SysMLv1.x: Extending the ElementGroup for the Webel Parsing Analysis recipe (a quick look)

The slide shows how the ElementGroup can be extended using custom stereotypes, based on a simplified form of the Webel Parsing Analysis recipe for SysML^®.

We are also going to take a walk on the dark side:

The UML Artifact and its UML standard profile extensions such as «document» Document and «file» File are NOT included in UML4SysML.

Dr Darren of Webel has always opposed the exclusion of the obviously useful UML Artifact from SysML (but in MagicDraw and Cameo you can sneak it in anyway). After all, systems engineers do use documents quite a bit.

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The basic UML Document (an Artifact) from the UML standard profile has been extended to include a url:String attribute. This extended Document (which also has the keyword «document») can then act as the mandatory source:Document of a Snippet (with keyword «snippet»), which is a customised extension of ElementGroup.

Webel Best Practice: Webel Parsing Analysis: typically the quoted extract text (body) of a «snippet» is a short phrase, a sentence, or a couple of short sentences (but not dozens of sentences).

Notice how the Comment symbol for the example «snippet» only shows the 'members' (from ElementGroup) and the mandatory source, it does not (by default) verbosely show the 'criterion' (which is the same as the comment 'body'), the 'size', the 'name', or the 'orderedMembers'. The is achieved using tool-specific Customization as shown next .

Up next

SysMLv1.x: Customizing the ElementGroup extensions for the Webel Parsing Analysis recipe (simplified)

Notes

[OPTION]{OPTION} Do not feel obliged to use the 'name' property of an ElementGroup if you don't feel it adds value.

[OPTION]{OPTION} The default display of all tagged values on the comment symbol for an ElementGroup can make diagrams cluttered, but you can extend it with a custom stereotype and customise the default visible tagged values.

[TIP]{INFORMATIVE} The Webel Parsing Analysis recipe for SysML1.x does not use the ElementGroup directly, it extends it as a user-defined Snippet stereotype with keyword «snippet» and with MagicDraw Customization.

[TOOL]{INFORMATIVE} In MagicDraw/Cameo the dashed line symbol from a UML Comment or SysMLv1.x ElementGroup to an annotatedElement is called an 'anchor'.

[TIP]{INFORMATIVE} An ElementGroup comment symbol may appear on more than one diagram type and may collect different kinds of anchored annotatedElement members from more than diagram.

[PROPOSAL]{STRONG} Dr Darren of Webel has always opposed the exclusion of the obviously useful UML Artifact from SysML (but in MagicDraw and Cameo you can sneak it in anyway). After all, systems engineers do use documents quite a bit.

[ASSERTION, CAVEAT]{INFORMATIVE} The UML Artifact and its UML standard profile extensions such as «document» Document and «file» File are NOT included in UML4SysML.

[CONVENTION, TIP]{STRONG} Webel Parsing Analysis: typically the quoted extract text (body) of a «snippet» is a short phrase, a sentence, or a couple of short sentences (but not dozens of sentences).

Snippets (quotes/extracts)