Add-insSparx Systems Enterprise Architect
Connectors, which link elements, are commonly described as lines on diagrams showing how the elements relate to one another. In natural languages, the Connectors are verbs that define how the nouns relate to each other if the elements are nouns. Now, we’ll take a closer look at importing the connector information using MDG Integration in Enterprise Architect.
MDG Integration for Microsoft Office – Excel Importer
The Excel Importer tool allows the user to import Excel workbook contents as model elements. It also involves adding/updating UML Elements, Connectors, Attributes, Methods, Test Scripts, Use Cases, Glossary, and Tagged Values to Enterprise Architect.
Profiles are used to define the mapping between the Excel document and the Enterprise Architect model
Two types of profiles are supported by the Excel Importer
- Object profile – Allows the user to import the Object and its properties into Enterprise Architect Model.
- Connector profile – Allows the user to import Connector and its properties to the existing objects in the Enterprise Architect Model.
Recalibrate Connector Information using Connector Profile
The connectors between the model elements are shown in the image below. (Connector Name, Stereotype, Alias, etc.,) needs to be updated for connectors using MDG Integration – Excel Importer.
Figure.1 Model Elements with Connectors.
The below image displays the excel sheet with connector information to be updated between the specific model elements. The Connectors largely depend on the source GUID and target GUID since they specify how the elements are related to each other.
Note: Source GUID and Target GUID are mandatory to create and Connector GUID is mandatory to update the Connector.
Figure 2. Connector informatin in Excel
Mapping Connector Information in Connector Profile
The Connector Information in the excel is to be mapped to the appropriate EA Connector Property by using a drop-down list and select ‘more properties’ options (Connector Source & Target Information)
Figure 3. Connector Profile Property Mapping.
You can update the below properties for the connectors that are imported into the model.
| Connector Information | SourceInformation | TargetInformation | Constraints |
| Alias | Source_Access, | Target_Access, | Pre-Condition |
| Name | Source_Aggregation, | Target_Aggregation, | Post-Condition |
| Notes | Source_Alias, | Target_Alias, | |
| Source | Source_AllowDuplicates, | Target_AllowDuplicates, | |
| SourceGUID | Source_Changeable, | Target_Changeable, | |
| Stereotype | Source_Constraints, | Target_Constraints, | |
| Style | Source_Containment, | Target_Containment, | |
| Target | Source_Derived, | Target_Derived, | |
| TargetGUID | Source_DerivedUnion, | Target_DerivedUnion, | |
| GUID | Source_MemberType, | Target_MemberType, | |
| Tagged values | Source_Multiplicity, | Target_Multiplicity, | |
| Source_Navigability, | Target_Navigability, | ||
| Source_Ordered, | Target_Ordered, | ||
| Source_Owned, Source_Role, | Target_Owned, Target_Role, | ||
| Source_RoleType, | Target_RoleType, | ||
| Source_Scope, | Target_Scope, | ||
| Source_Stereotype, | Target_Stereotype, | ||
| Source_Qualifiers | Target_Qualifiers |
After importing the Excel using the created Connector profile, the connector Name, Stereotype, and Alias information are updated for its respective connector.
Figure 4. Updated Connector Information using MDG Integration – Excel Importer.
Further Information :
Please contact us or write an email to info@sparxsystems.in to have a live demo about the new EA 16 features and capabilities.