D♯ Engine has been tested to work with Visual Paradigm versions up to 16.2, but will most likely also work with newer versions.
Before building your first VP model, import the relevant Stereotypes as described here. You may also want to switch the UI mode to match the images in this documentation.
Here are some tips to get you up & running with Visual Paradigm as required by the tutorials:
- use the provided [D♯ Engine installation folder]\Workspace\ExternalModels\Training\Tutorial\DemoDW\DemoDW.vpp template file as your starting point
- put all your raw model content in the Source models -folder
- name each subfolder as the source system you are importing
- make additional subfolders as needed, splitting the source system model into coherent parts
- for shared classes, keep the class in its original folder, in the source where it was first accountered
- make readable diagrams by dividing and conquering the model: one diagram should be readable when printed on paper
- datatypes to be used for attributes can be found by running the D♯ Engine UI command Show Datatypes, which generates a HTML document describing the current known datatypes.
Source system specific subfolders are located directly under the Source models folder.
Metadata
Class Metadata
Class metadata will become available once you assign the correct Archetype to the class using UML’s Stereotype mechanism. Select the class in the diagram, and right-click it for the pop-up menu, and select the appropriate stereotype from the list. If it is not visible in the list, you can open the Stereotypes dialog and assign it there, after which it also becomes available in the popup menu.
The metadata values can then be edited after clicking the class either in a diagram or in the Model explorer tree. See the Archetype-specific metadata explanations here. You may need to de-select and re-select the class before the Tagged Values appear.
Attribute Metadata
With the exception of the attribute being the Business key (which can be assigned directly, see below), the attribute specific metadata can be edited once the attribute has been assigned the DV20 Stereotype. Do this by selecting the attribute and then the DV20-Stereotype from the pop-up menu.
The metadata values can then be edited after clicking the attribute inside the class view in a diagram or in the Model explorer tree. See the metadata explanations here. You may need to de-select and re-select the attribute before the Tagged Values appear.
Association End Metadata
The association end specific metadata can be edited once the association end has been assigned the DV20 Stereotype. Do this by selecting the association and selecting the Stereotype in the Property pane, after which the parameters will become available under the Tagged Values item in the Property pane.
You may need to de-select and re-select the association before the Tagged Values appear.
Exporting the Model
In order to make the model available for D♯ Engine, you need to export it to the working directory as an XML file. In Visual Paradigm, select the File -> Export -> XML command to open the export dialog:
Select your working directory as your output path by navigating to it using the … -button next to the file path dropdown, then select Simple XML structure and check Export project, and finally click the Export button. The export file will always be saved as project.xml. This is the file you should open with D♯ Engine.
