Some proposals for BA improvement

Alexander Cherednichenko on December 13, 2009

This thread shows some moments (problems, bugs etc.) of work with Architect that could be improved.

Attributes placement.

1. Attributes dragging. It would be great if there is some options/button (like toggle grid, or toggle connection mode) that fix attributes placement on object. Often there is a problem when you make selection of some objects and capture only attribute, but not object. Especially this problem appears when you work with size of appearance less then 75-100%. There was no way to move attributes in BA 7.0.2 and it was very convenient.

2. When you copy text through clipboard and then paste text in attribute (Name for example) there is appear additional line. Every time you should to delete it…

3. Template applying don’t work for single object, it was great in Toolset, but now you should apply template for whole model and it not convenient.

Tags: #businesspublisher

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Sebastian Stein on December 14, 2009
Hi Alexander,

let me rephrase your points in order to check that I got them correctly.

You are talking here about the ability that you can move attributes on the diagram canvas by clicking on them? And you would expect that you somehow have a button to bring the attributes back in their original place in case you moved them without intention?

Ok, this one is clear.

I would not follow your argument in this point. The purpose of a template is to have a diagram, which has a standardised layout. Therefore, you apply a template to a diagram and not a single object. Of course we could introduce a toolbar control to allow you applying a template only to the selected objects. The problem with such toolbar controls is that we already have enough of them. Every new button with such a special purpose makes the interface more complicated. So we have to balance provided functionality against descreased usability. In that case, I would say decreased functionality is not justified by the gained functionality.

Anyway, thank you very much for putting up those ideas. I will add them to our internal bug tracking and feature request system!

Cheers,

Sebastian
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RB

Rick Bosworth on December 14, 2009

I concur with number 1, it would be nice to have the toggle so that if you are trying to quickly rearrange a model you could make sure you were only grabbing objects. In fact, maybe that could replace the existing toggle for connections on the menu? It would still be nice to trun off just connections or just attribute movement but most of the time when I turn off the connection toggle it is because I am trying to rearrange the objects.

2 is obviously a bug that needs fixed.

On 3 why doesn't applying a template to a single object work? It works fine for me, select the object(s) using any method you like and right-click Format -> Apply Template. Only selected objects are affected. The whole model is only affected if you have no objects selected.

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Alexander Cherednichenko on December 14, 2009

Hi Sebastian,

About 1. It would be great if we can switch off capability to drag attributes placed on object. Because now if you want to select some objects by regions selection you can select only attributes of some object (but not whole object) on occasion. So after you need to replace attributes, and of course this is not convenient.

About 3. I am sorry for not correct description of this problem. Yes, I tell about toolbar control that allow you applying a template only to the selected objects. IT DON’T WORKS. For example, if you create model by Standard template and after that you try to apply SAME template for object (e.g. if you change object size, or color, or attribute placement and try to renew object representation) – it don’t works.

Regards, Alexander

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Sebastian Stein on December 14, 2009

@Rick: 2 is not really a bug, because it just pastes what is available in the clipboard. I would call it an inconvenience :-)

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Alexander Cherednichenko on December 15, 2009

Hi Rick, Yes, you are right, you can apply a template to a single object through Format -> Apply Template. But you can not do this through toolbar, for example you can do this in ARIS Toolset.

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Alexander Cherednichenko on December 21, 2009

In continue…

User management in Business Publisher

Now there is a next situation with a users management in Business Publisher. If we have 20 departments and for each of them it is necessary to give watch rights only to the processes models and/or organizational structure models of their department. Now in Business Publisher you must create 20 user groups!!! And if into a department are there additional features? Then these groups can be 50, 100... The real situation - there is a 1 department, 5 sections in department. A portal is set for managers of sections. None of managers must see models of other sections. How it to do?

1. In Business Publisher. To create five users, then to create 5 user groups and associate 5 users and 5 groups. Then to define the rights every group. We have 20 departments (more then 100 sections) - there are 100 groups and 100 users!!! It is a nightmare.

2. In Business Architect. To create five users, then to define the rights for every user. Why it is so impossible to do for Business Publisher?

Regards, Alexander

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