[Enterprise Architect] #10. Diagram views of EA

Explore the various diagram views of EA

In today’s post, we will learn about the various diagram views of EA (Enterprise Architect).

EA provides multiple views so that users can model in a variety of ways, making the modeling process more efficient. These various diagram views can be set in EA’s ‘Design → Diagram → Views’ menu.

(For reference, it may be helpful to read the following documents provided by sparx: https://sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/14.0/modeling_tools/diagramview.html)

This image shows the Diagram Views of EA

EA provides a total of 6 diagram views:

Graphical View (default)
List View
Gantt View
Specification View
RelationMatrix View
Construct View

First, let’s select one diagram. The Graphical View selected by default is as follows.

Diagram views of EA : List View

If you change to List View, it will appear as shown below.

List View is a useful function in EA (Enterprise Architect) that allows you to easily view the status of elements displayed on a diagram in list and note format. This view provides the following features:

1. Column sorting and filtering functions:

Provides a sorting function for each column, and also provides a filter function to find specific items.
If the filter function (magnifying glass tab) is not activated, you can activate the filter function by right-clicking the header of each column and selecting ‘Toggle Filter Bar’ from the menu that appears.

2. Field Chooser:

You can add required fields through ‘Field Chooser’. This allows you to efficiently display the information you want.

3 . Add Tag Value Column:

There is an ‘Add Tag Value Column’ function to add fields corresponding to specific elements.
This function can be accessed through the menu that appears by right-clicking on the column header, and only the tags (Global Tagged Value) provided by default are activated and appear.
To add a custom tag as a field to a specific element, right-click the element, go to the ‘Add Tag Value Column’ menu, and specify the custom tag as a field through the ‘Tagged Values from the selected Element’ option.
For example, if you need an ID for a specific block, double-click the block, select the ‘Tag’ tab in the ‘Block: Block Definition Diagram’ window, and add ‘Tagged Value’.
Additionally, you can add an ID field by right-clicking a specific element in the List View and entering the ‘Add Tag Value Column’ menu.

List View allows users to manage diagram elements more effectively and quickly identify necessary information.

Diagram views of EA : Gantt View

Gantt View is a view commonly used for resource management in Enterprise Architect (EA). This view is useful for providing a visual representation of a project’s schedule, work assignments, and progress. However, since this post focuses on model design rather than project management, I will briefly mention the features of the Gantt View.

1. Features of Gantt View:

You can manage various resources and tasks of the project through Gantt View.

2. Resource allocation method:

Allocating resources to a specific model can be done through ‘Construct → Resources Ribbon’.

Diagram views of EA : Specification View

If you change to Specification View, it will appear as follows.

Specification View is a very useful function when you want to quickly and efficiently modify the contents of an element in Enterprise Architect (EA). It is especially ideal for requirements modeling or when you need to enter large amounts of text. The main features and advantages of this view are:

1. Modify properties directly:

Specification View has the advantage of allowing you to directly modify the properties of each element. This allows users to quickly update and manage the details of elements.

2. Add filter functions and fields:

Filter functions and field addition functions are provided in the same way as List View. This allows users to easily filter and sort elements based on specific conditions or required information.

3. Do your job efficiently:

These features help users perform modeling tasks more efficiently. The flexibility and convenience of this view are especially helpful when dealing with complex models or large amounts of data.

Specification View is an important tool in EA to increase modeling efficiency and allow users to engage more deeply with the details of the model. This allows for more accurate and detailed modeling.

Diagram views of EA : Relation Matrix View

If you change to Relation Matrix View, it will appear as follows.

Relation Matrix View is a very useful function in Enterprise Architect (EA) that shows the relationships between all elements on a diagram in a two-dimensional table format. Utilizing this view can be of great help in project management, especially Traceability management. Key features and benefits include:

1. Relationship visualization:

Shows the relationships between all elements in a two-dimensional table format. This allows you to easily determine the relationships between elements and ensure that no relationships are missing.

2. Traceability Management:

It is essential for traceability management in projects that comply with standards such as A-SPICE. Using this view, you can clearly manage traceability between elements.

3. Relationship Additional Features:

It is also possible to add new relationships between elements. You can create a new relationship by right-clicking on the cell where you want to add a relationship and selecting the ‘Create new relationship’ menu.

4. Filtering Function:

Relation Matrix View also provides a filtering function, which facilitates analysis by showing only relationships that meet specific conditions.

Utilizing the Relation Matrix View is a great help in clearly understanding and managing the overall relationship structure of a project and contributes to reducing complexity in the modeling process.

Diagram views of EA : Construct View

Construct View is a view suitable for performing tasks related to project management in Enterprise Architect (EA). This view is useful for managing and displaying defects, problems, tasks, changes, etc. of elements associated with the diagram. However, since it is not the main focus of the current post, I will briefly mention Construct View. The main features and ways to use Construct View are as follows.

1. Element Management:

You can see defects, issues, tasks, changes, etc. of elements corresponding to the diagram at a glance.

2. Project Management Efficiency:

This view allows you to more effectively manage and monitor various aspects of project management.

Construct View is a very useful tool when you want to effectively handle various management aspects of your project. In particular, it plays an important role in determining the status of the project and taking necessary actions. For project managers or team members using EA, this view can help them clearly understand the progress of the project and manage it efficiently.

Diagram views of EA : Inline Specification

Inline Specification is a useful tool that helps Enterprise Architect (EA) perform modeling tasks more efficiently. It is a simplified form of Specification View that provides the ability to easily check and modify the basic information and notes of elements in the diagram. Key features and benefits of Inline Specification include:

1. Check and edit basic information and notes:

Provides a separate window where you can easily check and edit the names and notes of elements belonging to the diagram.

2. Increased efficiency of modeling work:

Inline Specification allows users to quickly review the basic information and description of each element of the model and immediately modify it if necessary.

3. Improve the accuracy of the modeling process:

This feature greatly contributes to increasing accuracy and efficiency in the modeling process. This is especially useful for tasks that focus on element names and notes.

Inline Specification allows users to quickly access key information in the model and quickly modify it, greatly improving the efficiency of modeling work. These features help users easily manage and update information in complex modeling tasks.

Outro of Diagram views of EA

In this post, we learned about the various diagram views of EA (Enterprise Architect). These different views make the modeling process more efficient. Understanding the characteristics of each view and using them appropriately according to the situation is a great help in saving time and improving the quality of results during modeling work.

In the next post, we will cover EA’s Layout function. The Layout function makes modeling work more intuitive and effective and helps users easily place and manage model components. By actively utilizing these functions, the efficiency and accuracy of the modeling process can be further improved. We will look at various aspects of these Layout features in more detail in the next post.

If you are interested in other articles about the basic usage of Enterprise Architect, please refer to the links below!

[Enterprise Architect] #15. Export Documents and HTML of EA

[Enterprise Architect] #14. Trace and Navigation, Relation, composition

[Enterprise Architect] #13. Project Browser and Focus Window

[Enterprise Architect] #12. Useful functions creating diagrams with EA

[Enterprise Architect] #11. Diagram Filters and Layers of EA

[Enterprise Architect] #9. EA diagram practice

[Enterprise Architect] #8. EA basic usage

[Enterprise Architect] #7. EA Modeling Component

[Enterprise Architect] #6. Publish Ribbon of EA

[Enterprise Architect] #5. Layout Ribbon of EA

[Enterprise Architect] #4. Design Ribbon of EA