I am Ben Constable with you from the Sparx Systems. Today I will take a deep
dive into the new Review and Element Discussion capabilities, that help set
apart Enterprise Architect Pro Cloud Server as a truly collaborative modeling platform.
You may recall from my previous webinar the new Pro Cloud Server includes
a web-based interface for Enterprise Architect - WebEA, that allows any mobile
user to access the model and participate in reviews from virtually any device
with a browser anywhere in the world. Considering a model as a communication device,
I demonstrated how web-based and mobile users could participate in
Reviewing and Discussing Requirements and Analysis Models by means of Element Discussions.
Today I'm going to extend that Review and Discussion scenario significantly.
First I'll introduce you to the new Review Element, which helps
you to organize discussions and focus on relevant parts of the model.
Next I'll show you how desktop and web-based users alike can view, join and participate
in Review Element Discussions.
Finally I'll preview an entirely new feature in
Enterprise Architect 13.5 - Navigation cells -
I'll apply this exciting new diagramming concept to our model review scenario.
So as to provide immediate access to model-based discussions.
First though - what is a Review Element and how does it help?
To put it simply a Review Element is a model element,
that hosts discussions, which can be organized by topic.
The Review Element allows you to show the relevant parts of the model,
that should be reviewed or discussed as a basis for those topics.
Of course you may have seen element discussions before.
I'll show a example of that on screen now.
Element discussions here are a great way to elicit feedback on specific parts of
the model and keep that feedback directly traceable to the model element.
But in team-based projects we also don't want to group
these discussions according to a more general topic.
For example you may have several elements
or even entire packages, that relate to a given discussion.
Review Elements give you that generalized grouping mechanism.
So how do you create a review element?
Well you could create it as an element on a diagram
using the new reviews toolbox like this.
Notice the review element, I just created, is also shown in the
project browser as a first class model citizen.
Where do you find this review diagram and the element type.
Well when you create a new diagram in EA 13.5,
you'll notice the new review technology here and the review diagram type over the right.
That's what I created this element on.
Just to note for those on earlier versions of Enterprise Architect.
We plan to make this review technology -
that is the element type and this diagram type available for download as well.
So that will enable you to see review elements in models,
that are created in later versions of Enterprise Architect.
So I've shown you one way to create a review element.
But perhaps the easiest way to create them is via
the discussion review tab available from the 'Start' ribbon
and the 'Construct' ribbon under 'Discussion'.
Here's the discussion review tab.
Simply click here to create a review element.
In my example - I want the review to be about verifying
that our process model satisfies the requirements spec.
So I named it accordingly.
I'm prompted to choose a place in the model hierarchy
where the review element will reside.
Model reviews will do.
The review appears in the project browser with its own child diagram.
That diagram is used to gather all the relevant model elements
that should be discussed as part of the review.
So I drag and drop the relevant items from the model.
I'll start with the requirements.
So I'm particularly focusing on
functional requirements to process orders.
There's the relevant package.
Perhaps I want to zero in on one or more of the requirements.
Well I can do that like so.
What about the business process, that relates to these requirements.
Under the Beekman 2 'Examples Package' over in the project browser here.
I have a somewhat related book lending example.
I can drop the process diagram on as a frame
So it displays immediately like this.
Or I can condense that down a bit by using a navigation cell.
I'll explain this concept in detail later, but for now just
be aware that your reviewers can simply double click it
to invoke the corresponding process diagram.
I'll choose a corresponding graphic for that diagram.
Something related to business process will do
- just a visual representation.
So now having created the review element.
I can also specify a start and end date for the review
via the element properties.
So I right click to invoke the properties
and head over to the review tab.
There I can see start and end dates, and you'll see later.
These properties or tag values have also been
integrated into the discussion review tab.
Now let's see how my project team can review and participate in this model review.
Going back to the discussion review tab
you see I'm automatically joined into that latest review I created.
I'm just going to exit that discussion for a moment.
So now you can see the discussion review tab lists -
all of the available reviews in this model.
In this case it's only the two - you saw me create a moment ago.
'Right clicking' any of these entries provides a range of options.
I can join to start creating review topics -
for example, we'll come back to that.
I can configure the review tab itself
for example filtering entries based on a time frame
and I can easily locate the corresponding review elements in the model itself.
To enable my team to actually post comments and replies under this review -
I first join the review,
then open the review window and create some discussion topics.
These are the questions we need to discuss as a team to move the project forward.
I can prioritize these via the context menu here.
Now log in as a different user.
So you can appreciate the collaborative nature of this model review capability
From the 'Configure' ribbon click 'Manage login' as another user.
Log in as 'Robert' this time.
Opening the review tab -
He can join the discussion and post the reply.
Responding to the third question here. Robert requires some simulation data to
complete this activity and he reaches out to another team member 'Kyle',
who happens to be a project client in this case.
Let's assume Kyle is viewing the model as a mobile user.
So now I'll show -
how your web and mobile-based team members can be involved.
So here in webEA in my browser. I'm pointed to the same shared model repository
I've logged in as the client. From the search button
I can access recent reviews.
I can join in and post my response.
Back in the desktop installation of Enterprise Architect -
Let's see the customers reply -
If you're not already in the review tab as is the case now.
The new model searches help to keep you informed of recent updates.
Notice I can jump to recent discussions
and here filter by the number of days since update.
You have various built-in searches here to help you locate discussions,
that are relevant to you. So here's the review I've been involved in.
I can right click to join it, if I am not already there.
Then when I open the reviews tab.
I'm ready to go and there's the customers response in the preview panel.
Now I want to introduce you to the new navigation cells,
which I mentioned earlier in the presentation.
When you open the example model in EA 13.5
You'll see a diagram much like this one.
Each of these boxes here are, what we call navigation cells.
They're a nice way to visualize links to other diagrams.
You can use them to create a launchpad, if you like, into other parts of the model.
Say for example I'm interested in 'Business Modeling' I can just click the
appropriate navigation cell and jump into that area of the model.
In this case it's another navigation diagram, that helps me explore more of the
Business Modeling topics in Enterprise Architect.
Well how do you create navigation cells.
How can we apply them to our model review scenario.
Well remember we created some review diagrams -
here at the start of the presentation.
If I want the team to see those and have ready access
to them, when they first open the team model.
I can place one or more Navigation Cells
here on my starting diagram.
So from the project browser I hold 'Ctrl' and drag the
diagram node onto my open diagram.
I choose 'Nav Cell' when prompted and
assign an appropriate image for the tile.
So this sample will do as an icon.
Now my team members can simply click
the navigation cell to drill down to the review.
So I double click that now and -
there's my review diagram.
I have a similar start up diagram for the web EA interface,
which I can configure as well. So let's do that now too.
As you've seen the Navigation Cells are useful in WebEA
for your mobile and web-based team members.
Here's the same startup diagram I just configured as shown in WebEA.
In the WebEA interface you don't
have the hierarchical model tree.
So the 'Nav Cells' really take on that role of model navigation.
So user simply tap or click the tile of interest to drill down.
So here's our Review Diagram.
Today I've shown how the new Review Element
combines with the Pro Cloud Server and WebEA - to really empower your
collaborative modeling projects by helping to organize your model-based
reviews and discussions and allowing both desktop and web-based users to
easily access and participate in reviews.
Also I've briefly shown the new 'Nav Cells',
which provide a convenient and visually appealing launch pad, that helps
your team members navigate from top level views to specific diagrams of interest.
This is especially useful for mobile users in WebEA,
as they can explore the model without the traditional hierarchical view.
If you like some more information specifically on the Pro Cloud Server and WebEA -
please visit our web page sparxsystems.com/procloud
or see our previous webinar on this topic.
If you'd like to actually try the Pro Cloud Server and see it in action -
You can visit the same URL, I used in this
presentation demo.sparxpublic.com - then choose the EA Example Model
and login with the password of 'demo'.
That will give you read-only access to browse the model contents.
So you can try that on a phone or tablet or web browser on a PC.
If you can to experiment with editing models via the Pro Cloud Server.
For a limited time you can write to us at webinar@sparxsystems.com
and request a demo model with editing privileges as well.
As I mentioned in the last webinar in Pro Cloud Server.
We really welcome your feedback. So let us know your thoughts.
I hope you found this session useful until next time happy modelling...