REPRESENTS EXPLICIT RELATIONSHIP

The REPRESENTS EXPLICIT RELATIONSHIP keyword specifies a symbol as representational consistent and representing explicit relationships that can be displayed on a diagram. The explicit relationship is a definition that maintains a reference to two other model objects.

In the following example, “Generic Line” indicates that the relationship is to be drawn as a plain line.

SYMBOL "activityChangesResource (DM2r)"
  {
    REPRESENTS EXPLICIT RELATIONSHIP "ActivityChangesResource (DM2r)"
    Assign To "OV-01 High Level Operational Concept (DM2)"
    Assign To "OV-02 Operational Resource Flow Alternative (DM2)"
    Assign To "CV-01 Vision (DM2)"
    DEPICT LIKE "Generic Line"
  }

These are set by using list-based properties which you can set up with a default value. The property must contain either a FROMTAG or TOTAG keyword (see FROMTAG and TOTAG).

There are existing lists “LineEnds” and “LineEndsAsDescribed”, the former also including coded names at the end of the list whereas the latter just has the descriptive values. You can find and copy these into new lists, and then change the descriptive value to something else.

•one with a TODEF statement, such as ONEOF, or HETEROGENEOUS (ONEOF, LISTOF).

DEFINITION "ActivityPerformedByPerformer (DM2r)"
  {
    CHAPTER "Activity and Performer"
    PROPERTY "Activity"
{ EDIT HETEROGENEOUSONEOF "Activity (DM2)" AND_SUBTYPES ASGRID FROMDEF }
    PROPERTY "Performer"
{ EDIT HETEROGENEOUSONEOF "Performer (DM2)" AND_SUBTYPES ASGRID TODEF }
}

Supporting more than one relationship through a single definition type

REPRESENTS EXPLICIT RELATIONSHIP "definition type"
{
  FROMDEF "from property" TODEF "to property"
  [FROMTAG "from tag property"] [TOTAG "to tag property"]
  [CONNECTS "from type" [AND_SUBTYPES] TO "to type" [AND_SUBTYPES]]*
}

This {..} block sets up the properties for one relationship representation. Each representation generates an individual line on a diagram.

•The CONNECTS structure is optional; there can be as many as required.

The entire structure can be on one line: separate the tokens with spaces.

•System Architect does not support using the same symbol type to represent more than one relationship through the same definition type. To resolve this, a user must define individual symbol types.

•The use of the FROMDEF, TODEF, FROMTAG, TOTAG, and CONNECTS keywords in the DEFINITION block is still supported. However, if a symbol type is defined with the new keyword structure, that structure must be used for all relationships that it is to represent.