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Dr. Konrad Wieland
Dr. Konrad Wieland
LieberLieber Software GmbH (Consultant)Tutorials: Optmistic Model Versioning for Enterprise Architect Models
Software and Systems Engineering, as any other interdisciplinary activity, requires the ability and means to build systems which are so large and complex that they have to be built by teams or even by teams of teams of engineers. In combination with a model-based approach, these teams need the possibility for modeling in a concurrent way. With other words, multiple users must be able to work on the same model in parallel or even on multiple versions of the same system. In code-centric software engineering, developers profit for years from the features provided by Version Control Systems (VCS), whereby one of the most important features is the possibility of comparing and merging changes of the same file. The key technique hereby is the so called three-way difference analysis which is also considering the common ancestor version of the artefact under comparison. Traditional approaches uses text- and line-based comparison tools, which are not suitable for graphical-based models.
In general, two different versioning strategies exist to cope with the concurrent evolution of one artifact. These are described in the following:
When pessimistic versioning is applied like it is implemented in EA, an artifact is locked while it is changed by one developer. Since other developers cannot perform any changes while the artifact is locked, conflicts are completely avoided with this strategy. However, the drawbacks are possible idle times for developers waiting for the release of a locked artifact.
To avoid such idle times, optimistic versioning allows the developers to change the same artifact in parallel and independently of each other. This process is depicted in the following figure:
The following videos give you insights into the latest developments in model versioning and act as tutorials in how you can set Enterprise Architect models under optimistic version control:
Tutorial 1 – LemonTree Introduction to Model Versioning
Tutorial 2 – LemonTree Model Comparison Tutorial
Tutorial 3 – LemonTree Concurrent Modeling Tutorial
For more information please visit: lemontree.lieberlieber.com
Fresh Modeling Versioning with LemonTree
LieberLieber is proud to present a brand new Enterprise Architect tool named LemonTree (c). The most important function of this ground-breaking product is the diffing and merging of model versions.
Now, you do not have to lock your packages. Just check-in your eap files in your version control system!
Standard approaches use line- and text-based applications that do not suffice for graphic models. Only the finely-grained 3-way diffing algorithm that considers the model’s graph structure enables an exact comparison between two models.
LemonTree highlights:
- Diff & Merge: Diffing and merging of Enterprise Architect models
- Model Versioning: Parallel editing of models with optimistic model versioning
- Integration: Seamless integration with Subversion (Tortoise) included
- Automation Interface: Automate LemonTree and integrate it in your versioning tool such as Git, PTC, or SVN
- Model Branches: Branches of models (longer-term, parallel development of versions and variants)
- Merge Preview: Diagram merge and merge preview
- Review: Changes are visualized clearly and understandably for review (including preview)
Stefan Mueller, HIMA Paul Hildebrandt, Safety-Related Automation Solutions: “In general, standards such as IEC 61508 demand the application of configuration management. This applies to all artifacts, including UML models. LemonTree from LieberLieber is our key to revealing the changes that have been made to a revision.”
Test LemonTree now and give us your feedback!
For more information: http://lemontree.lieberlieber.com/
Embedded Engineering made easy with Enterprise Architect
✓ Improved C code generation
✓ Efficient C++ code generation
✓ Debugging on the model level (UML)
✓ User code synchronization
✓ Requirements Tracing
LieberLieber Embedded Engineer for Enterprise Architect Version 2.0 offers improved code generation from ANSI-C code from UML structures, state machines and activity models, as well as – brand new – the generation of C++ source code. This improves productivity by using more complex structures from UML modeling and state machines, the code for which, up to now, had to be implemented by hand in C or C++.
- The automated code generation creates detailed documentation at the same time.
- Existing solutions must not be converted, since a clean integration of model-based and classic development exists.
- Compliance with norms is simplified, since only the Code Generator must be adapted.
- Since the source code is delivered at the same time, necessary adjustments are easily possible and no dependency on solutions providers is generated.
You can download your 90-day trial here.
Debug Model & Code side by side
There are a number of techniques available that allow code generation from a UML model. Learn how to debug the modeled behavior using both UML and the generated code.
The following video shows the first integration between the modeling environment: Enterprise Architect (Sparx Systems) and the embedded IDE: MULTI (Green Hills). In the video the uml2code C-code generator (LieberLieber) is used.
The code will be generated directly from the UML model, copied into an existing MULTI-Project, compiled and deployed in a virtual hardware simulator. This ensures that the system can be debugged simultaneously via the code and using the UML.
For more information, please visit: www.lieberlieber.com
New Version of EnArPowerTools is available
We are proud to announce a new version of EnArPower Tools, the must-have extension for all Enterprise Architect power users.
Version 2 of EnArPower Tools contains the “Package Dependency Generator“. It automatically generates dependencies between different packages and visualize them by creating a package diagram. Especially when reverse engineering applications with Enterprise Architect, this plug-in helps you to discover and better understand the structure of your system. Being aware of dependencies inside the systems’ components is crucial for maintaining or migrating the system.
A dependency is generated if
- an element is directly connected (associations, generalizations, etc.) to an element of another package
- the type of an attribute is an element from another package
- the return type of an operation is an element from another package
- the type of a parameter of an operation is an element from another package
Further Information and Download: http://www.lieberlieber.com/model-engineering/enarpower-tools/
EnArValidationRules: Validate and Auto-Correct your Enterprise Architect Models
LieberLieber is proud to announce a new and free Enterprise Architect plug-in called EnArValidationRules essential for all Enterprise Architect users who want to validate their models with individual and customizable validation rules. In addition, it provides the possibility to auto-correct any errors and warnings that occur, based on the pre-defined validation rules.
Key features:
- Validate your models and diagrams
- Enable/Disable each validation rule
- Activate auto-correction for each rule
- Backup your models automatically
As depicted in the screenshot, we have defined different rules for demonstration purposes. For example, the total account of elements for each package or diagram is limited to a certain number. Furthermore, it is only allowed to use instances of classes within a sequence diagram. And each element has to realize at least one requirement or test case. Of course, these rules can be adopted and extended.
You can download this free plug-in here.
If you are interested in more rules for your modeling projects, do not hesitate to contact sales(at)lieberlieber(dot)com.
EnAr Power Tools from LieberLieber
Enterprise Architect (EA) is a powerful tool with a lot of built-in features which can help to bring your ideas to life. EnArPowerTools is an EA-Plugin which provides additional features that help ease the development of models. EnArPowerTools provides a growing collection of features which were collected over the last decade through our usage of EA and our own work on customer projects. You are welcome to request additional features. EnArPowerTools is provided as subscription only and will provide new, powerful enhancements for Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.
Version 1 provides a powerful tool for managing the layout of all connectors in Enterprise Architect. New features are coming soon!
For more information we kindly refer you to our homepage:http://www.lieberlieber.com/model-engineering/enarpowertools
Export your EA models to Eclipse UML
Enterprise Architect supports a UML 2 export, which produces an XML file valid to the OMG’s UML specification. Nevertheless, it is not possible to open it with an UML editor of Eclipse without any modifications, because the Eclipse implementation of the UML2 metamodel differs in some places.
We developed an XSLT script, which can be easily added to Enterprise Architect as MDG Technology, for exporting a UML file. This file can be opened and edited directly in Eclipse with traditional tree-based UML editors. Currently, Class Diagrams and simple State Charts are supported.
Follow these simple steps if you have EA v.9.3 or higher:
- Add this URL to your MDG Technologies in EA via Settings --> MDG Technologies… --> Advanced --> Add URL… https://demo.lieberlieber.com/downloads/UMLExportTechnology_v1.xml
- Select a Package in your Project Browser and click on Extensions --> Publish --> Eclipse UML Export (Name the export file <filename>.uml
For more information, we kindly refer to our blog entry: http://blog.lieberlieber.com/2012/11/13/export-your-ea-models-for-eclipse/
UML Study: How is UML Used in Practice?
UML is the most adopted modeling language in industry for specifying the structure and the behavior of systems. Due to its general-purpose nature, UML is used very diversely in industry. To understand how UML is actually used in practice, LieberLieber's project partner (BIG, Vienna University of Technology) developed a script which analyses models created with Enterprise Architect. This script extracts the information which UML element types are used in the model, how they are linked to each other and which UML diagram types are used. By conducting this study they want to find out which parts of UML are actually used in industry and in which combinations they are used. Based on these findings we want to derive improvements of UML itself as well as of Enterprise Architect.
Understanding how UML is actually used in industry is only possible by analyzing real-world models. Therefore we hope for your input to the study. Details on how to participate can be found at http://blog.lieberlieber.com and http://www.modelexecution.org/
