Rational® Software
Architect and Rational Software
Modeler store domain-specific information as properties of stereotypes
in UML 2.0 profiles.
While Rational Rose® stores
domain-specific information as custom attributes in model property
sets and defines stereotype images in stereotype configuration files,
all of this information converts into UML 2.0 profiles during the Rose
model import process. UML 2.0 profiles customize and extend the
UML for specific projects and processes.
Rose model property sets
Rose model properties are modifiable values that you can attach
to a Rose model and related model elements. Property sets provide
a way for you to define specific information that is not expressed
in standard UML notation, but that is necessary to extend the UML
to meet domain-specific requirements of your code, project, or processes.
Unlike Rose stereotypes, Rose model properties do not appear
in the diagram editor. Specifically, property sets are implicitly
applied (similar to required stereotype extensions in UML) and their
names do not appear inside stereotype brackets. Rose model property
set files have a .pty file name extension.
UML 2.0 profiles
A profile is a package that contains UML stereotypes
that extend the elements (metaclasses) of the UML language for a specific
domain or purpose. UML stereotypes have properties that are typed
by the standard UML primitive types or by enumerations and classes
also defined in the profile. They may also have icons and scalable
shape images associated with them. UML stereotypes combine all of
the features of Rose stereotypes and property sets into a single
metamodel extension mechanism.
Profiles identify a particular subset of the UML metamodel and
define stereotypes and constraints that may be applied to it. The
UML 2.0 Basic, Intermediate, and Complete, profiles are automatically
applied to every model. Software Architect and Software Modeler
also provide the Deployment profile and the Default profile, both
of which are also automatically applied to every model.
UML 2.0 profile files have an .epx file name extension. You can
view profiles in the Model Explorer view.
During the import process, the Rose Model Import wizard converts
all Rose stereotypes to UML stereotypes in the following ways:
- The suggested UML profile name is derived
from the name of the Rose stereotype configuration file. However,
you may optionally specify a different profile name.
- The UML stereotype takes on the same name as the Rose stereotype.
- The shape image of the UML stereotype is converted from the
MetaFile entry in the Rose stereotype, if the image is present in
the stereotype configuration file.
- The UML stereotype icon is loaded from the Rose stereotype ListImage
and ListIndex entries, if available.
- The UML stereotype does not have any properties.
- The UML stereotype extends all of the UML metaclasses that correspond
to the Rose element type indicated by the Item entry in the stereotype
configuration file.
During the import process, the Rose Model Import wizard converts
all Rose property sets to UML stereotypes in the following ways:
- The suggested UML profile name is derived
from the display name of the Rose Add-in, which usually corresponds to
the add-in name. You may optionally specify a different profile
name.
- The UML stereotype is given the same name as the Rose property
set.
- The UML stereotype is visually suppressed so that it does not
appear in the diagram editor.
- Attributes defined by the Rose property set are converted to
properties of the UML stereotype, with the same default values.
- Rose property set enumerations are converted to UML Enumerations.
To avoid problems with similarly named enumerations, the UML Enumeration
name is a concatenation of the Rose property set and enumeration
names.
- The UML stereotype has no icon or shape image.
- The UML stereotype extends all of the UML metaclasses that
correspond to the Rose element type indicated by the property set
name.
Stereotypes imported from a Rose stereotype configuration file
are applied to elements that have a corresponding stereotype in
the Rose model. This may be in addition to other stereotypes already
applied during the import process.
During the import process, the stereotypes imported from Rose
property sets are applied to elements in the following ways:
- For each tool, if a cg_style attribute is
present on the element, then the UML stereotype corresponding to
the property set name is applied.
- The taggedValueSet keyword indicates that
a specific stereotype represents a UML 1.x tagged value set. While
these stereotypes are suppressed so that they do not appear in the
diagram editor, the taggedValueSet keyword is
needed to allow you to apply these stereotypes to new model elements
following a successful import. UML 2.0 stereotypes generated from
a Rose stereotype configuration files are not suppressed in the
diagram editor.
- If a model element has a language, then the language add-in’s
default property set for the element type is applied. This is in
addition to any cg_style stereotype for that add-in.
Note: UML stereotypes imported from property sets
are automatically suppressed so they do not appear in the diagram editor.
In order to see property values on elements to which they are applied,
you must select the Show unsuppressed properties check
box on the Views page of the Preferences window.