Creating query-based UPIA diagrams

This content applies to version 7.5.4 or later. You can populate or update a diagram with elements from a UPIA model, based upon query parameters that you specify.

Before you begin

The UPIA model, which contains the elements to display in the new or existing diagram, must be open.

About this task

The Custom Queries explore tool refreshes a diagram with the results of either a predefined or a custom query. When the tool is clicked on a diagram, a window opens that prompts you to specify the query to be run. You can create custom queries in the Modeling, UPIA Modeling, Explore Tools page of the Preferences window.

To create a new query-based diagram:

Procedure

  1. In the Project Explorer view, right-click a package in the model; then click Add Diagram, and click a UML diagram to create. The new diagram opens.
  2. In the Palette, on the Explore tab, expand UPIA Common; then click Custom Queries.
  3. Click inside the diagram. The Custom Queries window opens to prompt you to specify the query to run.
  4. Select a query. The Query name list displays predefined queries, as well as any custom queries you have created.
  5. From the Search Scope list, select a location to define the scope in which to find element types.
  6. Select one or more element types. The element types that are displayed in the list are dynamically related to the query that you selected in step 4.
  7. Optional: Click the Show derived element types check box to show all elements from a type hierarchy that is defined in the UPIA profile, without selecting the individual element types.
  8. Click OK. The query is run and the diagram populates with the model elements that the query finds, based on the search scope. The Query Execution window opens.
  9. Optional: If you want to save the query to the diagram, click the Save query to the diagram check box. If the query is saved in the diagram, you can update the diagram with the same query parameters by using the Refresh command. If any built-in UPIA BIRT reports are going to be used or if you want to create a report that extracts diagrams created using a custom query, then the query must be saved to the diagram. The BIRT reporting mechanism can only identify specific DoDAF diagrams from the saved query. The custom queries that correspond to specific DoDAF diagrams are as follows: Operational Resource Description (OV-2), Logical data Model (OV-7 or DIV-2), Physical Data Model (SV-11 or DIV-3) and the Systems Interface Description (SV-1).

    The names of queries that are saved in a diagram are shown in the Outline view. If the query is selected in the Outline view, the elements on the diagram that correspond to the result of the last query run are highlighted. This allows you to identify the diagram elements that no longer correspond to the query result.

  10. Click OK.

What to do next

You can organize the generated elements in the diagram, and add comments and geometric shapes. You can also add other UPIA elements as needed.

You can update a query-based diagram by clicking the Refresh button on the main toolbar, if the query was previously saved to the diagram. Otherwise, the diagram can be updated by running the Custom Queries explore tool again. You might want to update a diagram after you define additional elements in a model or if you want to define different parameters for the query explore tool. If you run a subsequent query that locates additional elements, the elements are added to the diagram and any changes you have made to the diagram are preserved.

All explore tool queries saved to a diagram are rerun when you refresh the query results in the diagram.


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