Perspective Modeling

Perspective Workspace

A perspective workspace package will contain a perspective workspace diagram on which a built-in perspective set can be modeled. Opening the perspective workspace diagram will make the Model Perspectives toolbox appear. The rest of this section describes the elements and packages used on a perspective workspace diagram.

Once you have finished modeling a built-in perspective set, select the perspective workspace package and use the ribbon > Specialize > Publish Perspective command to open the Perspective Sets dialog where you will be able to load and activate the perspective workspace.

Perspective

A perspective is represented by a Class with the <<perspective>> stereotype. After importing a perspective workspace, the names of the perspective elements in the workspace will appear under Perspective > Model-Based Sets. A perspective has technology sets and is linked to security groups.

Technology Set

A technology set is represented by a Class with the <<technology set>> stereotype. The name of a technology set element is not important; it is not used anywhere else. It is a set of technologies, represented by <<technology>> attributes, that make up all or part of a perspective. A perspective can have multiple technology sets, and a technology set can belong to multiple perspectives. You can set restrictions on this technology set using the right-click > Set Restrictions to command. A technology set has tagged value Strict which can be set to true.

Technology

A technology is represented by an Attribute with the <<technology>> stereotype. When you drop a technology attribute from the toolbox onto a technology set element, a dialog will allow you to pick from the full list of available technologies. But see the Technology Set Patterns, below, which create a technology set with all of its technologies, to save you having to select technologies one by one.

Ribbon Set

Ribbon sets are linked to security groups. A <<ribbon set>> element, name not important, has  <<ribbon category>> elements representing each ribbon category (Design, Layout, Develop etc - the Start category is always assumed present so is not modeled) each of which has <<ribbon group>> attribute for each ribbon panel (e.g. Design has Explore, Package, Diagram, Element and Dictionary). If you want to limit the ribbon commands a security group member can access, link the security group element to a ribbon set consisting of all the ribbon categories and groups they are permitted access to (it's an allow list). It is recommended that you drop the "Complete Ribbon Set" pattern on the diagram and remove the ribbon groups you don't want. A ribbon set element has a tagged value "default ribbon" which allows you to define which ribbon is made visible at startup. Unless otherwise declared, this will be the Start ribbon.

Ribbon Category

A ribbon category is represented by a Class with the <<ribbon category>> stereotype. A ribbon set has ribbon categories. A ribbon category can own ribbon group attributes. Ribbon categories are named for each ribbon on the main menu except Start, which is always assumed present and therefore not modeled.

Ribbon Group

A ribbon group is represented by an Attribute with the <<ribbon group>> stereotype and is owned by a ribbon category. Ribbon groups are named for each panel on a main ribbon. Use the Complete Ribbon Set pattern to create the full set of ribbon categories with their ribbon groups then you can easily remove the ones you don't want. This is much easier than adding everything you want, individually. To remove a ribbon group from the ribbon, simply delete the attribute.

Security Group

A security group is represented by a Class with a <<security group>> stereotype and can have ribbon sets linked to it. In a security-enabled model, drop a <<security group>> element from the toolbox and a dialog asks you to choose from all the security groups defined in the current model, if any. In a non security-enabled model, it only offers "<Model Default>". You can then link to or from all the perspectives, internal perspectives and ribbon sets that the security group can access.

Internal Perspective

An internal perspective is represented by a Class with the <<internal perspective>> stereotype. It is named for the sub-menu on the perspective menu, e.g. UML, Strategy, Analysis. Linking an internal perspective to a security groups makes all of the perspectives under the internal perspective available to the security group. For example, linking an internal perspective named Business Modeling to a security group makes the BPMN, BPSim, Business Motivation etc perspectives all available to the security group.

Internal Perspective Groups Pattern

This pattern will create one of every available internal perspective group. When you link a perspective to a security group, that security group will have an allow list of available perspectives; in other words, it won't have access to any of the built-in perspectives unless they are explicitly made available. Use this pattern to add the full set of internal perspective groups to the diagram then choose which ones to link to each security group, using the Linked To connector.

Complete Ribbon Set Pattern

This pattern will create one of every available ribbon category and populate it with every available ribbon group. (If you use this pattern as a security user with restricted ribbon set, you will get a reduced set of elements created). A ribbon set is defined as an allow list of ribbon categories and groups. To exclude a small number of groups or categories from a ribbon set, drop this pattern onto a diagram, connect from ribbon set to each ribbon category using the <<has>> connector and then delete the category elements and group attributes that aren't required.

Technology Set Patterns

The Technology Set pattern can be imported from the Model Builder dialog. It includes a Technology Set element for every built in perspective provided with Enterprise Architect. These can be copied or moved into your perspective workspace and linked to one or more Perspective elements.