The Compare Utility (Diff)
Note: the content of this page refers to earlier versions of Enterprise Architect (version 5 to 11), see the user guide for a description of the equivalent functionality in the later versions.
Enterprise Architect (Corporate and Professional Editions) has a comprehensive and powerful differencing utility built in. This utility allows you to compare a model branch in EA with:
- A Baseline created using the Baseline functionality
- A File on disk, created previously using the EA XMI export facility (must be in EA format and have the same package as the root node)
- The current version controlled XMI file on disk as created when using Version Control in EA
Compare (diff) lets you explore what has changed within a model over time and how previous versions of a model branch differ to what is currently in the model. It is even possible to do a full model compare by exporting all of Model A to XMI, then using Compare to File from within the current model (Model B).
Comparing and checking model development at various points in the process is an important aspect of managing change and development, keeping track of what is being modified and ensuring the development and design process is on track.
Access to the Compare Utility is available from:
- The Baseline Dialog (from the Project Browser context menu, select Package Control | Manage Baselines ).
See Example Comparison for an example of the results of a model comparison.
Limitations
The following known limitations apply:
- Diagram compare is currently not supported.
- Differencing very large package structures can be slow. It is recommend that you set the Deep Compare check box to false.
- Currently no "Print" facility to export Compare results to file.