Incorporate Model Templates

1

Create a Package that contains all sub-Packages, diagrams, elements, notes and information links that you want to provide in your model template.

See the EAExample.eap model for illustrations of what you might include, or create a model from a standard template and see what is generated.

As a model template, the Package would be self contained and not contain any dependencies or other links to elements outside the Package.

2

Export your Package to XMI.

3

Create a reference to the XMI file in the MTS file; open your MTS file in a text editor and copy and paste this <ModelTemplates> block at the top level inside the <MDG.Selections> block:

     <ModelTemplates>

     <Model name="Template Name"

          location="MyTemplatePackage.xml"

          default="yes"

          icon = "34"

          isFramework="false"/>

     </ModelTemplates>

You can include as many <ModelTemplates> blocks in your MTS file as you have model templates.

The attributes within a <ModelTemplates> block have these meanings:

• Model name: The name of the model template to show in the Model Wizard window, which displays when you create a new model or when you execute the 'Add a New Model using Wizard' menu option
• location: The path of the XML file that contains the XMI export of the model template Package, relative to the location of the ModelPatterns directory in the Enterprise Architect install path:
       -  If the XMI file is directly in the ModelPatterns directory then the path just contains the file name (for example, MyPattern1.xml)
       -  If you have placed all your files in a subdirectory of ModelPatterns, the path includes the directory name (for example, MyTechnology\MyPattern2.xml)
       -  You can also specify a fixed path (for example, C:\Program Files\MyTechnology\MyPattern3.xml)
• icon: Contains an index to Enterprise Architect's base icons list; to show the appropriate view icon, use one of these values:
       -  29 = Use Case
       -  30 = Dynamic
       -  31 = Class
       -  32 = Component
       -  33 = Deployment
       -  34 = Simple
• isFramework: Defines the possible uses of a model Pattern; there are three possible values:
       -  isFramework="true" - never strip GUIDs; the Pattern is intended
          as a re-usable Package for any model
       -  isFramework="optional" - prompt to strip GUIDs; the Pattern is
          intended as a re-usable Package, but the user can choose
       -  isFramework="false" - always strip GUIDs (the default, if not
          stated); the Pattern could be applied multiple times within the
          one model

4

Regenerate the MDG Technology using the edited MTS file.

5

To allow multiple custom categories per technology, go to the <Documentation> row of the MDG Technology file and add the attributes:

• categoryList, which contains either a comma-separated list of custom category names, or the name of a single built-in category (such as 'Business')
• categoryMappings, which contains a list of option pairs of the form 'Group Name 1=Category Name A;Group Name 2=Category Name B;" and so on; the category names must all be in 'categoryList'

In the <ModelTemplates> block of the MDG Technology file, each <Model> row will have an attribute groupName. The group name must be in categoryMappings.