Drawing a profile diagram

A profile diagram enables you to create domain and platform specific stereotypes and define the relationships between them. You can create stereotypes by drawing stereotype shapes, and relate them with composition or generalization through the resource-centric interface. You can also define and visualize tagged values of stereotypes.

Creating a profile diagram

To create a profile diagram:

1. Right click on a profile in Model Explorer and select Sub Diagrams > New Profile Diagram from the pop-up menu.
   

   Create a new profile diagram

2. Name the diagram and press Enter to confirm. By default, the name of profile is applied as the name of diagram. If you attempt to create only one profile diagram for a profile, and if your profile was well-named, you can keep using the profile name as diagram name.
   

   Name a profile diagram

Drawing a stereotype

To draw a stereotype in profile diagram:

1. Select Stereotype in diagram toolbar and click on the diagram to create the stereotype.

   Select Stereotype in diagram toolbar

2. In the Select Base Type of Stereotype dialog box, check the base type of stereotype from the specific model type tree. A base type defines the type of model element that the stereotype will extend. Click OK button to proceed.

   Check a base type

   NOTE:

   You can check Display model element types in-use to list only types of model elements used in project. The text box Filter enables you to filter model element type base on the type name (e.g. enter class to list only class).

3. As a result, the stereotype is created. Name it and press Enter to confirm creation.

Defining tagged values for stereotypes

A stereotype may have properties, which may be referred to as tag definitions. When a stereotype is applied to a model element, the values of the properties may be referred to as tagged values.

You can define tagged values for stereotypes. By doing so, when you apply the stereotype with tagged values defined to a model element, you can fill in the values for the model element.

1. Right click on a stereotype shape and select Open Specification... from the pop-up menu.
   

   Open specification

2. In the Stereotype Specification dialog box, open the Tagged Value Definitions tab.
3. Click Add button to select the type of tagged value to define. The type of tagged value limits the type of content user can enter for a tag.
   

   Add a tag

   Tag type Description Text The most common and general type of tagged value that consists of words. Multi-line Text The value of tag is a text in multiple lines. Model element The value of tag is a model element in project. Enumeration The value of tag can be chosen from a list of possible values. For example, to select "red" out of values red, green and blue. Integer The value of tag must be a real number. Floating point number The value of tag must be a number that consists of one or more digits.

   Type of tags

4. Double click the name cell and enter the name of tag. You may create as many tagged values as you want, just repeat step 3 and 4.
   

   Tags defined for stereotype

5. You can assign a default value to a tag by editing the Default Value cell. Usually, you give a tag a default value when the value is true in most cases. For example, a tag "in-door-temperature" can have "25" as default value. By confirming changes, you can see the stereotype show on diagram, with tagged values shown below the stereotype name.
   

   Stereotypes with tagged values defined

Relating stereotypes

Stereotypes can be related with each other by composition or generalization. Relating stereotypes not just affect the modeling in profile, but also the model elements that the stereotypes will be applied to.

Composition

A composition relationship shows a "part of" relationship between stereotypes. The composite stereotype has responsibility for the existence and storage of the composed stereotype.

Composition between stereotypes

To create a composed stereotype:

1. Move the mouse over a stereotype and press its resource icon Composition > Stereotype.
   

   Create a composition

2. Drag it and release it until it reaches the position you want to create the composed stereotype. Select base class, name the stereotype and press Enter to confirm creation.

Since composition models are a "part of" relationship, when you apply a composite stereotype to a model element, you can add tagged value defined in composed stereotype in the model element. For example, stereotype Development Team Member is composed of stereotype Developer. If you apply stereotype Development Team Member to a unit, you can specify the properties of tagged values as defined by both stereotype Development Team Member and Developer.

Generalization

A generalization relationship shows a "kind of" relationship between stereotypes.

A generalization relationship

To create a specific stereotype from a general stereotype:

1. Move the mouse over a stereotype. Press on the resource icon Generalization > Stereotype from the pop-up menu.
   

   Create a generalization relationship

2. Drag it out. Release it until it reaches the position you want to create the specialized stereotype. Select base class, name the stereotype and press Enter to confirm creation.

Since generalization models are a "kind of" relationship, when you apply a specialized stereotype to a model element, you can add tagged value defined in general stereotype in the model element. For example, stereotype Developer is a generalized stereotype of Senior Developer. If you apply stereotype Senior Developer to a unit, you can specify the properties of tagged values as defined by both stereotype Developer and Senior Developer.