Sparx Systems is pleased to announce the official release of its UML profile for ESRI ArcGIS. The profile was released with Enterprise Architect 9.3, and its associated import and export tools are built into the product and available in all editions. The new profile is intended to enhance the way architects and analysts work with geospatial databases. Built on UML, MDG Technology for ArcGIS facilitates design, forward and reverse engineering of geodatabase schemas for ESRI’s ArcGIS platform.

Sparx Systems made some resources available online to help new users get started quickly with the profile. An introductory demo video and companion tutorial are available, along with an EAP project file that contains a simple example model. Further resources may be made available to assist users who need to import existing schema models from Visio.

Please visit the release page to learn more: www.sparxsystems.com/arcgis

Über 1.300 IT-Professionals, Entwickler und IT-Entscheidungsträger informierten sich am 24. April im Kongresscenter am Wiener Messegelände über die neuesten Microsoft Themen. Auf Einladung von Samsung zeigte Christian Zauner mittendrin unsere neuesten Surface-Applikationen. Der Big Day ist mittlerweile eine der größten IT-Veranstaltungen Österreichs. Die Besucher wählten aus über 30 praxisrelevanten Fachvorträgen zu Microsoft Technologien und Innovationen von Windows 8 über Flexible Workstyle bis zu Business Intelligence. Beim abendlichen Get-together wurde dann ausgiebig gefeiert…

Ever wondered which could be an “affordable” yet scalable Testing Tool for your Organization?

We feel the answer is simple – Enterprise Tester from Catch Limited.

I has many possibilities to integrate with other tools like Quality Center, Jira or Enterprise Architect.

LieberLieber Software CEO Daniel Siegl explains in this webinar how to suceed in your UML software project by using the latest releases of Enterprise Architect (Sparx System) and AMUSE (LieberLieber Software). Enjoy the show..

http://www.embedded-know-how.com/tools-a-software-main/article/44-tools-software/1128-software-development-with-enterprise-architect-and-amuse.html

We regularly use these techniques to find issues in large IOC (Inversion of Control) architectures. Where many modules are loaded dynamically and simple test beds like console runners and unit tests are your only chance to isolate the problematic parts in the source code.

I try to offer a simple explanation and step by step tutorial – should you have feedback or additional tips and tricks I am very happy to incorporate them in this guide.

The old posts are still available:
Integrating NUNIT in EA
Recording Sequence Diagrams with EA

You can download my sample project from here. Please note that everything is configured for specific paths.

Solution Directory: C:\Source\Accounts\src\Accounts
Model Directory: C:\Source\Accounts\model

As you work with this guide it will be pretty easy for you to customize the location .

Preparing for x64 operating system

If you are running a x64 operating system you need to make sure that all of your code is compiled for x86 as Enterprise Architect is an x86 application – it will not work otherwise.

Open the Accounts.sln from C:\Source\Accounts\src\Accounts in Visual Studio 2008 and make sure you modify the solution correctly.

Now it should look like this:

Creating the Accounts.eap Model

Open Enterprise Architect 9.3 and create Accounts(x).eap in C:\Source\Accounts\model folder (Accounts.eap is there for reference) – Attention file path may vary.

Create a Package – and choose “Import Source directory…”.

Choose C# and point it to the C:\Source\Accounts\src\Accounts directory!

After the import the project browser should look like this:

Preparing the Execution Analyzer

Click on the before created Package (here “Classes”) and choose Execution Analyzer.

The following message should show up – just click “Yes”.

Now we need to configure the build to work from inside Enterprise Architect.

The command line should look like this:  (if you configured everything as described above)
%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\msbuild.exe Accounts.sln /Target:Rebuild /Property:Config=Debug;Platform=x86

Change the setting on top to “Process” and specify the DefaultDirectory to your /src/Accounts folder and choose parse output to .net – That’s it.

Let’s build from inside Enterprise Architect

Right click on the package and choose build.

In the output window you should see something like below.

You built your first code using EA! Congratulations!

Preparing for using NUnit

Next make sure you have NUnit installed. If not download it from there:
http://launchpad.net/nunitv2/2.5/2.5.7/+download/NUnit-2.5.7.10213.msi
We need to install it because we will use the  console runner.
Next we configure the Test Tab of the Execution analyzer depending on os version we need
“C:\Program Files(x86)\NUnit 2.5.7\bin\net-2.0\nunit-console-x86.exe” AccountsTest\bin\x86\Debug\AccountsTest.dll
or
“C:\Program Files\NUnit 2.5.7\bin\net-2.0\nunit-console-x86.exe” AccountsTest\bin\x86\Debug\AccountsTest.dll

Don’t forget to specify everything as on the screenshot above!
If you have troubles check your NUnit-console path.
Don’t check the “BUILD FIRST” OPTION!  – there seems to be a problem when this option is checked.

Running NUnit from inside Enterprise Architect

In the Execution Analyzer window right click on “Model.Classes” and run “Test”.

Next you need to open the testing window!

Navigate to the class AccountTest in Project Browser

And you will see the following in the Test Window.

ATTENTION: As always, this type of features needs to be tested for your specific environment – nothing worth than a Unit Test integration reporting false positives!
My current Setup EA 9.3 and NUNIT 2.5.7 works nicely.
Right click on AccountTest in the Project Browser and select “View Source Code…”

Let’s play with line 38 – and comment it out or in

In the Execution Analyzer.
* Call Build and then
* Call Test
Go back to the “Testing” window with AccountTest selected in the Project Browser.

ATTENTION: The TESTING Window might not been updated automatically. If so, you need to move back and open it again after running the unit tests.

Ok – goal one is achieved. We successfully integrated unit test running capabilities into Enterprise Architect.

Recording Sequence Diagrams with EA via the Debugger

We could use the unit test for this purpose – but for simplicity and to be able to try this alone – I use the AccountsConsole program included in the sample.

Choose program.cs in Project Browser and hit F12 to view the source code:

I already added a start (line 12) and end (line 26)  recording marker in the source editor.

To manage markers you right click in the gray bar beside the line number and choose one or the other option.

Now we have to configure the debugger. For this double click “Model.Classes” in the Execution Analyzer view and configure the debug platform as follows:

Let’s build the code once more.

Now open the “Record and Analyze” window in Enterprise Architect.

In the “Record and Analyze” toolbar hit the Recording button – now a Sequence Diagram will be recorded in the selected package.

In the next screen specify Track instances – and type in Accounts.Account

The result is a Sequence Diagram that is not perfect, because there are three swimlanes and not two. But it is easier to read than the other alternative with only one swimlane.

Of course for this sample the perfect version should look like this:

If you start recording from the execution analyzer window with the debug command you still get the older viewer with only one swimlane not taking account any instances.

So still not perfect, but one can clearly see that a lot happened and that Enterprise Architect has been and will be improved in this area.

Waiting for your comments!

LieberLieber was found by our owner Mr. Peter Lieber.

To write Peter Lieber a letter (old form of a mail, but you can also write mails) in English in a personal, but not to formally way, you can start with “Dear Mr. Lieber” similar to that in German would be: “Lieber Herr Lieber” and some funny guys wrote sometimes: “Lieber Lieber”.
So what’s the story behind the company’s name? Is it: “Lieber and son”? No  Is it: “two Brothers”? No – indeed it is because of another meaning of the word “Lieber” – it means also “prefer” or “better”. So it could mean “prefer to go to Mr. Lieber”.
But the true story is: There was a friend of Peter called “Johannes Leopold Zeitlberger” and in old Austria “Leopold” was “Leupold” and he wanted to have a company “Leupold&Leupold” – and so I thought that this sounds like a good idea to get an unique domain name: www.lieberlieber.com was born.

Execution of State Machine is nothing new for AMUSE, but generating GUIs from UI sketch drawn in the EA and control them using a state machine is definitely something new in the AMUSE 2.5 coming soon:

It’s really great, but in sometimes s it is too much. Not everybody needs all the features, all the standards. Sometimes it leads to misunderstandings and disorientation. Sometimes only a couple of modeling elements and 2-3 diagram types would be sufficient.

What to do?? Can you reduce the EA functionality – YES you can!

Following article https://blog.lieberlieber.com/2012/03/08/architecture-of-enterprise-architect/ demonstrates: EA is built of several building blocks. Means – you also can easily disable or even replace them all by your own. I’ll demonstrate it using owned developed MDG technology – SYSMOD extension of SysML for system engineers.

1. Open dialog: Settings / MDG Technologies and disable all the available technologies excepting SYSMOD (don’t worry, you can enable them again at any time)

2. Open dialog AddIns / Manage-Add-Ins.. or Extensions / Manage-Add-Ins.. and disable all add-ins if any available.

From now the only available tool boxes are the common one and the tool boxes defined by SYSMOD technology.

As SYSMOD does not defined its own diagram types, it’s not possible to add any at all.

The only problem is the dialog for adding new elements e.g. available via button above the project browser – it still allows adding standard UML elements

The picture shall provide roughly overview of Enterprise Architect layer architecture.  Most important message: The EA itself is built of building blocks and it can be flexibly extended more or less in the same way (like AMUSE it does). The only difference between self made MDG Technologies / Add-Ins and EA original functionality – there are some APIs reserved for EA internal usage.

MDG technologies shall be used for extension of already available technologies like UML or SysML by providing new tool boxes, stereotypes, tagged values etc.

Add-Ins shall be used for providing completely new functionality like new UIs, diagram types, reports, supporting of user workflows etc.

The only question keeps open – how to use Enterprise Architect and AMUSE to get maximum benefit of these tools, e.g.

• can I build functional architecture from customer requirements using Enterprise Architect??
• or can I combine EA and Matlab/Simulink in a reasonable way??

The answer is – yes you can! But it’s a stuff for one of the next articles

Summary of the dissertation “Model Based Development of Embedded Software Systems in the Automotive – Costs and Benefits” Author: Sascha Kirstan; Academic Advisor: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Manfred Broy; Technical University Munich (Software & Systems Engineering).
Hardcover Edition: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/384390121X/

The dissertation defined and verified following 26 hypotheses – enjoy!

Hypothesis 3	Usage of MBSE allows cost savings for single projects (opposite of product-lines)	Trend confirmed
Hypothesis 4	The cost-saving effect is only true for product-lines	Statement not possible
Hypothesis 5	The cost-saving effect is bigger for big projects than for small projects	Trend confirmed
Hypothesis 6	The MBSE pay-off is bigger in the domains with high proportion of controlling engineering	Statement rejected
Hypothesis 7	The cost-saving effect is as bigger as more comprehensive the MBSE usage is.	Statement rejected
Hypothesis 8	Usage of MBSE allows saving 20% of maintenance	Trend confirmed (~15%)
Hypothesis 9	The time-saving effect is bigger than the cost-saving effect	Fully confirmed
Hypothesis 10	- MBSE approach is reasonable for innovative development. - Classic approach is reasonable for safety-relevant development	Statement rejected
Hypothesis 11	MBSE supports the trend of function-development by OEM’s them self	Fully confirmed
Hypothesis 12	Usage of MBSE based requirement-validation allows finding 10% of all potential errors in the requirement engineering phase	Fully confirmed (up to ~31%)
Hypothesis 13	Usage of MBSE based architecture-verification allows finding 5% of all potential errors in the architecture engineering phase	Fully confirmed (~15%)
Hypothesis 14	As higher the formalization-level of the architecture-models as higher the their reusability	Trend confirmed
Hypothesis 15	Usage of MBSE based design-validation increases the number of found errors in the design phase et least by 30%	Fully confirmed (average 60%)
Hypothesis 16	Reuse of functional models allows saving at least 80% of development costs	Trend confirmed (average ~50%)
Hypothesis 17	Modeling-level of SW-design has the biggest impact on the development costs	Fully confirmed
Hypothesis 18	Continuity between the SW-design and the implementation allows saving at least 50% of implementation-costs and -time	Trend confirmed (average ~45%)
Hypothesis 19	Manual implemented code is more efficient than the code generated from a model	Trend confirmed
Hypothesis 20	Model based development allows costs-saving of code-reviews	Statement rejected
Hypothesis 21	Code-generation increases time required for implementation of changes at least by 10%	Statement rejected
Hypothesis 22	Usage of MBSE allows saving 10% of test-time	Fully confirmed (average ~12%)
Hypothesis 23	Frontloading of test activities (reached due to MBSE usage) decreases number of errors during component-, integration- and system-test	Fully confirmed
Hypothesis 24	Reusability of model-based test-cases is higher than the reusability of classical test-cases	Fully confirmed (~52% reuse)
Hypothesis 25	Model-based approach saves the costs of test-case-development at least by 25%	Trend confirmed (~10%)
Hypothesis 26	Model-based approach highly improves the quality asspects, test coverage, automation-level of tests	Trend confirmed

]]> http://blog.lieberlieber.com/2012/03/06/dissertation-summary-costs-and-benefits-of-model-based-development/feed/ 0 http://blog.lieberlieber.com/2012/02/29/talking-screenshots-part-4/ http://blog.lieberlieber.com/2012/02/29/talking-screenshots-part-4/#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:16:00 +0000 rmaier https://blog.lieberlieber.com/2012/02/29/talking-screenshots-part-4/

The screenshot shows a scenario, when the Validation rule detects a validation rule violation.

The diagram specifies that the state “Ready” shall be the sub-state of the composite state “Working”, but the project browser shows the real facts. Both states are on the same level in the model. Validation dialog informs the user about the issue and ask if auto-correction rule shall be executed to repair the problem.

AMUSE 2.0 provides over 20 validation rules. They ensure UML-correctness of customer models, their internal consistence as well as the consistence between model and diagrams. As far as possible we provide also corresponding auto-correction rules that help the user to repair the model.

Christian Zauner, Business Development Manager von LieberLieber Software hält am 8. März 2012 auf dem “Innovationstag für Banken in der Münchner Allianz-Arena“ des deutschen IT-Dienstleisters Henrichsen einen Vortrag zum Thema: „Wie unterstützen innovative Technologien und intelligente Anwendungen den Dialog zwischen Kunde und Berater? Der Zukunftstrend: interaktive und multimediale Kundenberatung mittels Microsoft Touchscreen-Tisch.“ Interessierte können sich die Applikation auf dem Surface SUR 40 während der Veranstaltung auch live ansehen. Wer an diesem Tag keine Zeit hat, kann jederzeit gerne einen individuellen Vorführtermin bei LieberLieber in Wien vereinbaren.

Henrichsen feiert heuer seinen 30. Geburtstag und wurde mit dem Ziel gegründet, Kunden aus unterschiedlichen Branchen bei der Optimierung Ihrer Geschäfts-Prozesse zu beraten und entsprechende IT-Lösungen zu implementieren sowie zu betreuen. Bis heute wurden mehr als 1.500 Installationen in unterschiedlichsten Branchen erfolgreich realisiert.

www.henrichsen.de