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Author Topic: Parts, Properties,… do not allow to “Select Composite Diagrams” on Sysml IBD’s.  (Read 41883 times)

PeterHeintz

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SysML parts, properties within a IBD do not allow to “Select Composite Diagrams” because the menu item “New Child Diagram” is not shown anymore.
I belief this is a bug and not intentionally.
If not regard it as a feature request.

Bug reported.
« Last Edit: September 26, 2025, 12:29:16 am by PeterHeintz »
Best regards,

Peter Heintz

Takeshi K

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Just FYI, my free SysML add-in can create a link to the typed Block child diagram.
i.e., when a Property is typed by a Block and the Block has a child diagram, we can move from the Property to the child diagram by adding a link with my free SysML add-in.

HTH,
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t-kouno

PeterHeintz

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Thank you Takeshi,
I will try that!
Anyhow I thing that you agree that it makes no sence to hide something what is there and what is very sensible to have for such elements.
Best regards,

Peter Heintz

PDC

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I may be wrong but I'm not 100% sure this is a bug.
I can't find a specific reference in the SysML spec to back me up but I think Composition is defined at the level of the Classifier (Block), not at the level of a Part, which itself is an instantiation of a Classifier (Block). If we are looking at an IBD and want to know the constituent Parts of a Part, this really means we are asking "What is it's Classifier composed of?". This is the case because the Part only represents one instantiation of the Classifier, and we should intend that any change to the Classifier is applied to all Part instances of that Classifier, wherever it is used in the model.

As I said, I can't back myself up here in terms of explaining the semantics, and I'm happy to be proved wrong and learn!
Phil

PeterHeintz

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Hi, I am not talking about SysML spec. bugs ,I am talking about EA inconsistency bugs, or at least what I think EA consistency is.

The concept of linking from on element to its details by double click, is nothing defined in the SysML spec. at all. It exists in EA since many years and it is a real good EA feature, which work well in many scenarios. But in some scenarios currently either not or it depends unnecessary on the work sequency performed.

In an IDB e.g. parts are classified by blocks and if those blocks have own IDBs it would be very helpful just be a double click to move the that diagram as it is possible form many other stuff.

If Sparx do not regard this as a bug, I am fine.
Then I call it a valuable feature request which makes EA even more consistent.

And the feature request is:
Remove the code line the hides the “Select Composite Diagrams” menu!
Best regards,

Peter Heintz

Takeshi K

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If I understand correctly, now we can specify the 'child' (or linked) diagram for the Classifier (in the UML world). So we cannot specify the child diagram for Parts (Part Properties), and we cannot specify it for States which are classified (typed) by a StateMachine. I think this is reasonable.

Aside from this, in the actual modelling, we want to show the IBDs from Parts which are typed by Blocks. Currently we need to jump to the typing Block and then go to the IBD of the Block. This is troublesome, we need to do many steps to check the related IBD.

So I have added a feature to show the IBD of the typed Block for the SysML Parts in my free SysML add-in. My SysML add-in contains lots of useful and mandetory features for real MBSE modelling. I don't know whether that feature should be included as a standard feature.
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t-kouno

PDC

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Hi, I am not talking about SysML spec. bugs ,I am talking about EA inconsistency bugs, or at least what I think EA consistency is.

The concept of linking from on element to its details by double click, is nothing defined in the SysML spec. at all. It exists in EA since many years and it is a real good EA feature, which work well in many scenarios. But in some scenarios currently either not or it depends unnecessary on the work sequency performed.

In an IDB e.g. parts are classified by blocks and if those blocks have own IDBs it would be very helpful just be a double click to move the that diagram as it is possible form many other stuff.

Yeah I'm on board with you, I agree it would be useful to be able to navigate quickly ('like' a double-click) from a Part to its Classifier's IBD. I just meant that semantically (according to the OMG spec) I don't think that is how Parts are supposed to behave, so I would guess - and it's only a guess really - that in this instance Sparx have implemented the OMG spec kind of rigidly and therefore there is no EA feature to do that particular navigation.

Looks like Takeshi has a nice elegant solution though :)
Phil

PeterHeintz

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Hi this is the answer from Sparx about that:

„The Select Composite Diagram command is only shown for element types that can be composite, which excludes ports and parts. The composite structure of a port or part is the composite structure of its type, so you will need to go to the type element to select its composite diagram.“

In principle I say the argument is somehow valid. However instead of telling unexperienced users, you have to do this and that to see the detail of that element in EA and you have to do something else in Web EA, it would be a much better usability and therefore better user acceptance to say, just click or double click onto an element with the glasses or fork symbol to go to the details.

Furtheron, an Call Behavior Action, is as well just an action and is not intended to be composite. It is the called Activity which is composed.

So for call behavior action the clicking works.
For classified state (A state I assume is as well not intended to have a composite diagram) it works if the composite diagram is selected before classified by the state machine

For Sysml properties it does not works at all.

If you add a composite diagram under a requirement the “glasses link” is provided automatically. But later you are allowed to select any diagram in the model.

If you drag a use case having a composite diagram in a use case diagram, it shows the glasses and provide the link automatically as well. But later you are allowed to select any diagram in the model. However when you classify that composite use case by an other composite use case the linked diagram can not be changed any more. However when you classified a none composite use case by another use case again you can link to any diagram.

For objects and object nodes you are not allowed to add a composite diagram within the project bowser but you are allowed to link those objects to diagrams as long as it is not classified.



Whoever understands this, at least it is not me.;)

From my perspective that click and double click behavior is EA usability and not defined by any standard. A simple implementation could lead to better EA usability and would make it less hard to understand the magic,


Such a simple implementation could e.g. look like this.

I an element in a diagram has a composite diagram provide the “click” link to it.
I an element in a diagram has a composite diagram provide the “click” link to it and remain that link even it is classified later.
I an element in a diagram is classified by a classifier having a composite diagram provide the “click” link to it.
I an element in a diagram is classified by a classifier having a composite diagram provide the “click” link to it and remain it even a composite diagram is later added to that element. (or maybe switch the link to the new composite diagram
In all cases allow the use to select another diagram if needed.

Of cause the user can do odd things, but the user can do that anyway with the current implementation.
Best regards,

Peter Heintz