copy/paste in activity diagram

[Michael Lindner]

Hi,

I am using starUML to create bpm with activity diagrams. I have already read this (http://staruml.sourceforge.net/docs/user-guide%28en%29/ch04.html) but I just dont get it..
I always get the information that views in clipboard cannot be pasted in this diagram. In diffretn diagram types it works totaly fine to copy/paste elements in the main view.

So how does it works?

Thanks in advance

Michael

[StarUML]

Hi Michael,

Which version of StarUML are you using? You're reading old version's user guide. Here is user guide of new version: http://docs.staruml.io

"Copy and paste" have different meaning in Diagram Area and Model Explorer. In Diagram Area, "copy and paste" means copy view elements and paste view elements, but in Model Explorer, means copy model elements and paste model elements. In some diagrams including Activity Diagram, Statechart Diagram, Sequence Diagram, StarUML do not allow copy and paste of view elements in order to keep only one view element for a model element. This policy is to prevent confusion caused by multiple views of actions, states, lifelines. As we know, other UML modeling tools are also have similar policies. To understand the difference between model element and view element, please read here: http://docs.staruml.io/en/latest/basic-concepts.html#model-vs-diagram.

Thanks,

StarUML Team

2015년 10월 14일 수요일 오후 8시 56분 4초 UTC+9, Michael Lindner 님의 말:

[Neutrino]

I'm trying to create a flowchart.

I create one process element. I couldn't just drag it on the drawing canvas, I had to first click it on the tool palette, then click somewhere on the canvas. Because I couldn't drag it on, I didn't get a preview of where it would end up, so I also had to adjust its initial position after I created it.

Then I enter some text and resize the element it to make it look right.

Now I want to create another process element. I want it to be the same size as the existing element, so rather than creating one the default size and having to adjust it, I try to copy the existing process element that is already the size I want.

I try CTRL+drag.
Nope.

I try right click 'Copy' then 'Paste'.
Nope. 'Views in clipboard cannot be pasted in this diagram'.

I read some docs.

I learn that this is another one of those tools that insists on having this in your face notion of a 'model' associated with every diagram, and that as a consequence of this decision every tiny little task is going to be either 10 times harder than it needs to be, or will just be impossible.

Why?

Of what value to me is this in my face representation of a model when all I want to do is create a flowchart or a class diagram? It doesn't give me any benefit. I'm doing this task because I want the diagram, I don't care whether the tool that created the diagram maintains some notion of a model associated with that. In the case of a class diagram I might want to generate some code (although that's unlikely). But the enforced existence of this model and the UI constraints that come with it are such that it makes it so difficult to create the diagram I want that it utterly defeats the point.

30 minutes later I try something else.

[StarUML]

Hi Neutrino,

Thank you for your feedback! That is the main difference between modeling tools and drawing tools. Anyway, your opinion is reasonable, so we will try to research to make easier to use for users who are not familiar with modeling concepts.

Thanks,

StarUML Team

2017년 5월 23일 화요일 오후 11시 37분 8초 UTC+9, Neutrino 님의 말:

[Trinity]

It is the better part of a decade later and this still hasn't been cleared up or implemented.

Why in the world can't I even copy and paste annotations?

"That is the main difference between modeling tools and drawing tools"

This just comes off as lazy design. While there are situations where the two tools are mutually exclusive in their functionality, copying and pasting annotations is not the case.