Re: Link to another EAP document from an element

[AdamR]

Enterprise Architect Project
[original message]

[qwerty]

What is an EAP document?

q.
[original message]

[AdamR]

I am looking to link in a State Machine Diagram to an entity.  The State Machine Diagram is a separate .EAP diagram. If I copy it in, I can get it to appear as a diagram under the entity.  But then I have to copy it each time it changes.  If I link to the file, then I don't get the state machine diagram in the class diagram.

Is there a way to link in documents and have them display as diagrams in the "root" diagram.
[original message]

[qwerty]

Nice. And what do you understand as being an Enterprise Architect Project?

If you wan't help, it's important that others understand your problem. And as you did not attach your glossary I need to poke where it's foggy.

q.
[original message]

[AdamR]

Sorry about not being clear, let me start over, hopefully this helps:

EAP to me is the file type of an Enterprise Architect project.
An Enterprise Architect Project is a project container for models and sub-models.

For this Project we have a Domain model and a Data model off the root model.  The domain model contains Domain Objects.  Of which one of the classes represents a state machine.  I have a state machine diagram that our product manager has developed in EA, but in another model, separate EAP file.  I need to get that into our domain model and make it a sub - model of the state machine entity.  I can copy it in, but that is only a copy and when he changes it, I am not updated.  I can also link to it, but that is just a file link and does not display when I drill down into project browser.  Therefore, I must launch a new EA in this context to view it.  I would like to link it in like in Powerpoint where you  link in an Excel doc and when an analyst updates that doc, it updates in your power point.  
[original message]

[qwerty]

That's clearer indeed.

What you should not do is to mix up container and contents. Important is the contents. According to that you should decide about the format of the container. (N.B.: I should remember the posts regarding this topic...)

Of course I can only make (my preferred) suggestion, but here it goes. Have your master modeller VC his repository. Either by using native EA mechanism (which has timing drawbacks) or by manual checkout/export XML/check in. It depends whether you take the whole model or you break it down into several packages. There are too many factors to decide on the fly. Now all users of this domain model import those branch(es) into their own EAP where they can reference at wish. Whenever a new version of the domain model is checked in they can update these VC branch(es) while the references are kept.

Note that you can only make references to the domain model. If others than the main domain modelers creates references the other way you will get in trouble. Also if you use classes from the domain model in local sequence diagrams without creating instances. Also, if the domain model has reference data like images of a glossary you need to synch these manually.

Some people suggest replication for such configuration, but honestly, this is MS Access Replication. I wouldn't trust it as far as I can throw it.

You should not underestimate the effort needed to work out a proper configuration management. Likely you will need a couple of steps until your train gets rolling. Hiring a consultant could be beneficial but it depends which one you get...

What you need: good luck, a lot of patience and a good backup strategy.

q.
[original message]

[Lotz@localhost Paul Lotz]

Version control the packages in the source model (at the layer where you need to access them individually).  Add the packages you need to the destination model.  You can use EA's built-in version control mechanism for this.
[original message]