF and a reference to the path in the xml somewhere.

Pretty sure it's documented in the manual somewhere.

Geert

[Jayson]

Ok, I will keep looking.


Also, can you make any sense of the following from the MDG Manual?
It talks about allowing multiple custom categories but doesn't mention categories AT ALL prior to that.
Is this the Category that we specify when publishing a diagram as a Pattern?



To allow multiple custom categories per technology, go to the <Documentation> row of the MDG
Technology file and add the attributes:
· categoryList, which contains either a comma-separated list of custom category names, or the name of
a single built-in category (such as 'Business')
· categoryMappings, which contains a list of option pairs of the form 'Group Name 1=Category Name
A;Group Name 2=Category Name B;" and so on; the category names must all be in 'categoryList'
In the <ModelTemplates> block of the MDG Technology file, each <Model> row will have an attribute
groupName. The group name must be in categoryMappings.

[Jayson]

Okie dokie

Knowing that the file is an RTF led me to the following document.
It tells me it is achieved by pairing the RTF file with the pattern's source XML but no clue as to how to achieve that.

I will keep hunting. But in case I don't find it: KP, Eve? Help! 

https://www.sparxsystems.com.au/resources/user-guides/14.0/modeling/model-wizard.pdf

[Jayson]

So I've found the following topic with Qwerty quite rightly lamenting the lack of documentation.

https://www.sparxsystems.com/forums/smf/index.php?topic=39914.0

To summarise, the advice from KP is that the RTF must be located in the same folder with the same name as the pattern, but with an RTF extension.

That is, two files:
1. C:\Patterns\mypattern.xml
2. C:\Patterns\mypattern.rtf

I tried that but it doesn't work.
In that thread, KP also suggested that if it doesn't work that it might be due to an incompatible RTF format.

Wondering if that is the problem, I decided to test a foolproof pair of xml/rtf files by using one of Sparx's very own files.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Sparx Systems\EA\ModelPatterns\ag1.0-basic-arcgis-project.xml

And it STILL DOESN'T WORK.

KaaaaaayyyPeeeeee! Eeeeeeeeeeeve! Help please.

[Jayson]

Ok, I'm jumping this in the hope Eve or KP can shed some light.
Help please!!!!!!!

[qwerty]

Could I just help you crying? Or would shouting be more appropriate? Lamenting did not help so far. Still, I just think it's the usual suspect: broken.

q.

[Jayson]

But THEY get it working so it MUST work right?

It must be the instructions (for what they are worth) that were posted cos i applied them to one of Sparx's own set of files.

[qwerty]

Well, it can just be embedded in the code (which I suspect). So unless you bribe one of their developers you're out...

q.

[Jayson]

Eeeeeeve??? Kaaaaypeeeee?
C'mon guys. Help a brother out here.
I've literally used files generated by Sparx and still no go.
I find it incredibly difficult to believe that qwerty is right and Sparx have hard coded these into Sparx but  if that is the case then let me know and if it's not the case please give some help as I've followed the procedure you've provided previously and I am getting bupkus.

[philchudley]

Hi Jayson

I share your pain

Have you edited your MTS file to contain something like:

   <ModelTemplates>
      <Model name="Complete Viewpoint" icon="31" location="Complete-Viewpoint.xml"/>
   </ModelTemplates>

Where location is the name of your XML structure and name of your RTF file?

I could not get this to work with an absolute path name, such as C:\EA-Projects\XML Files\Complete-Viewpoint.xml, simply nothing happened with the wizard (the import of the structure worked though)

However there is a "magic" folder where it did work

Try removing the absolute path from the MTS file (as above) and move the structure XML and the RTF file to:

%APPDATA%\Roaming\Sparx Systems\EA\ModelPatterns

That worked for me.

Hope it works for you

All the best

Phil

[qwerty]

Nope. Does not work. No RTF shown. No trace or warning from EA as usual (instead I had to fight with the Perspectives; why am I doing that?).

q.

[philchudley]

Just check my test repository for the Model Wizard and not sure how relevant this is but:

1) I created the RTF document for the Model Wizard as linked document for a <<document>> Artifact element
2) Exported this as an RTF file to the %APPDATA% folder as per previous email

Phil

[qwerty]

What shall I say? Does not work. Anyways: why isn't there any help page from Sparx documenting that? This "feature" had been introduced in V14 and without warning removed the previous way to show documentation. I don't want to known who is responsible for that kind of "development". I rather hope to not meet that person.

q.

[philchudley]

Sorry it does not work for you .... maybe I am just lucky 

I am going to stick my head on a block and will be doing a live demo of this and other MDG features during this year's Sparx EA Global Summit 2021, scheduled for June 2021 (dates and agenda to be announced)

This will also give me a chance to see if my approach is repeatable or just a one off fluke.

Phil