eaUtils - Sparx Enterprise Architect add-in

eaUtils settings window provides access to tabs for each configurable eaUtils feature: eaUtils Sorting, eaUtils Generate Alias, and eaUtils Breadcrumb trail.

Important:

• Settings are only available when a project is opened.
• Stored within a local configuration file, eaUtils general settings apply to all Enterprise Architect projects. Any update on the general settings require to restart EA.
• All other eaUtils settings (sorting, generate alias, breadcrumb) are specific and stored within the active Enterprise Architect project.
• The link on the main window opens the current help page.

eaUtils General settings

The general settings apply to any EA project as they are stored within eaUtils configuration file. EA needs to be restarted to apply any change.

• Enable/disable keyboard shortcuts.
• Enable/disable SysML features.
• Enable/disable the Find all diagrams full path. 

Note: click on Restore Default Settings button to apply the default settings values.

eaUtils Sorting settings

Open the Sort By tab:

Options on sorting elements by name, alias, stereotype, "object id" or tagged value

Identify and sort integers within string values settings

The first option is called "Identify and sort integers within string values". This option is enabled by default. Consider the following series of values in the alias, stereotype, tagged value or name: CLASS-1, CLASS-2, CLASS-3, CLASS-4, CLASS-5, CLASS-6, CLASS-7, CLASS-8, CLASS-9, CLASS-10, CLASS-20, CLASS-25.

When the above option is enabled, sorting elements will lead to the following order: CLASS-1, CLASS-2, CLASS-3, CLASS-4, CLASS-5, CLASS-6, CLASS-7, CLASS-8, CLASS-9, CLASS-10, CLASS-20, CLASS-25.

When disabled, sorting elements will lead to the following order: CLASS-1, CLASS-10, CLASS-2, CLASS-20, CLASS-25, CLASS-3, CLASS-4, CLASS-5, CLASS-6, CLASS-7, CLASS-8, CLASS-9.

Enabling this option prompts eaUtils to look for numeric and integer values between a prefix (e.g. CLASS-1, CLASS-2...), suffix (e.g. 1DOMAIN, 2DOMAIN...), or both (REQ-001-PERF, REQ-002-PERF...). If more than 2 integers are found, the value will be sorted as a String.

Sort numbering sequence settings

This option is disabled by default. When enabled, eaUtils will sort numbering sequences such as 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, ..., 2.1, 2.2, ..., 2.10, 2.11, etc. It also supports prefixes e.g. REQ1.1, REQ1.2, etc.

Note: this feature was requested by a user to sort hundreds of requirements by alias with values such as REQ1.1, REQ1.2, etc.

Case sensitive values

This option is disabled by default. It can be set when values like Class and CLASS need to be treated as different.

The following examples illustrate a sorting order in both cases:

• Case sensitive values is disabled (default) -> Class1, CLASS3, CLASS4, Class6, class9
• Case sensitive values is enabled -> class9, Class1, Class6, CLASS3, CLASS4

Process the package tree

This option is disabled by default. When enabled as illustrated below, eaUtils Sorting will let you select the packages to process within the selected tree (unless the selected package does not contain any sub-package):

eaUtils sort by in a package tree is documented here.

Process sub elements

This option is disabled by default. Added upon a user request working with ArchiMate Business Processes, elements under elements are sorted when this option is enabled. For instance, actions or activities under an activity element will be sorted in addition to the parent package's elements.

Sort by Tagged Value

When sorting elements by Tagged Value, eaUtils will by default use the BrowserOrder tagged value within each element to determine the sorting order.

This setting lets you choose a different tagged value which you may use already in your model by selecting the Custom tagged value option, and entering the tagged value name (e.g. elementID, reference...).

Options on sorting elements within a diagram

Ignore external elements in a diagram sorting

This setting only applies to the Diagram Sort By features.

When this option is disabled (default value), elements that are not in the same package as the selected diagram will prevent eaUtils to sort elements, leading to the following error message.

In order to ignore "externals elements" and process only those that are in the diagram package, enable "Ignore external elements in a diagram sorting". This can be useful for instance to sort elements from a use case diagram that has actors maintained in a separate package.

Diagram sorting options

This option lets a user choose between sorting diagrams within a package by modified date or created date. Descending means from the most recent to the oldest, whilst ascending means from the oldest to the most recent.

eaUtils Generate Alias settings

Open the Generate Alias tab:

• The same settings apply to the alias prefix and suffix:
  • Text: define and provide the text for the prefix or suffix.
  • Element Type: set the prefix or suffix value to the element type e.g UseCase, Class, Requirement, etc.
  • Text and Element Type: combine the previous 2 options. The prefix is built with the element type followed by a text e.g. "Class-", whereas the suffix us built with the text followed by the element type e.g. "-Class".
  • None: the prefix or suffix is disabled
• Leading zeros: set the number of leading zeros e.g. 1 leading zero generates "01, 02, 03 ... 10, 11", 2 leading zeros generates "001, 002, 003 ... 010, 011 ... 100, 101...", etc.
• Auto Leading Zeros management: determines the number of leading zeros according to the maximum number e.g. "1 leading zero" if the highest number is 15.
• Starting number: starts counting from the value set here (1, 2, 3... or 10, 11, 12...).
• Increment eaUtils "Starting number" setting value as aliases are generated: when enabled, eaUtils will increment the above setting for each generated alias. [introduced in eaUtils 1.11]
• Limit to object type: if one of the types is selected, e.g. Class, only the elements matching it will be updated with a generated alias value.
• Processing external elements: choose the option to process elements that are located in a separate package: external elements will stop the generate Alias feature (abort, default value), ignore external elements, or update them (provided they are not locked).

eaUtils Breadcrumb Trail settings

Open the Breadcrumb tab:

The breadcrumb trail navigation makes it possible to generate links on a diagram to calling diagrams based on the following types of links. Each of these types can be enabled or disabled in the default selection via the current settings:

• Composite Elements
• Hyperlinks
• Packages (opening the first diagram in the package)
• Navigation cells (available since EA13)