The introduction of workspaces increases the options to choose from when you merge encyclopedia artifacts
When you merge or extract between workspaces in the same workspace-enabled encyclopedia, existing diagrams and definitions are updated, instead of being deleted or replaced. An item that is replaced retains its change history, and its existing DDID (the ID property in the Access Data section of the Properties window) and GUID values. By contrast, symbols are deleted and replaced, and therefore do not retain their existing DDID.
When you are not merging or extracting between workspaces in the same workspace-enabled encyclopedia, existing diagrams and definitions are deleted and replaced. The DDIDs are not retained, and they lose their change history. GUID values are copied from the source item, except where that GUID value is already used in the target.
The merge and extract operations described above use the 'Subordinate definitions' option, which is enabled by default in the Select Action Items dialog.
Workflow patterns
Workspaces provide different areas to work in an encyclopedia. This provides users the flexibility to choose different patterns (or flows) to manage their work. Some of the identifiable patterns include Project Merge, As Is /To Be, and Versioning.
Project merge
The sequence in the project merge pattern is:
1 Model is baselined.
2 Master workspace is parented from the baseline.
3 Several projects are worked on from a baseline.
4 Approved projects are merged into the master.
5 Master becomes a baseline.
6 The process iterates.
You can baseline workspaces to facilitate the “on going” method of versioning.
