MDG Technologies in Enterprise Architect

Create your own Model Driven Generation Technologies

Description

Model Driven Generation (MDG) is a trademark of Sparx Systems Ltd. Within the Sparx Systems ecosystem, we distinguish between MDG Technologies, MDG Integrations, and MDG Extensions.

MDG Integrations and MDG Extensions are functional add-ons for Enterprise Architect (EA) that enhance the tool with additional capabilities like data integration from and to other tools or additional tool features supporting specific functions or methods.

An MDG Technology is a container that bundles customized templates and configuration settings within EA. One of the most significant components of an MDG Technology is the UML Profile, which EA uses to tailor UML or to define entirely new modelling languages.

This course focuses on MDG Technologies specifically, how to extend UML, create customized or new modelling languages, and leverage the full range of features that MDG Technologies provide.

If you are interested in functional extensions, these are covered in the course “Extend Enterprise Architect with Automation Interface”. You can find more information here.

To facilitate the introduction to the Enterprise Architect tool, this training is offered in a blended learning format:

  • eLearning: The basics of Enterprise Architect can be completed independent of time and location in self-study via our learning platform – so all participants have the same prior knowledge. The content currently comprises approx. 6 hours and is summarized here.
  • Live training: This is followed by the 2-day moderated online training from 9am to 4pm each day.

Target group

This training is aimed at software architects, system engineers, developers, software quality experts, and IT professionals who are involved in model-based development, architecture design, or process standardization.

Objectives

By the end of the course, you will be able to design, implement, and deploy your own modelling approaches in EA using metamodelling and MDG Technologies. You will learn how to:

  • Create and maintain organization-specific modelling frameworks that support consistent, standardized, and efficient model-based development
  • Understand the principles of metamodelling and the Object Management Group (OMG) modelling stack
  • Define UML profiles, toolboxes, and diagram types to tailor EA to your organization’s needs
  • Create and package an MDG Technology that integrates custom modelling elements, scripts, patterns, and templates
  • Configure, test, and deploy these technologies in local or shared EA repositories
  • Extend and automate modelling environments using tagged values, shape scripts, quicklinker definitions, and scriptlets

The training provides answers to the following questions:

  • What is a metamodel, and how does it define the structure of a modelling language?
  • What are MDG Technologies, and how can they be used to implement custom modelling solutions in EA?
  • How can an MDG Technology be packaged and deployed so that it can be used by other modellers?
  • What can be included in an MDG Technology, and how can templates, scripts, and patterns be integrated?
  • How can a customised modelling environment be managed, tested, and distributed across teams or repositories?

Contents

In modelling, in addition to the modelling language, we need a tool – the Enterprise Architect tool – to be productive, as well as a method to properly use the language with the tool. Experience helps to work efficiently and, above all, effectively.

Language

In this course, we work with UML Profiles – often considered the 14th UML diagram – to tailor and extend the Unified Modelling Language. In addition to UML Profiles, you will learn all Enterprise Architect-specific metamodelling techniques, including diagram profiles, toolbox profiles, and the use of metamodel constraints.

 

Tool

Enterprise Architect is a modelling platform that can be used in a variety of ways. The following topics will be covered in this course:

  • Metamodelling
    • How to succeed with your modelling approach
    • What is a metamodel?
    • OMG’s language stack
    • How to implement a modelling approach in EA
  • MDG Technology overview
    • What is an MDG Technology
    • What is a UML profile
  • Create an MDG Technology
    • Create MDG Technology model structure
    • Create a UML profile
    • Create a toolbox profile
    • Create a diagram profile
    • Quick prototyping
    • Testing the MDG
    • Use a config file to manually generate the MDG Technology
    • Download the whole example as EA repository (.qea)
  • Extended possibilities
    • Working with tagged values
    • Tagged value synchronization process
    • Working with tagged value types
    • Working with tagged value groups
    • Add metamodel constraints to your UML profile
    • Add view specifications
    • Extending stereotypes with custom shape scripts
    • Extending stereotypes with scriptlets
    • Download the extended EA repository with shape scripts and scriptlets
    • Hidden toolbox pages
    • Setting diagram properties in custom diagrams
    • Remove all connectors from the quicklinker
    • Add a quicklink configuration file
    • Redefine stereotypes in another profile
    • Add design pattern to the toolbox
  • Deploy an MDG Technology
    • Install an MDG Technology on your local machine
    • Install an MDG Technology in your EA repository
    • Dynamically load an MDG Technology
  • What else can be included in an MDG Technology?
    • Design pattern
    • Images
    • Scripts
    • Import/Export script configuration
    • Model views
    • Model transformation templates
    • Linked document templates
    • RTF template
    • Code generation templates
    • Model searches
    • Model validation black/white list
    • Model templates
    • Workspace layout
  • Further possible configurations for your modelling approach
    • Custom perspective
    • Restricted perspective
  • Appendix
    • Run SQL search

Method

In this course, you will learn metamodelling approaches and possibilities how to customize your own modelling environment.


Experience

In this course, we will teach you practical tips, tricks, and best practices for metamodelling and creating MDG Technologies in Enterprise Architect. We will examine which techniques are best suited for specific challenges, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages, their impact on related aspects of the metamodelling process, and ultimately how they influence model creation.

Prerequisites

A basic understanding of (software) systems, as well as familiarity with model-based development concepts and software architecture, is helpful but not a prerequisite. Ideally, participants should have a basic knowledge of UML and some experience working with Enterprise Architect.

All details on the technical requirements for this training, such as the hardware and software needed, Enterprise Architect versions or licenses, and the Moodle learning platform are listed here.

Next dates

  • tba.

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