Gap Analysis Matrix

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Design > Package > Gap Analysis

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Alt+1 | Gap Analysis Matrix

Select Package

Click on the button at the end of the 'Target Architecture' and 'Baseline Architecture' fields.

The 'Find Package' dialog displays.

Select the required Package and click on the OK button; by default all the elements under the Package are displayed.

Set Element Type

Click on the drop-down arrow in the 'Filter' field for the Target Architecture Package, and/or for the Baseline Architecture Package.

Find the required element type in the list and click on it; Enterprise Architect refreshes the matrix content.

Set Gap Type

Click on the drop-down arrow in the 'Record Gap As' field.

Find the required element type in the list and click on it.

When you create a Gap element, it is created as the specified type; for example, if you want to address the Gap with an issue element then select 'Issue' for this field.

Baseline Architecture

The Baseline Architecture artifacts are listed as the rows of the matrix.

The last row is for capturing the new elements in the Target Architecture along the columns that are not in the Baseline Architecture, hence the name 'New'.

Target Architecture

The Target Architecture artifacts are listed along the columns of the matrix.

The last column is for capturing the missing or intentionally eliminated elements in the Baseline Architecture along the rows that are not in the Target Architecture; hence the name 'Missing / Eliminated'.

Modeling Gap

Right-click on a cell in the 'New' row or 'Missing / Eliminated' column.

The context menu displays the options:

• 'Create Gap Element'
• 'Link to Existing Gap Element'

If a link to a Gap element already exists in the cell, these options are displayed:

• 'Edit Gap element'
• 'Find in Project Browser...'
• 'Remove Gap Element Link'

Create Gap

Right-click on the cell and select the 'Create Gap Element' option.

The 'Find Package' dialog displays.

Select the Package in which to create the Gap element and click on the OK button; a Gap element is created in the selected Package and its 'Properties' dialog displays to enable you to enter the element name and other required properties.

Link to Existing Gap

If you intend to use a Gap element that is already available in the model, right-click on the appropriate cell in the 'Missing / Eliminated' column or 'New' row and select the 'Link to Existing Gap Element' option.

The 'Select <element type>' dialog displays, enabling you to select the existing Gap element.

Remove Link to Gap

If you intend to remove a link to the Gap element in a cell, right-click on the appropriate cell in the 'Missing / Eliminated' column or 'New' row and select the 'Remove Link to Gap Element' option.

The link is removed from the cell but the element still exists in the Browser window.

Review Gap Element

Right-click on the appropriate cell in the 'Missing / Eliminated' column or 'New' row and select the 'Edit Gap Element' option.

The 'Properties' dialog displays, enabling you to edit the selected Gap element.

To locate and highlight the element in the Browser window, select the 'Find in Project Browser...' context menu option.

Hide Row or Column

If you want to hide a column or row while you focus on a specific aspect of the matrix, you can simply drag the right or lower border of the header cell to hide to the left or upwards to cover the column or row. You can pick up the border and pull it back to expose the row or column again, but it is simpler to just click on the Refresh button to restore the full display.

Gap Analysis Matrix Profiles

On the Gap Analysis Matrix, you can create and manage profiles to save commonly-used combinations of Target Architectures, Baseline Architectures and stereotypes.

To work on Gap Analysis Matrix profiles, click on the Options button in the top right corner of the matrix; a submenu displays, listing options to:

• Save the current matrix settings and content as a new Profile
• Update the currently selected profile in the 'Profile' field
• Delete the currently selected profile in the 'Profile' field

Open a saved Profile

The 'Profile' field drop-down list shows all the saved Gap Analysis Matrix profiles.

Click on the drop-down arrow in the 'Profile' field, find the required profile in the list and click on it to load the content of the selected profile in the matrix.