The System Architect metamodel diagram displays the underlying metamodel of the repository, or any part of it. This can help you to understand how all of the information types that you are filling out in the repository are interrelated.
To create a metamodel diagram
1 Perform one of these actions:
•From the Explorer, right-click the Diagram group, and then click New Diagram
•Click File > New Diagram.
Specify the diagram type as Meta Model, and then give it a name.
Note The metamodel diagram is available at all times in System Architect; you do not need to turn it on in the Property Configuration dialog.
2 With the metamodel diagram open, select Draw > Create Meta Model. The Meta Model selection dialog appears. Select from the following options:
Create metamodel by diagram type
Generate a metamodel of a diagram type, all symbol types that can be drawn on it, and all definitions for those symbols.
Create metamodel by Explorer tab
Generate a metamodel of all artifact types that can be created in a tab of the Explorer (such as the UML tab, Data Modeling tab, Business Modeling tab, and so on).
Depth of references depicted
Control the level of references included in the metamodel. The higher the level, the more complex the diagram is.
When using diagrams as the base object, level 0 includes the definitions of the symbols, so level 1 means the items referenced by the diagrams, symbols and definitions of the symbols.
When using an Explorer tab as the base object, level 0 also contains the diagrams, their symbols and definitions.
Meta-model arrangement
Specify how the metamodel is presented: a Network structure, Hierarchies Arranged Horizontally, or Hierarchies Arranged Vertically.
Direct relations only
When this box is ticked, only direct relations between the base (level 0) object(s) are added. The levels are restricted to a maximum of 1, since only direct relations will be added.
4 To edit a related definition type, right-click any of the new symbols on the diagram, and then click Edit Related Definition Type. This option is available only when a User Defined Definition has been selected and represents a type (for example, Diagram) and an instance of Definition “User Diagram Type” exists in the encyclopedia with the same name as the Symbol.
Example metamodel diagram
This example metamodel diagram was created by selecting the diagram type as Business Concept, Depth of 1 and Meta-model arrangement as Network:
•The blue symbol represents the Business Concept Diagram type.
•The yellow symbols represent the symbol types that can be drawn on that diagram type
•The pink symbols represent the definitions that define those symbol types.
If you chose a depth of 2, you get all definition types related to the initial definition types drawn. A depth of 3 gets definition types related to those definition types, and so on.
Lines produced are color-coded by their categorization:
•Contains: blue
•Defines: red
•Identifies (keys): pink
•other: green
A line is produced for each unique set of the following data: from object, to object, categorization, target cardinality. The details of the relationship are stored in the Graphic Comment: name of relationship / a list of these entries: name of relationship: property label <-- property name. For relationships based on properties, the from cardinality is always ‘One and Only One’ denoted by || and this identifies the direction in which the relationship can be navigated. Contains relationships are similarly navigated from the diagram to the symbol. Defines relationships are navigated from the symbol to the definition.
Actions to add items based on selections
When a metamodel diagram has been built, there is additional behavior that can be triggered if you select one or more symbols, and then pick Draw > Create MetaModel again. The action is dictated by the last symbol selected. In all cases, the user is prompted to confirm the action.
Selected symbol type
Expansion allowed
Diagram
->Symbol->Definition (both are found; deselect Definitions when prompted if they are not wanted)
Definition
->Symbol
Symbol
->Definition or ->Diagram (the user chooses which)
