Rational System Architect's Encyclopedia Metamodel

279 Pages·2009·3.37 MB·English

IBM Rational
System Architect USRPROPS
Extensibility Guide
Release 11.3.1
Before using this information, read the “Notices” in the Appendix, on page 5-1.

This edition applies to IBM® Rational® System Architect®, version 11.3.1 and to all subsequent releases and modifications until
otherwise indicated in new editions.

© Copyright IBM Corporation 1986, 2009
US Government Users Restricted Rights—Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... i
Extending a Rational System Architect Encyclopedia's Metamodel ................... 1-1
Extending Rational System Architect ................................................................. 1-2
Rational System Architect’s Encyclopedia Metamodel .................................. 1-3
How to Modify the Metamodel ........................................................................ 1-8
Selecting the Diagram and Property Sets for an Encyclopedia ...... 1-10
Modifying the Metamodel with USRPROPS.TXT ................................................... 2-1
Accessing and Editing the USRPROPS.TXT File .......................................... 2-3
Composition and Syntax ................................................................................ 2-7
Grouping Commands to Create Modeling Elements ...................... 2-10
Dialog Controls ............................................................................... 2-14
Ordering and Laying Out USRPROPS.TXT Changes ................................. 2-19
Example of Making Changes to USRPROPS.TXT ......................... 2-23
Defining a LIST of Values ............................................................................ 2-29
Renaming Existing Diagram, Symbol, or Definition Types .......................... 2-31
Creating New Diagram, Symbol, or Definition Types ................................... 2-37
Assigning a Symbol Type to a Diagram Type ................................. 2-39
Assigning a Line Symbol Type to a Diagram Type ......................... 2-40
Limitations of Assigning a Symbol Type to a Diagram Type ........... 2-41
Assigning a Definition Type to a Symbol Type ................................ 2-43
Depicting a Symbol with a Bitmap or Metafile .............................................. 2-44
Specifying Depiction Files for New Encyclopedias ......................... 2-48
User-Defined Symbol Presentation Based on Property Value ........ 2-50
Specifying Properties for Diagrams, Symbols, and Definitions .................... 2-54
Specifying Properties for Diagram Types ....................................... 2-56
Specifying Properties for Symbol Types ........................................ 2-58
Specifying Properties for Definition Types ...................................... 2-62
Property Statements ....................................................................... 2-65
Using ListOf, OneOf, and ExpressionOf ...................................................... 2-69
ListOf ............................................................................................... 2-70
OneOf ............................................................................................. 2-73
ExpressionOf .................................................................................. 2-74
ZOOMABLE Command .................................................................. 2-76
Modifying the Aesthetic Look of Dialogs ...................................................... 2-78
LAYOUT Command ........................................................................ 2-79
i
Table of Contents
Creating Tabs with the CHAPTER Command ................................ 2-89
GROUP Command ......................................................................... 2-91
Positioning Controls and Labels ..................................................... 2-94
Specifying the Display of Values on Symbols ............................................ 2-100
Syntax of the DISPLAY Command ............................................... 2-103
Specifying Key and Keyed By Properties ................................................... 2-108
Examples of Key and Keyed By .................................................... 2-115
Hiding Standard Entries in the SAPROPS.CFG File.................................. 2-124
Error Messages ............................................................................. 2-126
Runtime Edits ................................................................................ 2-129
USRPROPS.TXT Keywords ...................................................................................... 3-1
USRPROPS Keywords .................................................................................. 3-2
IBM Support ............................................................................................................... 4-1
Contacting IBM Rational Software Support.................................................... 4-2
Appendix .................................................................................................................... 5-1
Notices ........................................................................................................... 5-2
Trademarks .................................................................................................... 5-5
Index ................................................................................................................. iii
1

Extending a
System Architect
Encyclopedia's
Metamodel
Introduction This chapter introduces the mechanisms to extend a IBM®
Rational® System Architect® encyclopedia's metamodel
through USRPROPS.TXT.
Topics in this Chapter Page
Extending Rational System Architect 1-2
Rational System Architect’s Encyclopedia 1-3
Metamodel
How to Modify the Metamodel 1-8
1-1
Extending a System Architect Encyclopedia's Metamodel
Extending RationalSystem
Architect
Rational System Architect can be extended and customized
in many ways. Its drawing behavior can be customized
through a variety of selections made in the tool and the
sa2001.ini file. It's toolbars may be customized, its Matrix
Editors may be customized, its reports may be customized,
and so forth. Rational System Architect also has built-in
support for Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications, which
enables the user to write native macros that can run inside
Rational System Architect to do all sorts of things, such as
adding useful utilities, or even effecting the behavior of the
tool.
Extending the In addition to all of that, one of the most powerful features of
Metamodel Rational System Architect is that users may also tailor and
through extend the underlying metamodel of how information is stored
USRPROPS.TXT in an encyclopedia. The default metamodel of a Rational
System Architect encyclopedia is specified in a file called
SAPROPS.CFG (the main System Architect properties file),
which controls things like the symbols that are on diagrams,
the relationshiip between symbols and their definitions, and
the properties of symbols, definitions, and diagrams. User
modifications to the metamodel are specified in a text file
called USRPROPS.TXT, which, when an encyclopedia is
loaded, is parsed along with SAPROPS.CFG to create a
SAPROPS.BIN file. USRPROPS.TXT overrides
SAPROPS.CFG. You may edit the USRPROPS.TXT file to
customize or extend the metamodel of an encyclopedia using
a scripting language native to Rational System Architect.

1-2
Rational System Architect’s Encyclopedia Metamodel

Rational System
Architect’s Encyclopedia
Metamodel
What the The metamodel is a model of the way Rational System
Metamodel Architect stores the diagrams, symbols, and definitions that
Provides you create while you're doing your work. Rational System
Architect’s metamodel includes all diagram types, symbol
types, and definition types, the properties that each of those
types contains, and various relationships between these
modeling elements.
An example of a diagram type is a Business Process
diagram; it has properties such as options whether or not to
show pools and lanes horiztonally or vertically (Vertical Pools
and Lanes), whether or not to automatically check line-
symbol connections on the diagram as you draw (Check
Connections), etc.

An example of a symbol type is a BPMN Process symbol. A
BPMN Process symbol is drawn on a Business Process
diagram – the diagram contains symbols, and symbols are
contained in a diagram – an example of two of the many
relationships in the encyclopedia metamodel. An example of
1-3
Extending a System Architect Encyclopedia's Metamodel
a definition type is a BPMN Process definition. A BPMN
Process symbol graphically represents a BPMN Process
definition. Most definitions are represented by a symbol;
some are not – attribute or method definition types, for
example, are not represented by any symbol on any diagram.
They are both included in (another relationship) a class
definition type.
Similar to a diagram type, each definition type contains
properties. If you open a definition from Rational System
Architect’s explorer, you will see those properties in the
definition’s dialog, categorized into appropriate tabs and
groups.

Similar to a diagram type and a definition type, each symbol
type contains properties. If you open a symbol’s underlying
dialog (double click on the symbol on a diagram workspace,
or right-mouse click on it and choose Edit, or select it and
choose Edit, symbol-type), you will see the properties of the
1-4