Reusable Asset Service (RAS) in Sparx Enterprise Architect

• Sparx Enterprise Architect supports the Reusable Asset Service feature, which offers a straightforward and practical method for modelers to share or download reusable model structures, information, as well as corporate directives and standards.
• Distributed teams can access the shared repository as it will be connected to Pro Cloud Server.
• The RAS gives distributed teams convenient access to a single ‘source of truth’ for shared data, including project milestones, architectural frameworks, and industry standards.

Reusable Assets

Pro Cloud Server repository encompasses a Reusable Asset Storage.

Reusable Assets can consist of:

• Packages containing elements, diagrams and structures (as drawn from any point within the Browser window).
• A variety of text, coding, and graphic file types, such as.qea and.eap files.

Figure :1 Reusable Asset Service

Key-Feature in RAS

Features	Description
Register Assets	The assets that can be created include: ●      Packages – including diagrams and subordinate Packages ●      Baseline Packages ●      Files
Browse Assets	Any user, regardless of password protection, can freely browse and identify the contents of a Package held in a Storage – including displaying the diagrams – without importing the material into a model.
Import Content	Any user with access to the Pro Cloud Server repository and a password (if required), can import an Asset into their repository.
Dependencies	Any dependencies within a stored Package are viewable, providing a quick means to visually see what the Asset requires.
View Diagrams	Any diagrams set in an Asset are logged and can be viewed providing a quick means to check and visually compare the Asset diagrams against updates to diagrams in the current model.
Compare	Where a user that has imported an Asset Package into their model, they can compare their model Package against any version of the Asset Package, to check for and assess any differences between them.
Required Technologies	For a Package Asset that has specific Technologies these are displayed for clarification of what is required on importing the Asset.
Reviews	Reviews and comments can be posted against a Package.

Five simple steps to compare/merge between versions using RAS in Sparx Enterprise Architect :

1. Creating a RAS repository using PCS.
2. Configuring the RAS in the Main Repository and registering the assets in the Main Repository.
3. Import branches to other local repository by configuring the same RAS in that repository.
4. Make some changes in the local repository and register it in RAS configuration.
5. Compare/merge/restore the changes from RAS configuration to Baseline repository.

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.

Sparx Enterprise Architect is a powerful modeling platform that helps organizations to create and manage their models. It also provides a range of features such as EA Word Importer, which helps in integrating Microsoft Office documents with the models created using Sparx Enterprise Architect.

Key features in MDG Integration for Microsoft Office – Word Importer

• Word Importer offers a powerful interface for instantly converting Word documents into Enterprise Architect model elements.
• The tool brings Requirements, Use Cases, Glossary, Processes, Classes, Connectors, and other data from Word documents into Enterprise Architect as model elements, Connectors, and Tagged Values.
• It greatly reduces the time and effort involved to translate the information available in requirements documents, use case documents, test plan documents, etc.

Introducing the Interface

Word Importer lets users import Word documents in four simple steps.

1. Select the word document that contains the information to be imported.
2. Choose the profile that has been defined for the particular document.
3. Preview the model contents to be imported.
4. Click Import to create model elements in Enterprise Architect from the selected word document.

 

Figure 1. Word Importer Interface

Word Importer Interface provides a step-by-step approach for mapping items like section tables and delimited name-value pairs from Word Documents to model Enterprise Architect elements and properties through profiles.

Profile Mapping

• Profile mapping helps to map the word document styles and structured information to Enterprise Architect Object & its Properties.
• Profile is reusable for all Word documents which are in similar structures.

Figure 2. Word File Getting Started.

Step 1. Get Started

Get started wizard is categorized into three sections:

• Profile Information
• Element Properties
• Element Definitions Table (Excel-like).

Profile Information

Basic information about the profile – Profile Name, Description, and Word document path.

Element Properties Mapping

It gives users the flexibility to map additional details in Word documents as Element Properties.  The additional details in the Word document are expected to be given as name-value pairs separated by delimiters.  Delimiters symbols can also be provided in the “Delimited by” field.

The delimited name-value pairs could be.

Element Definition table (Excel)

It allows the user to select whether the table information provided in Word Document contains Headers in the first row or Headers in the first column.  The below-mentioned options are available in the Element Definition Table section.

• None
• Excel-like tables with a header in the first row
• Excel-like tables with a header in the first column

Step 2. Map Headings

It allows users to map the document headings to the corresponding Sparx Enterprise Architect Element types.

Step 3. Map Properties

The Map Properties window lists all unique properties identified across the word document. Users can map these identified properties to the corresponding Sparx Enterprise Architect Element properties.

Note: Configure Connectors – This button should be enabled only when a user needs to map any of the columns as a “connector” in the EA Element Property. By default, the connector has some pre-selected values to import when using this button.

More Properties – In the EA Element Property column, we have an option called More Properties. By selecting ‘More Properties ‘from the drop-down, it displays ‘Additional Properties ‘.

In ‘Additional Properties ‘, the Properties drop box contains,

• Tagged Values
• Use case
• Glossary

Step 4. Map Tables

It allows the user to specify how element definitions specified in table format in the Word Document are mapped during the import process.

Step 5.Set Hierarchy

It creates a hierarchical structure in the Project Browser while importing from the Word document that reflects the structure of the model.  This helps to keep documents organized and easily accessible, improve collaboration among stakeholders, and better manage project tasks and issues.

Step 6. Review and create

It provides a summary of the mappings defined in the profile as well as a preview of the final model structure corresponding to the sample document.

 By following six simple steps, EA Word Importer allows us to create a profile successfully.  The Created Profile should be chosen in the EA Word Importer starting interface (refer Figure 1).  Using this Profile, allows the user to create EA Artifacts and their relationships from Word Document as displayed below.

Figure 3. Import Word Document as EA Artifacts using MDG Integration – Word 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.

Time is a key aspect of the virtual world, and it is also a concern in models that represent the world. Time Aware Modeling is a powerful and expressive technique for defining and visualizing how model changes over time. The technique works by allowing a modeler to clone a package, diagram or element in a model also maintaining traceability to both earlier and later versions of model elements.

Key-Feature Benefits

• Easier to Analyse “As-Is” and “To-Be” model versions.
• Make updates to later versions without changing the ‘As-Is’ diagrams.
• Gain more control over how your entire model developed and that can be tracked.
• Create traceability diagrams that show each phase of the evolution of the elements.

Figure 1: Clone Structure as New Version

New Improvements in Sparx Enterprise Architect v16.1

• Exposed Interface element types are copied with cloned diagrams.
• Fixed error when cloning an element with embedded elements on a diagram enabled with ‘Collapse Embedded Elements’ option
• Traces created using abstraction connectors between cloned elements are showcased as a unique meaning in the traceability window.
• Annotation Elements are now cloneable artifacts.
• Support for Time Aware Modeling Version Structure branching has been included, along with support for Connectors to Connectors.

The basis of time-aware modeling is to clone a Package structure (Packages and diagrams only) as a new version, and then to replace specific portions of the old version with new elements and relationships using either the “Clone as New Version” capability or merely adding new material to the model as needed.

Note: This approach maintains traceability to both earlier and subsequent work while allowing for very selective incremental model adjustment or development.

Figure 2:Traceability Window

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.

Quicklinkers is a popular and helpful capability for developing domain-specific MDG technologies. Each rule has its own set of characteristics, such as specified connectors between stereotypes, filtering in classifiers, defining stereotyped Relationship between stereotypes, and so on.

In the UML profile, each rule may be constructed between the stated stereotypes. Methods for defining Quicklinkers rules are

• Meta-Constraint
• Meta-Relationship
• Stereotyped Relationship

            Figure 1.  Methods for Quicklinkers

Meta-Constraint

• A Meta-Constraint specifies a rule between two specified Stereotypes.
• The value should be assigned in the tag ‘umlRole’ on the meta-constraint connection.

To create a Meta-Constraint

• In the below example we are extendinggeneralizing two stereotypes named Application and ApplicationInstance from ArchiMate_ApplicationComponent.
• Creating a new meta-constraint with type filter between the created stereotypes.
• The created meta-constraint will be used to specify the type for the target Stereotype element when it is dropped from the Browser window into a diagram.

Figure 2.  MetaConstraints

Figure 2.1  Profile MetaConstraints

Figure 2.2 – Creating MetaConstraints

Figure 2.3  Pasting the Constraints

Figure 2.4  Added MetaConstraints

Meta-Relationship

A valid UML Connector between two defined Stereotypes is specified using Meta-Relationship.

The name of the UML Connector should be set in the value of the tag ‘metaclass’ on the Meta-Relationship connector.

To create Meta- Relationship

• Creating a new metarelation with Association connector between the created stereotypes.
• The created metarelation will be used to create an Association connector in quick links.

Figure 3: MetaRelationship

Figure 3.1  Profile MetaRelationship

Figure 3.2   Adding the Meta Relationship QuickLinker

Figure 3.3   Meta Relationship Created.

Stereotyped Relationship

Stereotyped Relationship defines a stereotyped connection between two specified Stereotypes.

The name of the stereotyped connection is set in the value of the tag ‘stereotype’ on the Stereotyped Relationship connector.

To create Stereotyped Relationship

• Create a new stereotyped relationship between the already defined element stereotypes.
• The created stereotyped relationship will be used to connect the target stereotype element with created connector stereotype – composedOf

Figure 4.  Stereotyped Relationship

Figure 4.1  Profile Stereotyped Relationship.

Figure 4.2  Added Stereotyped Relationship.

Figure 4.3  Creating Elements using Stereotyped Quicklinks.

Figure 4.4  Stereotype Relationship Created.

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.

Sparx Enterprise Architect can be used to capture business requirements, develop and manage all subsequent models, algorithms, process flows and workflows, design business data objects, and create other artifacts. 

The capacity to connect the components of all models to one another is the key strength of Sparx system’s Enterprise Architect, the more time analysts and designers spend in creating attractive, well specified models, the greater the potential future benefit from any further changes to the systems. 

Jama Integration with Sparx Enterprise Architect

• Jama Connect is a cutting-edge, team-based system for managing requirements and tests. It helps engineering, and software development teams to keep updated (in real-time) about their requirements and test plans throughout the course of a project.
• Jama integration through Pro cloud server is an amazing feature offered by Sparx Enterprise Architect.
• The seamless integration offers real-time synchronous access to the Enterprise Architect repositories. From any location in the world, users can work on the same model concurrently.

Key highlights of the Sparx Enterprise Architect integration with Jama

• Teams may connect Jama Connect with their ALM, PLM, development, and QA tools using Sparx Enterprise Architect.
• Connect with resources like QATest or Microsoft Project.
• Requirements and test cases between Jama Connect and Sparx Enterprise architect can be seamlessly synchronized between tools.
• Enhance collaboration, visibility, and traceability across your organization.
• Architect teams adopting a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodology can preserve Live Traceability inside Jama Connect while being integrated into another best-of-breed solution.

New Enhancements in Jama Integration with Sparx Enterprise Architect 16

• Enhanced Type and Field Mapping in System Integration.
• Optimized loading time of System Integration Comments tab in Inspector window
• Sync fields to newly created items.
• Improved tooltips for the System Integration windows navigation breadcrumb control.

Quick Jama Integration through PCS in 3-simple steps

• Open “Sparx Systems Pro Cloud Server Configuration Client”. Select the Add button in the Database Managers tab to add a database. Enable the Pro Feature for the database to enable Jama Integration under custom integration. Other third-party applications can also be integrated with the EA Cloud Model.
• Go to the Integration tab and create a Data Providers profile. Set a unique port for SBPI.exe, which is used for Integration feature, and enable Integration Feature.
• Select Add in Data Providers and Enter the required information.

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.

• The MDG Integration for Microsoft Office enables users to quickly import the data created in Microsoft Word & Excel documents within Sparx Enterprise Architect. 
• Sparx EA Users can easily upgrade existing static documents into rich traceable models with the help of MDG Integration for Microsoft Office.
• Users can automatically associate Sparx Enterprise Architect element properties and tagged values with the appropriate document sections and tables with ease. 
• With the new version of MDG office a key feature for SysML Requirement elements is added. The “SysML Requirements on Excel” feature would be a fantastic addition for System Engineering Users.

Key features in SysML Requirement in MDG office Integration 

• Import & Export a large amount of SysML requirements data from Excel, which avoids manual error.
• With the latest SysML requirement editor, Users can export the mapping data (derived SysML requirements) from their EA model to Excel in a Relationship matrix style, providing a convenient analysis of how the requirements are related to each other within the EA model.
• Users can easily push the contents of SysML Requirements from an Excel document to an EA or vice versa by selecting “SysML Requirement Manager” from the Feature menu.

SysML Requirements in Enterprise Architect

Using the “SysML Requirements on Excel” menu, users can export the data of SysML Requirement elements gathered in the EA Model as Excel documents.

Figure 1   –  SysML Requirements on Excel Feature

• Exported SysML Requirements data/information from Sparx Enterprise Architect contains the Name with its predefined properties id & text in the Requirements sheet.
• In the case of Requirement Matrix sheet, resembles a relationship matrix style contains Derived Requirements (mapped information of specific SysML Requirements).

Figure 2   –  SysML Requirements – Exported Information

Figure 3   –  SysML Requirements – Matrix Information

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.

In Sparx Enterprise Architect, the tagged values are exported and they are imported into Prolaborate as custom properties. In Prolaborate V4.2, we can import the tagged values xml file which is exported from Sparx EA. Custom colours can be applied for the Enumeration Tagged value.

• Create Tagged Value type from Predefined Types in EA.
  • Refer to the below Link for creating the tagged values: https://sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/15.2/modeling/predefinedtaggedvaluetypes.html

• Export the Tagged value from Sparx EA
  • Once the tagged values are created, select “Configure > Transfer > Export Reference Data…” in Ribbon.
  • In the “Export Reference Data” window, Check the UML Types a Tagged Value Types and click Export button.

• Import the Tagged value in Prolaborate
  • Under Menu, select the “Modelling Languages”.
  • In the Modelling Languages window, Select the “Custom Properties” (Top Right Corner).
  • Select the “Import Custom Property” option in the Custom Properties window and choose the exported EA tagged value XML file.

• Add the Custom Property to corresponding UML Type element or Technology Type element.
  • Go to Modelling Languages and select the corresponding technology, For example ArchiMate 3.1 and select Default Profile.
  • Select the corresponding Stereotype Name to which the tagged values needs to be updated from the profile list.
  • Next, Add the New Group to the Form Designer (by clicking the ‘+’ icon), then drag and drop the tagged value from the Custom Properties.
  • Next, click save and go to the home page, To check for the default colour that is applied for the tagged value, select the appropriate stereotype (to which the tagged values is assigned) in the Prolaborate Project Browser.

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.

• The ability to examine the specifics of a single element, whether it is stored in the current model or in an external data source, is made possible by the Inspector window. 
• In most cases, the window has a “Details” tab that lists all the features and traits that apply to the element type. 
• Even if they don’t have any items, the categories of features and attributes are listed. 
• The Inspector window has got a new update on the latest release of EA 16. Let’s understand this new feature.

What’s new in Sparx Enterprise Architect 16?

• The Inspector window’s “Status” tab now gives a brief summary of the status and priority of each element of the “Requirement” type in a diagram. 
• With the aid of this triage tool, you can clearly see what can wait/ what can take a backseat while concentrating on what is most crucial right now.

Key Features

• Display a list of all diagram elements.
• Pay attention to each element’s Status, and Priority settings.
• Concentrate on the most critical challenges.
• To drive modeling and design, add Priority, and Status types to the model.

Note: The Priority tab is available for Requirement, Feature, Change, Issue

A section in the “Status” tab of a diagram contains the information of artifacts. They are as follows:

• Element name
• Status icon
• Priority icon

Status Types

 A workflow step or a significant turning point in project management procedures like business analysis or product development can be determined by an element’s status. One can choose from the below mentioned stages that are available in the drop down list.

• Approved
• Implemented
• Mandatory
• Proposed  and
• Validated.

Note: Any of these parameters can be supplemented or altered with your own unique values. Additionally, you can specify the types of elements that can display the type of each status associated with color band.

Customize element properties using the General Types window

When you add or modify an element’s properties, you can specify the type or status of the property by choosing from a drop-down list that initially includes values provided by the system. Any of these system settings can be supplemented or altered with your own unique values. Properties like Status, Constraint, Constraint Status, Difficulty, Priority, Test Status, requirement, Scenario and Maintenance Status can also be customized.

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.

• The Code Analyzer is a must-have tool when working with source code. It runs extremely complex queries on source code repositories at incredible speeds, when used locally or on a Sparx Intel cloud service.
• The Code analyzer uses a high-level query language developed by Sparx systems. It also has a large vocabulary that allows code metrics to be queried quicker than traditional methods.
• It is highly effective for large-scale code bases. This is because it allows the user to rigorously check any minor changes using a distinct cross-reference analysis of the code to verify that all effects are clearly visible.

Code Miner Framework

• In Sparx Enterprise Architect 16, users can compile their code base into a Code Miner repository. Code Miner system provides instant and comprehensive access to existing source code information.
• It enables complete access to all features of the original source code in a machine-readable manner. This is done by parsing all source code and storing the resulting “Abstract Syntax Tree” in a read-optimized database.
• The main purpose of the Code miner is to give quick and effective access to data concealed within the source code.
• The interfaces have been designed to be as simple as possible while ensuring optimal performance.
• As a result, the system can assess the program’s structure, calculate metrics, track relationships, and even refactor the code.

What’s New in Sparx Enterprise Architect 16?

Sparx Intel Service

• The Sparx Intel service program enables development projects and customers to learn more about the code bases and software frameworks they’re working with.
• Multiple Enterprise Architect customers can use the service to access and (raise a query for the same data) query the same data from a variety of software domains and frameworks.
• Clients of Enterprise Architect can use the service to have access to Intelli-sense in code editing and smart search results in search tools.
• The Sparx Intel service is a division of Sparx Satellite Services. The service can be installed on a local network or in the cloud, plus it runs on Microsoft Windows.
• The Sparx Intel Satellite service can be executed as a standalone process or as a Windows service.

Config File Format

Directive	Description
Name	When a service is named on the command line, the service with the matching name attribute will commence.
Status	The service will be starting only when status = ON
Lazyload	When lazyload is ‘true’, any Code Miner database will delay loaded until an Intel request is made to the service.
Loglevel	Defines the level of information logged, as a combination of keywords { information, warning, error} separated by a ‘|’.  For example:      loglevel= Information|warning|error
Logoutput	Specifies the full pathname of the log file to write to. For example:      logoutput=c:\logfiles\intel-service-project1.log
Database	Specifies the full path name of the Code Miner database to be loaded. For example:      database=c:\intel–service\project1.cdb Multiple ‘database’ directives are allowed, each specifying a different database.
Allow	Identifies the IP address that is permitted to connect to the service on the Port. For example:      allow=localhost      allow=127.0.0.1      allow=172.160.*  (wildcards are allowed when the ‘network’                                   the directive has a value of ‘network’ or ‘public’,                                   but not ‘local’)
Network	Allows service connections to be restricted. local – the service can’t be heard on any connection other than localhost network – when used with the wildcard ‘allow’ directives, it allows clients on an allowed IP address wild card to connect pubic – allows any connection
Show	When ‘true’, the Console window for the service will be shown; the default is ‘false’.
Port	The Port on which the service will be heard.

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.

Enterprise Architect Version 16  has undergone significant changes, plenty of enhancements, and an array of new features is made available to the users which will fulfill their expectations.

Here’s a gist of the new features that will entice users to upgrade their Enterprise Architect to the newest edition.

New and expanded collaborative tools

Enterprise Architect now includes a new set of Collaboration tools to provide a rich, collaborative team-based modeling approach. 

• Chat with team members in real time. 
• Keep a diary based personal model to record thoughts, ideas, and experiences.
• Model based Mail allows communication with other modelers and groups.
• Element Journal keeps track of ad hoc thoughts and ideas on a daily basis.
• Create topics for formal element Discussions and respond to them.
• The Enhanced Review Systems, provide, collect, and manage formal feedback.

Collaborate tools have been restructured into the following new windows

• ‘Chat & Mail’: Chat, Mail, Diary, Recent.
• ‘Discuss & Review’: Journal, Discuss, Review.
• ‘Discuss & Review History’: Journals, Discussions, Reviews.

Journals, Reviews, and Discussions for effective team collaboration

Simplified model reviews, reduces project timeline in half. Hardcoded review indicators for determining the status types of review artifacts. The improved user interface allows users to join an active review and leave a review on closing the model. Filter the reviews based on the status of the discussion, approval status, priority, and most recent replies.

Construct History window

New Construct History window allows the user to keep track of the work in real time. Maintain an up-to-date picture of resource/task allocation, current testing, and current maintenance concerns. Whether the user is tracking software development, model design, deployment, project management, or any other situation, the Construct History keeps the user up to date on daily progress and development. A crucial management perspective for validating and guiding models and initiatives as they develop.

Enhanced Auditing

Enterprise Architect 16 has a faster auditing feature that ensures model quality is maintained swiftly, as well as agile change management. Model administrators and managers will have a better understanding of the changes. Track down changes and simply study and search for important model changes over time. Find out who made a change to an element, keep track of changes over time, and keep up with changes made by an offshore team.

Prime control over user permissions

Sparx Enterprise Architect 16 enhances the model governance by making it much more secure to safeguard your model/project. From Release 16.0 onwards, in the Corporate, Unified, and Ultimate Editions, if security is enabled, access restrictions can be applied to specific users and groups, to prevent certain actions. Prevents data loss in the model/project at the user level on top of the model security authorization and also prevents the unwanted destruction of model data. Aimed at preventing the inadvertent deletion of model content.

Auto-Refresh Diagrams

In real time, the new Auto-Refresh diagram feature makes the standard Enterprise Architect diagram as a shared whiteboard, allowing users to collaborate and co-author diagrams. Set a time period for Auto-Refresh on the diagram and allow the team to keep track of changes as they occur. By combining Chat, Discussions, and/or Review, users can create their own real-time, distributed, and dynamic modeling environment.

Auto-Reload changed Diagrams

New Auto Reload functionality in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect ensures the diagram you’re working on is the most recent version. One can reload any diagrams that are open while others make modifications by enabling this functionality in Enterprise Architect. Enables quick communication with coworkers and ensures that the graphical reports provided by EA are up to date.

Grid Style – Make a spreadsheet out of your diagram

Enterprise Architect has always allowed modelers to customize the appearance and position of elements in diagrams, and the New Grid Style Diagram option allows you to manage and organize diagrams by sorting diagram elements into cells within a grid. Users can create a spreadsheet, a dashboard, or even a home page for a model with a new Grid Style Diagram. The grid capability works together with the new scripting API to make it easier to dynamically change the look of diagram parts when the diagram is loaded.

Scriptlets – A Step Beyond Static View

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect 16 now includes a New Scriptlet element that provides a dynamic view of the diagram. Scriptlet is a JavaScript-based powerhouse that allows users to access the underlying diagram and element API for customizing element appearance, text, tagged values, and other properties. Scriptlets are executed automatically when the diagram containing them is reloaded or they can be executed manually on demand.

Each Scriptlet has access to three global objects in addition to the standard automation environment. They are:

• theDiagram – an automation Diagram interface to the diagram on which the Scriptlet resides
• theElement – an automation Element interface to the Scriptlet artifact itself
• theInstance – an automation DiagramObject interface to the Scriptlet artifact itself

New features in Custom Documentation

One of the major changes in version 15 has been improved to provide an even more compelling solution for creating highly customizable reports. Some of the major improvements include in version 16:

• Ability to choose and use a template when creating a new document.
• More information on how to set up the sections
• Improved content list, which now includes the element and template for each dynamic part.
• During document generation, a progress indicator will bring better feedback.
• Warnings are now displayed when data is lost when updating a dynamic part.
• Diagram toolbox can now be used to create custom document elements.
• Numerous improvements and usability improvements have been made.
• Expansive and easily accessible tips to assist.

External Data tab in Inspector window

PCS-based integrations with other systems like Jira give a multi-faceted view of the modeler’s data. A genuinely global perspective is supported by building model elements based on constructions and entities stored in other systems.

The Inspector window’s “External Data” tab has been improved to allow users to go even further into the information saved outside and connected to the model’s “proxy” element. It’s a useful and necessary tool for integrating the model with external systems. It now adds the ability to view comments from external data entities in Enterprise Architect’s Notes window.

Enhanced Technologies

Customizable Quick Access Toolbar

Add favorite and often used Ribbon commands (including menu buttons) to the new Quick Access Toolbar. Instant access to everything the user needs for the job. Full Screen and WorkSpace layout buttons are present by default.

• Build up own set of handy tools.
• Choose “Add to Quick Access Toolbar” from the context menu when the user right-click on a Ribbon item.
• Easy to use and effective

64-Bit Application Support

Enterprise Architect has been significantly redesigned into a brand new 64-bit version as well as a legacy 32-bit version. The new 64-bit version has several speed enhancements to deal with significantly bigger data sets, reports, files, and repositories. A clear, quick, and scalable system capable of handling the most difficult and complicated jobs.

With the future increasingly concentrating on 64-bit platforms, Enterprise Architect is poised to face the challenge and produce amazing outcomes in record speed.

• Increase memory capacity.
• In comparison to 32 bit processing, 64 bit processing is more efficient.
• Larger report creation jobs can be supported.
• Larger XMI import/export operations are supported.
• Larger diagrams can now be exported and saved.
• Larger Simulations can be built and run.
• Large Code Miner databases can be built and searched.
• Benefit from the functionality and features of the 64-bit operating system.

New standard file based repositories

Enterprise Architect 16 includes new file-based standard repositories.

• QEA files – Fundamental personal file-based version.
• QEAX files – Shared files with tiny workgroups are supported.

The new QEA/QEAX “mini-repository” is based on the tried-and-true, secure, and open source SQLite database. These serverless repositories are compatible with Enterprise Architect 16 32 and 64 bit editions. QEA/QEAX files are the most basic and straightforward starting point for your personal/workgroup modeling design journey. With support for basic replication and simple shared model access, a QEA mini-repository will be the preferred starting place for many modelers.

Simplified way of connecting New and existing DBMS

In addition to the previous connection methods that required additional ODBC or OLEDB drivers to be loaded, Enterprise Architect 16 adds a “native” connection mechanism to both 32 and 64 bit versions. The native connection approach makes it easier to connect to current and new database repositories without having to install drivers for each DBMS or establish DSNs. EA connects to the database once the user enters all of the database’s details on the Native Connection window.

Code Engineering

When the ‘Search Intelli-sense’ context menu option is selected in an Enterprise Architect code editor, Enterprise Architect no longer displays a submenu with all the mysql queries named in the Sparx query library, but instead acts on the search term using the query selected in the ‘Intel’ tab of the ‘Find In Files’ control. New C++17 language features are supported, as well as round-tripping the context specifier on a variable or function.

• Create a Code Miner repository from a code base.
• Use one of the language grammars provided.
• To find and analyze the code, use the MySQL query language.
• Even with enormous code bases, results are returned in milliseconds.
• Connect to EA’s code editors to give on-the-fly assistance. 
• Make a code base available as a service, either locally or remotely.
• Updates that are quick and have a low impact only contribute fresh modifications and additions to the compilation
• To parse any structured data and to create own grammar.

Expanded JavaScript Library

The new default scripting language for Enterprise Architect 16 has been changed to Javascript.  The current VBScript and JScript libraries have been moved to JavaScript as part of this upgrade. The new examples and libraries make it easy to get started with scripting. JavaScript is the best (and sometimes only) solution for model-based add-ins, scriptlets, generic script code, simulation element behavior, and other similar applications. JavaScript is the greatest choice for developing dynamic model-based code to fine-tune and bring the model to life. It is one of the world’s most popular coding languages. The new routines and examples library is an excellent place to start.

Gantt Chart view in Resource Allocation window

The revised Resource Allocation docked window now works as a Gantt Chart, giving users a better visual experience while assigning and managing jobs in the model.

• Get a clear picture of what’s going on with any element.
• Drag and drop to quickly change the start and end dates.
• It’s simple to add and change tasks.
• On work items, the user can zoom in and out.
• For rapid visual reference, percent completion is placed on tasks.

Native XEA file exchange format

A new quick and convenient alternative to XMI and XML formats for big package data sharing. Using the XEA format speeds up model archiving as well as the export and import of Enterprise Architect repositories.

New UI theme – Dark Sapphire

Introducing “Dark Sapphire,” a new dark aesthetic style meant to reduce visual contrast and give a more comfortable reading experience. The new theme may be applied to all Enterprise Architect panels and visual controls.

Choose the Dark Sapphire option as the Theme in the Visual Style settings for any of the following:

• Microsoft® Office 2016,
• Microsoft® Office 2019, 
• Microsoft® Visual Studio 2013 or
• Microsoft® Visual Studio 2019

New Model Patterns for Systems Engineers

With the addition of new model patterns, you can jumpstart your Systems Design. Enterprise Architect 16’s library of reusable patterns and content that fosters efficiency and productivity continues to grow. In System Design, you have quick and easy access to popular modeling situations.

• AUTOSAR
• SysML patterns
• Modelica case studies
• DMN patterns
• Scriptlets
• SysPhS library
• Octave Solver

Introducing NIEM 5

A model-based approach to the development of standardized NIEM schemas that can be used and reused will be employed to achieve trustworthy information exchange. Begin by importing the most recent NIEM 5.0 reference model from the Model wizard. The beginning model patterns and the reference model make core and domain-specific terminology readily available, assisting in the development of common vocabularies and guaranteeing efficient information sharing between businesses.

Status tab in Inspector window

Examine and analyze the status and priority of all items in a diagram quickly. A useful triage tool for determining what is urgent and what can wait.

• Display a list of all diagram elements.
• Pay attention to each element’s Status and Priority settings.
• Concentrate on the most critical challenges.
• To drive modeling and design, add Priority and Status types to the model.

Note: The property Priority is available for Requirement, Feature, Change, Issue.

Configuring AutoName using stereotype

Auto-naming has been enhanced to target specific element types as well as stereotypes. For example, Users may now specify Auto-Naming for standard Requirements independently from SysML Requirements by choosing both the stereotype and the type.

• Improved control over the automatic naming of new components
• Distinguish between elements based on both element type and stereotype.
• Similar kinds from various profiles are auto-named in their own distinctive way.

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.