Version 16 offers refined tools for customizable report building.
using custom documents drag and drop model contents onto your document
to build dynamic documentation that updates along with your model.
Combine graphics, logos, policies and text with documentation Templates.
You can apply to the overall document as well as individual sections for fine grained control.
To save time we'll use the new "Create from Pattern" dialog on the Start Page.
Set our Perspective to select Publishing and Document Publishing.
There are numerous Patterns to choose from. We're reporting on Requirements.
We can see a Preview of the Pattern as well as a Description.
With the Context selected in the Browser we can tell EA to generate the Model.
Drilling down in the Browser we'll find our new Custom Document.
We can update and add our own graphics and formatting to conform the document
according to our organization's own standards and conventions.
We'll update the logo as well as fill in some of the details outlined in the template.
Enterprise Architect has a fully featured Document Editor
that helps you to enter and edit the content of the document.
Custom Documents are one of the easiest and most powerful ways to produce flexible publications.
For compliance with project or contractual obligations
or simply for internal use by other team members.
Our document includes a Table of Contents
and an Introduction Section with useful information for the reader;
such as the scope of the Report and a Glossary of terms common to Requirements Management.
I'll start adding the dynamic model content to our document.
Using a simple drag and drop motion,
we can begin to add model content to the document from the Browser.
In version 16 we can select from new templates for the imported model contents.
From this list we'll select the Diagram Report, which will provide
an image of the Diagram along with a Description.
Next we'll add another section
This time using a different Template a Model Report, which when generated
will include details of any Diagrams and images along with the Properties of each Element.
We can now click on sections in the Content pane to navigate to
the various sections of dynamic documentation, we've imported.
This information gives us a better overview of the document as well as improves navigation.
As your model content changes, you can keep your documentation up to date
using the dynamic content in Custom Documents.
We're now making a small change to our Case Diagram and see it reflected in the Custom Document.
From the navigation we right-click the section of
the documentation to update and select "Update dynamic section".
The change is now visible. Your document will never be out of date.
Anytime a team member opens a Custom Document,
the documentation is updated to reflect the latest changes to the Model.
When adding new content to Custom Documents
the section needs to be appended to the end or beginning of another section.
In cases where dynamic content is mistakenly dropped into the middle of another dynamic section
Enterprise Architect warns us to prevent the action,
which could otherwise result in overwritten content.
In version 16 Custom Documents are available from the Documentation Toolbox.
Simply drag and drop from the Toolbox onto your Diagram to create a fully customized report
on any Elements, Diagrams or Packages in the Model.
A list of system and user created templates are available from the pull down menu,
which can be used to format your overall document.
Once completed links to the report can be sent to teammates instantly
via the Model Chat as well as Model Mail.
We can also export to a file in a variety of formats including docx, html and pdf.
Custom Documents are useful for users, who have previously used a word processor for
their documentation and have manually exported and pasted diagram images into their documents,
which otherwise become quickly outdated.
Enterprise Architect 16 is a compelling platform for building highly customizable reports