Configuring transformations

To specify the information that the transformation uses to generate the output that you expect, you use the New Transformation Configuration wizard and the transformation configuration editor, which guide you through the configuration.

About this task

A transformation configuration has .tc as a file name extension, and contains the information that the transformation uses to generate the output that you expect. A transformation configuration also contains information that is specific to a particular type of transformation. To edit an existing transformation configuration, in a view that shows the workspace resources, double-click a transformation configuration file, which opens the transformation configuration editor.

To simplify working with the transformation configuration file, save the configuration file in the project that contains the elements to transform.

Procedure

  1. Depending on the view that you are working in, complete one of the following steps:
    • In the Pattern Explorer view, right-click a transformation; then click New Configuration.
    • In other views, click File > New > Transformation Configuration. If Transformation Configuration is not a menu item, click File > New > Other > Transformations > Transformation Configuration.
  2. Specify the details of the configuration. In the New Transformation Configuration wizard, on the Specify a Configuration Name and Transformation page, complete the following steps:
    1. In the Name field, specify a name for the configuration.
    2. In the Configuration file destination field, specify the destination for the transformation configuration file. The destination is a relative path in your current workspace. You can specify a fully qualified project name or folder name. If you specify a folder in a project, you must prefix the folder name with a forward slash (/).
    3. From the Transformation list, select a transformation.
      Note: To display the transformations that are installed, but not enabled, click Show all transformations. A transformation must be bound to a capability to appear in this list.
  3. In the Protocol section, specify the modeling protocol, which is also called the design contract management protocol (DCMP). The value that you select determines whether to synchronize the source and target of the transformation.
    • If the source model is the primary engineering artifact, select Conceptual. Any changes to the source model are propagated to the target model.
    • If the target model is the primary engineering artifact, click Mixed. The transformation converts the source artifacts to visual representations that are directly connected to the target artifact. Select this option to work in the target domain instead of with the source model, or to retain the artifacts for analysis. The transformation output becomes the primary engineering artifact.
    • If the architecture that the source artifacts represent evolves independently from the target, select Reconciled. Selecting this option enables the reverse transformation, which you can use to compare the source and target, and to reconcile changes. You might also select this option if different teams implement, develop, or maintain the architecture.
      Note: When you select this option, additional properties become available in the "Reverse transformation" section of the Main page. For some transformations, additional pages become available in the transformation configuration editor. For information about configuring the reverse transformation, see the related link below.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Specify the source and target elements for the transformation. For a list of valid source and target elements, see the related concept topic for this transformation. On the Source and Target page, complete the following steps:
    1. In the Selected source pane, select the source element for the transformation to transform.
    2. In the Selected target pane, select the destination of the transformation output. To create a new destination for the output, click Create Target Container.
  6. Click Finish. The transformation configuration editor opens, and the contents of the configuration are displayed.
  7. To configure the other settings for the transformation, click the tabs in the editor.
  8. Optional: To specify whether the output that a transformation generates replaces or merges with an existing model, on the Main page, select from the following merge options:
    Option Description
    Visual merge Displays user prompts and warning dialog boxes when models merge.
    Silent merge Suppresses prompts and dialog boxes when models merge.
    Do not merge: Overwrite files without a warning Overwrites all conflicting files automatically.
    Do not merge: Warn before overwriting any files Prompts you for confirmation before conflicting files are overwritten.
    Automatically add new elements to the target model Adds new elements without prompting you for confirmation. This option is enabled when the Visual merge option is selected.
    Save changes before validating files Requires you to save merged models before allowing file validation. This option is enabled when the Visual merge option is selected.
    Automatically validate saved changes Once a merged model has been saved, this option causes the Validate Merged Result Session window to open. This option is enabled when the Visual merge option is selected.
  9. Optional: Specify documentation about the transformation configuration. This field is useful for communicating information about a configuration that multiple users share. On the Main page, in the Documentation field, specify additional information about the transformation configuration.
  10. Optional: Specify the transformation extensions to enable or disable.
    • On the Extensions page, select or clear the check boxes for the transformation extensions to enable or disable.
  11. Optional: To generate debugging information, on the Main page, select the Generate a debug log check box. The next time that you run the transformation, the log file is generated as an XML file in the folder that you specify in the transformation preferences. If you do not specify a location for the log files, the transformation generates the log file in the .metadata folder in your workspace.
    Tip: To set preferences for transformations, click Window > Preferences; then expand Modeling and click Transformations.

    The log file provides information about the source elements, the target elements, and the rules that the transformation applies to transform the source elements. If the transformation transforms many elements, you might experience decreased performance while the transformation generates the log file; therefore, you should only generate a log file for debugging purposes.

  12. Optional: To prevent new dialog boxes from opening while a transformation runs, on the Main page, select the Run the forward transformation silently check box.

    Running a transformation in silent mode suppresses all dialog boxes that the transformation generates. The transformation applies default rules and behavior, which might generate unexpected or incorrect transformation output. You should only run a transformation in silent mode to validate that the transformation runs, instead of validating the transformation output. For example, you might run a transformation in silent mode as part of an automated task or automated test suite.

    Setting the transformation to run in silent mode overrides the file-overwrite options that you specify, and overwrites files if necessary.

    Depending on the modeling protocol that you select on the Specify a Configuration Name and Transformation or Main page, if the reverse transformation is enabled, you can select or clear the check boxes for running the reverse transformation silently.

  13. Optional: To prevent new dialog boxes from opening while a transformation runs, on the Main page, select the Run the transformation silently check box.

    Running a transformation in silent mode suppresses all dialog boxes that the transformation generates. The transformation applies default rules and behavior, which might generate unexpected or incorrect transformation output. You should only run a transformation in silent mode to validate that the transformation runs, instead of validating the transformation output. For example, you might run a transformation in silent mode as part of an automated task or automated test suite.

    Setting the transformation to run in silent mode overrides the file-overwrite options that you specify, and overwrites files if necessary.

  14. Optional: To create a traceable relationship between the transformation source and target, on the Main page, select the Create trace relationships check box. This check box is enabled only if you select the Mixed Modeling or Reconciled Modeling protocols.

    You can use trace relationships and the visual development tools to understand the relationships between source model elements and transformation output. This function is useful in large projects that might contain multiple models and transformation configurations. The transformation does not alter the source model.

  15. Optional: To display the errors that occurred when the transformation ran, on the Main page, select the Open the Report dialog box when the transformation is complete check box. Selecting this check box displays only the generated errors. The same information is also written to the error log, which you can view by clicking Window > Show View > Error log.

    To display the warnings that occurred when the transformation ran, select the Show warnings in the Report dialog box check box.

  16. Optional: Specify the profile that the transformation applies to the generated service model. On the Properties page, from the Target profile list, select a profile.
    The transformation applies the stereotypes in the profile to the corresponding elements in the generated service model.
    Important: The Software Services profile is deprecated and a profile called the Services Modeling (SoaML) profile is available for modeling services. For information about migrating from the Software Services profile to the Services Modeling (SoaML) profile, see the related link at the end of this topic. For information about how stereotypes in the Software Services profile map to stereotypes in the Services Modeling (SoaML) profile, see the related link at the end of this topic.
  17. Optional: On the SOA Properties page, from the Target domain list, select a transformation extension to apply to produce domain-specific software artifacts, which you can deploy in a specific domain or use as input to other products such as WebSphere® Integration Developer for further development and deployment. By default, the UML-to-SOA transformation generates software services artifacts that are based on the Service Component Definition Language (SCDL) specification.
  18. Optional: If the transformation that you configure supports mapping, you can specify alternate names for the artifacts that the transformation generates by creating a mapping model. To use a new or existing mapping model, complete the following steps:
    1. In the transformation configuration editor, on the Mapping page, select the Enable the mapping functionality for this configuration check box.
    2. In the Mapping model file name field, specify the name of a new or existing mapping model.
  19. Click File > Save.

Results

The options are applied the next time that you run the transformation.

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