[gme-users] ports on a reference

[Ace Thompson]

This issue happens to very closely related to the helpful explanation Matt
provided on Monday to a very related issue.

In a way I can relate to what you're saying, but if you take the viewpoint
that part of what Aspects do is explicitly configure what ports are seen
(and connectable) when a model (or reference to a model) is seen inside
another model, then from a user's perspective the new aspect introduced here
carries semantic significance.

This becomes even more useful to the user when you might expose different
ports of a model in different contexts.  As an example suppose A represents
a computing node; in some contexts you might want to see just "network
ports" for a networking diagram; in another context you might want to just
see "power ports" for a power supply diagram.  In this case the separate
aspects have a constructive purpose in explicitly telling the user what
parts of the internals of A they are looking at (or can expect to look at)
within any given context.  In this case, your metamodel will tell the user
that they can expect to not see any ports on an "A" when they see a ref to
one inside of a "B", (presumably with some kind of domain or tool usage
rationale going along with this).  That's just my take anyways.. 

Regards,
-ace

-----Original Message-----
From: gme-users-bounces at list.isis.vanderbilt.edu
[mailto:gme-users-bounces at list.isis.vanderbilt.edu] On Behalf Of Brandon
Eames
Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 10:52 AM
To: A list for GME users to share thoughts and discuss bugs and fixes.
Subject: RE: [gme-users] ports on a reference

Thanks for the suggestion.  
It sounds like it would work, but the downside is that I would have an
extra aspect for model A, that, from a user's perspective, serves no
purpose.  I'm just curious if there is another way around this issue
without encumbering the model with an extra aspect.

Thanks.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: gme-users-bounces at list.isis.vanderbilt.edu [mailto:gme-users-
> bounces at list.isis.vanderbilt.edu] On Behalf Of Ace Thompson
> Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 11:46 AM
> To: 'A list for GME users to share thoughts and discuss bugs and
fixes.'
> Subject: RE: [gme-users] ports on a reference
> 
> 
> One thing you can do is to give your model "A" another aspect (call it
> "E"),
> but don't put the port objects in that aspect...  Then when you run
the
> meta-interpreter, it will give you a "Configure Aspect Mapping"
dialog;
> you'll want to find the tab for aspect "D" and for role "B:R" use
> KindAspect
> "E" instead of "C".
> 
> This should make it so that GME uses aspect "E" (which doesn't contain
the
> port objects) when it visualizes an "R" inside of a "B" model, i.e. no
> ports...
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> -ace
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gme-users-bounces at list.isis.vanderbilt.edu
> [mailto:gme-users-bounces at list.isis.vanderbilt.edu] On Behalf Of
Brandon
> Eames
> Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 10:20 AM
> To: gme-users at list.isis.vanderbilt.edu
> Subject: [gme-users] ports on a reference
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> I thought I knew the answer to the following question, but practical
> experience dictates otherwise.
> 
> I have a model (A) which contains ports.  Model A is assigned aspect
C,
> as is the parent of model A.  The ports, as well as model A are
allowed
> to be visualized in aspect C.
> 
> I have a reference (R) to model A.  I have another model (B) which can
> contain R, but not A.  Model B is assigned aspect D (different from
> aspect C).  Reference R is allowed to be visualized in Aspect D.  R is
> not allowed to be visualized in aspect C.  The ports of A are not
> allowed to be visualized in Aspect D.
> 
> The question is when I drop a reference to a model of type A into a
> model of type B, why do I see the ports of the model to which the
> reference refers on the edge of the reference?  I thought that in
order
> for that to work the ports would have to be "roped into" aspect D in
the
> metamodel?
> 
> Is there a way around seeing the ports on the reference?
> 
> Thanks,
> Brandon.
> 
> --------------------------------------------
> Brandon Eames, PhD
> Assistant Professor
> Electrical & Computer Engineering
> Utah State University
> Phone: (435) 797-2841
> 
> 
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