Screenshots

New Diagram Rendering
New Diagram Rendering
Built-in Model Scripts
Built-in Model Scripts
Enhanced Element List
Enhanced Element List

Overview

Release Notes for EA 7.5

  • New: Editions of Enterprise Architect
    • Version 7.5 introduces 3 new editions of Enterprise Architect
    • Two editions target specific engineering domains
    • A third edition wraps up everything for the ultimate Enterprise Architect experience
    • Each edition bundles licenses for specific MDG products that target the needs of the domain engineer
    • Each edition supports advanced Behavioral Modeling and Code Generation
    • New custom dialogs for various behavioral elements to provide enhanced behavioral modeling capability.
    • Ability to generate source code from behavioral models.
    • Support for code generation from State Machines
    • Support for code generation from Activity Graphs
    • Support for code generation from Sequence Diagrams
  • NEW: Enterprise Architect - Business & Software Engineering Edition
    • Targets software engineering, BPEL generation, behavioral code from business rules, integration with Visual Studio and Eclipse, and various frameworks
    • Includes all functionality in the Enterprise Architect Corporate Edition
    • Examples included in the Example model
    • Advanced Behavioral Modeling and Code Generation for standard coding languages
    • Business Rules Modeling and Code Generation
      • Support for Fact models
      • Support for Rule Flow models
      • New Rule Composer supports modeling and configuration of complex Business Rules from Fact and Rule Flow models
      • Support for behavioral code generation from modeled Rule Sets
    • Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) Support
      • Support for generating BPEL 1.1 from BPMN 1.1 models.
      • Introduced BPMN 1.1 Technology and BPEL diagram type
      • New property dialogs for BPMN 1.1 elements when placed on BPEL diagrams.
    • Support for additional advanced Math functions in the Enterprise Architect Scripting engine
    • MDG Technologies and Add-in licenses included (bundled) with the Business Engineering Edition
      • MDG Link/Integration for Microsoft Visual Studio
      • MDG Link/Integration for Eclipse
      • MDG Technology for Zachman Framework
      • MDG Technology for TOGAF
      • MDG Technology for DODAF/MODAF
  • NEW: Enterprise Architect - Systems Engineering Edition
    • Targets systems, real-time engineering, behavioral code generation, executable UML
    • Includes all functionality in the Enterprise Architect Corporate Edition
    • Examples included in the Example model
    • Advanced Behavioral Modeling and Code Generation for HDL's, Ada and standard coding languages
    • Ada 2005 Language Support
      • Added Ada 2005 language support
    • Support for OMG SysML 1.1
    • Support for SysML Parametrics Simulation
    • Hardware Descriptions Languages Support
      • SystemC support added
      • VHDL support added
      • Verilog support added
    • Support for additional advanced Math functions in the Enterprise Architect Scripting engine
    • MDG Technologies and Add-in licenses included (bundled) with the Systems Engineering Edition
      • MDG Technology for SysML
      • MDG Link/Integration for Microsoft Visual Studio
      • MDG Link/Integration for Eclipse
      • MDG Technology for DDS
      • MDG Technology for DODAF/MODAF
  • NEW: Enterprise Architect - Ultimate Edition
    • Combines all the features in the Business Engineering and Systems Engineering Editions
  • New: 'built-in' MDG Technologies
    • Introduced MDG Technology for Strategic Modeling - including
      • Strategy Maps,
      • Balanced Scorecards,
      • Value Chains,
      • Flow Charts,
      • Decision Trees and
      • Organization Charts.
    • New MDG Technology for ArchiMate, which supports The Open Group's ArchiMate enterprise architecture standard.
    • New MDG Technology for SPEM, which supports version 2.0 of the OMG's Software Process Engineering Metamodel standard.
    • New MDG Technology for Business Rule Modeling. Supports modeling Business Rules in Enterprise Architect Business Engineering Edition
    • Web Modeling UML Profile now incorporated as a built-in MDG technology.
  • New: Scripting support (Corporate Edition and above)
    • Write scripts inside Enterprise Architect using either VBScript, JScript or Javascript.
    • Full and immediate access to the Enterprise Architect automation object model
    • Built in Repository object to facilitate instant scripting
    • Built in Intellisense support for the Enterprise Architect Object Model
    • Built in Intellisense support for the major scripting language constructs on a per language basis
    • Advanced math functions are also supported in the Business and Systems Engineering versions of EA
    • Save scripts directly into the current model.
    • Save scripts to a local file, for use in all models.
    • Support for a "Scripts" subdirectory in the Enterprise Architect installation directory.
    • Support for Scripts embedded in MDG Technology files.
    • Ability to export scripts as reference data.
    • Default Session objects for printing out trace information
    • Console window for executing script commands in "immediate" mode
  • New: Diagram Layout Window
    • Added new dockable window with 10 new layout styles.
    • Can help with manual layout, or automatically layout diagrams.
    • Each command includes configuration options, allowing you to customize the results.
    • Added new lateral connector style.
    • Added logic to automatically switch between horizontal and vertical tree style connectors.
  • New and Improved WAN and Large Model Support (Corporate Edition and above)
    • Lazy Loading
      • Only implemented for DBMS connections (not for .EAP files)
      • Can greatly minimize the time taken to load large models and/or models accessed over a network with low bandwidth (eg. WAN).
      • Lazy Load capability defers loading of model packages until required by the client.
      • Is configurable on a per-connection basis, so two connections to the same DBMS can be configured with and without Lazy Load
      • Can be used in conjunction with the WAN Optimizer
    • WAN Optimizer
      • Lightweight server that can be installed on a LAN connection to the host DBMS
      • Accessible by WAN based clients over socket connection (eg. when client is on a WAN based VPN connection)
      • Acts as a local proxy to retrieve data and compress data for transmission to client
      • Significantly improves performance by reducing the amount of data transmitted and the number of network calls made
  • New and improved Themes support
    • Added new visual themes (UI appearance) to choose from.
    • Modified all docked windows to support and use the current theme.
    • Configurable status bar
    • New status bar indicator "WAN" - active when the WAN Optimizer is enabled
    • New diagram zoom control in status bar
      • Allows for immediate configuration of a general "all diagram" zoom level.
      • Independent of the per diagram "zoom level" set by the diagram toolbar.
      • Ideal for viewing all diagrams at a higher zoom level on a per user basis.
  • General Appearance, Performance and Reliability Improvements
    • Added "slideshow" model view type, which shows all the contained diagrams in order in fullscreen mode.
    • Added command from toolbox item context menu to synchronize the tagged values and constraints of a stereotype.
    • Added Directory custom tagged value type.
    • Added handling of C# 3.0 and VB 9.0 code constructs.
    • Added handling of localized decimal symbol in Estimation factors.
    • Added new functionality to validate the configuration settings for version controlled packages.
    • Added 'Realization' to Create Metaclass dialog in place of 'Realisation'.
    • Added specific warning about opening a read-only .eap file.
    • Added Stereotype column to Element List.
    • Added support for Code Modules in MDG technologies to specify the name of constructors etc.
    • Added support for creating profiled items from 'Create New Element' dialog.
    • Added support for moving required interfaces on sequence diagrams.
    • Added support for search filters on element Defects.
    • Added support for showing details of selected maintenance, project management and testing windows item in Notes Window.
    • Added support for showing generated XMI, XSD and WSDL files in EA's internal editor if an external viewer is not available
    • Added support for stripping GUIDs in tagged-values when importing an XMI 1.1 or XMI 2.1 file with Strip GUID option
    • Added support for using Sparx Keystore (shared keys) when running under Wine or Cross Over Office (Linux/Mac).
    • Added support to move or copy test cases between testing types of an element.
    • Added toolbar to search view, including an option for how to display the notes.
    • Corrected minor project transfer errors.
    • Corrected searches on Oracle that return over 1000 results.
    • Discontinued support for RealTime UML add-in (rolled into Systems Engineering Edition).
    • Fix configuration of model validation whitelists and blacklists.
    • Fix direction setting of quicklink connectors.
    • Fixed issue of missing association notes during XSD Import.
    • Fixed issue when remove Trigger from Transition.
    • Fixed issue where the "aggregation" attribute was set incorrectly on the generated XMI 2.1 for Association connector
    • Fixed transfer of connectors owned state in Package transformation.
    • Improve project transfer to and from Access 2007.
    • Improved auditing performance.
    • Improved baseline comparison of element scenarios.
    • Improved creation of operation returning arrays from transformation templates.
    • Improved current context immediately after dropping an element from the project browser.
    • Improved display of combo boxes listing available searches.
    • Improved display of stereotyped Activity Partitions.
    • Improved drawing and tracking of Ports and Parts with shapescripts when bound to their owning parent
    • Improved drawing of connectors drawn with dashed lines in tree style.
    • Improved drawing of formatted notes to diagram where the selected font contains unicode characters.
    • Improved drawing of long element stereotypes on sequence diagrams.
    • Improved GDI+ metafiles when generating RTF documents
    • Improved general performance in models containing a large number of security locks.
    • Improved highlight of features in diagram when selecting feature in dialog.
    • Improved loading time of the Classifier Dialog in very large models.
    • Improved performance of 'Insert Related Elements' command when a large numbers of elements will be inserted.
    • Improved performance when applying a security lock to a package.
    • Improved performance when moving large numbers of elements on a diagram (in a single step).
    • Improved reliability when using case sensitive MSSQL model
    • Improved resources usage while loading EA and displaying diagrams.
    • Improved Set Element Classifier dialog loading time.
    • Improved snapping of connector line points to perpendicular line segments.
    • Improved synchronization of attributes and methods with tagged values.
    • Improved synchronization of profiled attributes and operations when dropping from the resource tree.
    • Improved version control performance when creating context menus.
    • Improved XMI 2.1 export of types using predefined common types.
    • Introduced an "All Scenarios" option as a target for notes linked to element features.
    • Made type of bool/boolean tagged values in profiles case-insensitive.
    • MDG Technology for ArchiMate: changed shape scripts for interface and collaboration elements.
    • Modified CSV import routine to only allow EA style GUIDS for the GUID field.
    • Modified handling of text elements so that they automatically resize to fit the text being displayed.
    • Modified HTML export to only copy local files to generated location.
    • Modified lists for docked maintenance, project management and testing windows to preserve absolute column widths instead of percentages.
    • Modified state table to only show state elements.
    • Observe element locking with the quicklinker.
    • Prevent a crash that may occur when deleting an element and its children from the search view window
    • Prevent access to "Lock Item" dialog, through Diagram toolbars and menus, for Diagram Objects locked by other users.
    • Prevent an error when using recent MySQL ODBC drivers which do not correctly support alternate images (binary data)
    • Prevent deletion of packages which contain child items checked out to any other user in a version controlled model
    • Project management element resource allocation added to core auditing level.
    • Redirected instant help for BPMN elements.
    • Restored Expand Branch functionality in Project Browser.
    • Updated diagrams after deleting link from Rules and Scenarios window.
    • Updated drawing of artifacts to account for long names.
    • Use transparent icons when generating HTML reports.Improved handling of transforming operations that return an array.
  • Automation
    • Added support for Collection.GetByName for the MethodTags collection.
    • Support generating RTF Master Documents via IProject.RunReport.
  • Baseline
    • Added ability to compare requirement stability.
  • Code Generation
    • Added ability to list over the following properties of elements in code or transform templates.
      • Constraint, Effort, LinkedFile, Metric, Problem, Requirement, Resource, Risk, Scenario, Test
    • Added parsing of Actionscript 3 Vector type.
    • Added parsing of VB.Net functions without parameter lists.
    • Added transform of ExecutionEnvironment, StateMachine and Trigger element types.
  • Code & Script Editor Changes
    • All new, intelligent code and scripting editor.
    • Added syntax highlighting to the Initial Code field of the operation behavior dialog.
    • Allowed the appearance of Common Code Editor calltips to be specified in the corresponding configuration files.
    • Autocomplete functionality based on elements and features within the currently open model
    • Automatic indenting for supported languages.
    • Faster loading with support for more languages and larger files
    • Improved brace matching.
    • Improved Javascript engine to better support use of the global Repository as the default scripting object
    • Improved syntax highlighting for a much wider set of languages.
    • Intellisense and autocomplete functionality built in.
    • Intellisense support added for shape scripts, database view element sql and custom search query sql editors.
    • Prevented Code Editor key combinations from opening EA dialogs bound to the same key combination.
  • Data Modeling
    • Added support for DDL generation of SQL Server index INCLUDE.
    • Allow for inbuilt editor to view generated DDL.
    • Corrected error importing schema from DB2 that includes table aliases.
    • Corrected middle top label for foreign keys.
    • Corrected reverse engineering of indexes from Oracle ensuring all indexes are imported.
    • Ensured composite indexes imported from PostgreSQL contain all columns.
    • Improved DBView dialog handling of objects not loaded on a diagram.
    • Improved DDL Generation for Foreign Key Constarint Tags for Oracle Databases.
    • Improved DDL Generation for ORACLE INDEX Properties.
    • Improved DDL Generation for Oracle Storage Clauses.
    • Improved DDL Generation for sp_addextendedproperty statement for SQL Server databases.
    • Improved DDL Generation for Storage Clauses for UNIQUE and PRIMARY KEY Constraints in Oracle.
    • Improved Drop Sequence Statement generation for PostgreSQL Database.
    • Improved generation of DDL for MySQL data models having circular foreign key references.
    • Improved import of Integer columns from MySQL to display correctly in the Foreign Key dialog.
    • Improved Import of Oracle TIMESTAMP WITH TIMEZONE and TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE datatypes.
    • Improved Import of SQL Server 2008 datatypes.
    • Improved MDA Transformation to allow foreign keys to be NULL.
    • Improved Order of DDL Generation.
    • Improved OWNER Name generation in DDL for PostgreSQL repository.
    • Improved support for table properties in Oracle.
    • Improved Table property dialog box after importing from SQL Server 2008.
    • Prevent editing of Foreign Key connector labels and foreign key direction.
    • Prevent generation of Oracle foreign key names over 30 characters long.
    • Stop error/warning messages about sysproperties tables when importing SQL Server 2008.
    • Support for Geography and Geometry Datatypes for SQL Server 2008.
  • Improved debugging/profiling capabilities
    • Added debug control window to manage debugging sessions and windows
    • Allow greater set of operands when constructing state transition constraints
    • Breakpoints now show error messages when failing to bind
    • Create data bound breakpoints which activate on changes to data variables
    • Enable / Disable diagnostic logging function for debug sessions
    • Evaluate global / static variables using the Autos window
    • Modified all debugging windows to allow separate docking to create a detailed debugging environment
    • More stringent matching of source code to binaries during debugging
    • Package scripts for selected class or package can be accessed directly using the Debugger Control Window.
    • Record/Create sequence diagrams for the current stack or history
  • Diagram Rendering Engine - New and Improved
    • Added display of compartments provided by SysML and DDS.
    • Added support for setting background colors of non-transparent UI Controls in diagram.
    • All new anti-aliased rendering of diagrams
    • Configurable with 3 different modes
      • Basic : no smoothing
      • Enhanced 1 : inbuilt smoothing
      • Enhanced 2 : smoothing via GDI+ (Not available under WINE)
    • Improved gradient fills of all elements
    • Metafile support for anti-aliased drawing (Not available under WINE and only supported by some client applications, such as MS Word)
    • Numerous enhancements to metafiles and generalized drawing routines
    • Smoothing of all lines and shapes, including shape scripted elements
  • General Diagramming Behavior
    • All new "Quick" buttons activated when element selected in diagram
      • Quick access to formatting commands
      • Quick access to common dialogs and commands
      • Quick access to Help for the current element
      • Quick access to Document generation for packages
    • Added new "sweeper" method for moving all elements relative to the mouse position on a diagram.
      • To activate press and hold the ALT key, then click the left mouse button and drag
      • The initial movement will set the type and direction of the "sweeper" control
      • Elements on the active side (or quadrant) of the sweeper will be moved only
    • Added a small red italic "A" indicator to diagram elements which have a defined linked document
    • Changed from single click to double click for timeline element quickbuttons.
    • Ensure packages dropped on a diagram from the project browser are always selectable.
    • Improved drawing of bezier curves with offscreen control points
    • Modified horizontal swimlanes to have a minimum height.
    • Separated a number of options relating to diagram appearance onto a new options page.
  • Discussion Forum Improvements
    • Added "Recent Discussion" node to the Model Views window for quick access to discussion topics
    • Improved general usability of forum editor
    • Modified discussion forum to edit posts inside window instead of new dialog.
  • Documentation - HTML and RTF
    • Added #CLASSIFIER# to "Object - Body" section of HTML reports.
    • Added #STEREOTYPE# to "Link Line Item" section.
    • Added a "Model Document" (insert element linked document) field to RTF templates under the "External Requirements" section
    • Added Header Row menu item to RTF Document editor.
    • Added menu "Update Styles" to Linked document and RTF Template editors - imports default styles from file "normal.rtf"
    • Added menu item "Insert->Insert RTF File" to Linked document and RTF Template editors.
    • Added new section "Linked Document".
    • Common settings are saved when the generate dialog is closed.
    • Corrected heading level when generating Model Documents.
    • Ensure .rtf extension for all RTF reports.
    • Improved documentation on section Tags in HTML reports.
    • Improved filtering of elements from search in RTF generation.
    • Improved generation of scenarios to legacy RTF generator.
    • Improved inserting of OLE objects to allow for a wider range of objects in RTF.
    • Improved user experience and general RTF bug fixes
    • Internal Requirements are now sorted by name.
    • New RTF fields for Author and Language in the Package section.
    • Resource based Documents now restore options they're saved with when generating.
    • Table headings are now displayed correctly when filtering is used.
    • Viewing RTF documents has Header/Footer on by default.
  • Improved Element List and Search Results windows
    • Drag and drop columns to form instant groupings
    • Easier navigation
    • Improved performance and loading times
    • Improved search view and element list to allow arbitrary grouping
  • Improved WINE support
    • Improved performance under WINE. Application no longer causes high CPU load while idle.
    • Removed separate WINE build, WINE is now automatically detected by normal version.
  • Model Views, Searches and Element List
    • Added capability for model/search views automatic refreshing and notifying when new items are added.
      • See model views folder properties dialog.
      • With custom queries and integrated security supports implementation of flexible workflow procedures
    • Added hot keys to launch model view as element list (report style list)
    • Added option to set double click as "Open Search in Main Window" or "Refresh Folder Contents"
    • Custom searches returning ad hoc columns now show a best-fit column width based on column content
    • Column layout and grouping is now preserved for all search types between sessions
    • Modified the drop list of Searches (eg. in the Manage Searches dialog) to categorize searches by type
    • Printing the report view now takes landscape orientation into account
    • Search entry on the "Start Page" changed to use Extended, rather than Simple search
  • Modeling Changes
    • Added new behavioral modeling property tabs for various behavioral elements.
    • Added new type "Packaging Component". This allows for creation of components that can contain packages.
    • Added support for activity partitions, and other elements selected by the user to dock to each other.
    • Added support for composite interfaces.
    • Added support for connectors between attributes and operations. (Link objects then specify the linked features.)
    • Added support for Device elements owning ExecutionEnvironment elements.
    • Changed display of derived attributes so that the '/' is drawn immediately before the name.
    • Changed display of interface elements to not use italic font, in accordance with UML 2.1 specification.
    • Extended list of element types for which status colors can be displayed.
    • Improved attribute/association end comparison in model validation.
    • Improved handling of language-specific visibilities in model validation.
    • Improved syntax checking for interrupt flows.
  • MDG Technology Enhancements
    • Ability to define custom Project Browser icons for stereotypes in a technology.
    • Ability to disable the "Basic UML 2 Technology" and to hide EA's built-in toolboxes, diagrams and quicklinks for a fully customizable experience.
    • Added support for defining toolbox items for UML Patterns.
    • Added support for including Scripts in Technologies
    • Added support for specifying default swimlanes and diagram properties for custom diagram types.
    • Allow tree-style connectors to be defined in UML Profiles.
    • MDG Technology for BPMN upgraded to support BPMN 1.1.
  • Printing
    • Enable setting margins to diagram print/print preview.
    • Improved "scale to 1 page" capability
    • Improved handling of page size after changing printer.
    • Improved printing of diagram frames.
  • Project Security (Corporate Edition and above)
    • Added ability to import user ids for security from Windows Active Directory.
    • Added check for export permission for Batch XMI Export.
  • Rich text based notes
    • Notes editor now appears with an isolating grey border and small margin to increase readability
    • Applies to all instances of the notes editor
    • Docked notes, element properties, diagram properties & etc.
    • Rich text notes have also been added to many more fields, including (but not limited to):
      • Additional testing fields
      • Maintenance fields
      • Project management fields
  • Shape Scripts
    • Added diagram.connectornotation property for connector shape scripts.
    • Added shape script attribute dockable.
    • Added shape script attribute fixedAspectRatio.
    • Added shape script property "diagram.mdgtype" for identifying custom diagrams.
  • Slideshow Capability
    • For presentations and demonstrations based on model diagrams
    • Play a Model View "slideshow" either at a set pace, or manually - slide by slide
    • Slideshows play in full-screen mode
    • Support for defining a Model View as a "slideshow"
  • User Interface
    • Added a "Set Font" button on the format toolbar
    • Added a menu option to find a CallOperationAction's operation in the project tree.
    • Added a menu option to find a Port or Part's classifier in the project tree.
    • Added a new button to the UML Elements toolbar - provides a menu driven drop list of all available elements and connectors
    • Added Text, Hyperlink, Diagram Legend and Diagram Notes to the Common toolbox.
    • Baseline comparison now only shows changed elements by default.
    • Code page enumeration errors are no longer reported to the System Output bar.
    • Enabled execution of user specified "Tools", when no model is loaded.
    • Expand User Interface toolbox to include all UI control subtypes.
    • Extended search term string entry capacity.
    • Fixed display of tagged values in element compartments on diagrams under MySQL (applies to very long values only))
    • Improved behavior of relationship matrix when using settings based on a profile.
    • Improved handling of cursor when showing context menu for diagram.
    • Improved handling of regional formatting in the Time Allocated field of the Docked Resources Window.
    • Improved keyboard navigation around the CSV Specification dialog.
    • Improved list of code languages available to import when languages in database are disabled.
    • Improved Project Browser multiselect under Vista
    • Modified hyperlink properties dialog to allow selection of the different types of hyperlinks that are available.
    • Modified options dialog to show the help for the currently open page
    • Modified Project Transfer dialog to allow reading full values of source and target project fields.
    • Modified use case resize to provide visual feedback of the actual size.
    • Option "No warning for spaces in class names" extended to attribute and operation names.
    • Prevent "Drop as Port or Part" dialog from popping up when dropping a class onto a partition.
    • Removed display of database version in connection name and type dialog.
  • Version Control
    • Fixed issue where importing operation tags whose value contained more than 255 characters caused database errors during an XMI 2.1 import.
    • Improved listing of sub-folder content using Get Package function with Perforce.
    • Improved 'undo check-out' of TFS controlled packages, following offline check-out.
    • Improved version control functionality for packages with version control configurations that are undefined.
    • Modified version control to honor last-known package statuses, when EA cannot communicate with version control provider.
  • Visual Execution Analyzer
    • Addressed infrequent issue of activation levels being drawn incorrectly in generated sequence diagrams
    • Debugging of Microsoft .NET managed C++ projects had issue with losss of stack frames and missing class names which has been resolved.
    • Failures attaching to processes under Windows Vista have been addressed.
  • XSD & XMI import/export
    • Added support for importing UseCase "include" and "extend" connectors from StarUML exported XMI.
    • Added support for importing a top-level element, that does not have a "type" attribute or inline definition, as an XSDtopLevelElement.
    • Corrected export of Interaction Fragment type to XMI 2.1.
    • Corrected export of parent package GUIDs to XMI 1.1.
    • Fixed issue where label co-ordinates may not be round-tripped correctly using XMI.
    • Fixed issue where modelGroup was sometimes generated after XSDattributes in an XSDcomplexType class.
    • Fixed issue where namespace-prefixes were incorrectly generated in XML Schema.
    • Improved export of ActivityPartitions and its contents to XMI 2.1.
    • Improved import of notes on elements when importing from Rose exported XMI 1.1 and EMX file.