These preview release notes are about use and limitations of the Eclipse MDT UML2 Tools class diagram editor that is still work-in-progress. The XML Schema modeling features for importing and generating schemas are the same as hyperModel 3.0, so those capabilities are of release quality.

The following list summarizes enhancements I've made to the current (as of 1 Nov 2007) UML2 Tools class diagram editor. Over the next several months, I hope to contribute and merge my enhancements back into the Eclipse project.

• Navigator view.  The model navigator provided by Eclipse UML2 Tools is read-only and does not include any context menu commands. I wrote a new navigator view and integrated it with the class diagram editor.
• Property view tabs.  The Eclipse plugins do not include any tabbed property view pages for modifying the model. I created several tabs for the Properties view.
• Shared resoure set.  The Eclipse UML2 Tools editors load a complete independent copy of the model for each class diagram and for the provided navigator view, even when all are views of the same model. As a result, none of the edits made in a diagram or in the navigator are visible in other views until the diagram is saved. I modified this behavior so that all models and diagrams share the the same resource set. See: https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=189974

Usage notes

• Each diagram is saved in a separate file with the extension .umlclass_diagram (unlike IBM RSM/A products where all diagrams are embedded in the model file).
• The diagram files must must remain in the same relative folder location as the .uml model file. For example, you can create a "diagrams" folder in the same parent directory that contains the .uml model file. When copying or moving the the files to a new location (or sending to another modeler), a "diagrams" sub-folder must always exist in the same folder as the .uml model file.
• Each class diagram must be connected to one UML model package, and the diagram will always contain ALL classes and nested packages defined within that package. If you add a class directly to the model package (instead of on the diagram), the diagram will be updated automatically to display that class.
  • This is a significant limitation in the current class diagrams because you cannot create multiple views of a large package. We expect this to be fixed in the 1.0 release of Eclipse UML2 Tools diagrams.
  • See https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=199731
• There is no way to delete a class from a diagram without also deleting it from the model. This is a severe limitation that must be fixed in the 1.0 version of Eclipse UML2 Tools. This is a consequence of the current design where a diagram is always synchronized with its package contents.
• You can add shortcuts on a diagram to include references to classes from other model packages. Right-click on a diagram, choose "Add Shortcut...", and select the class that you want to add. You can then create a new association to this class.
  • You cannot drag/drop a class from the navigator view onto the diagram. We expect to fix this in the final release.
• To edit an association end role name or multiplicity, you can click on the role name in the diagram and edit in-place. You must click on the role name even if you want to edit the multiplicity; selecting the multiplicity allows you to edit, but the changes are not saved.
• When you select an association end role name in the diagram, the Properties view displays properties of the Association. There is currently no way to select and edit association end properties in a diagram, except as noted in the previous tip by editing role name and multiplicity in-place within the diagram.  See: https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=174003
• AssociationClass is not displayed correctly in the class diagram. The diagram includes an association to the AssociationClass, PLUS an association with the AssociationClass name, but without the AssociationClass notation. See: https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=204733
• The diagram will show both class attributes and associations to referrenced classes. Although this looks like duplicate definitions, they are only defined once in the model and shown using both possible visual representations. To hide the redundant class attributes, right-click on the diagram and choose "Remove Association Attributes". This does not change the model, but only the diagram visualization.
  • There is a bug in the Eclipse UML2 Tools diagram editor, where when you close and reopen this diagram, all of the redundant attributes will be re-added. We expect this to be fixed in the 1.0 release of the class diagram editor.
  • See: https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=185046

Create a new model with a diagram

• Choose the menu: File > New > Other... > UML 2.1 Diagrams > UML Class Diagram
• Enter the diagram file name and the new .uml model file name.
• You can add several new Packages to this diagram, then create a new diagram for each nested package using the instructions for "Add diagrams to an existing model."

Add diagrams to an existing model

• In either the navigator view or the UML table editor, right click on a model package and select: Add Diagram > Class diagram, then choose the folder where you want the diagram file created (it must remain in the same relative folder location with the .uml model file).
• The new diagram contains all classes defined in this package, plus shortcuts for other classes outside of this package that are referenced by class properties.
• You must select the "Arrange All" command from the diagram context menu to relayout the new diagram.