Archi Forum

Archi Plug-ins => Other Plug-ins => Topic started by: Hervé on September 16, 2018, 23:00:00 PM

Title: Database plugin - help wanted
Post by: Hervé on September 16, 2018, 23:00:00 PM
Dear all,

The 2.1 version of my database plugin is nearly ready to be released. It is actually under beta version and I need your help to stress test it and tell me all the issues that may arise.
You may download it at the following link: https://github.com/archi-contribs/database-plugin/blob/master/v2/test/org.archicontribs.database_v2.1-beta9.6.1.jar (https://github.com/archi-contribs/database-plugin/blob/master/v2/test/org.archicontribs.database_v2.1-beta9.6.1.jar)

Please note that the plugin is able to upgrade your database model to it's new requirements, but the downgrade is not provided. So I would recommend you do not do the testing on your production database, but rather on a copy.

There a a huge number of changes in this new version, the biggest one being the collaborative mode (in blue below):
Import components:
  * Added documentation column in the table to help distinguish components having the same name
  * Added tootip with properties to help distinguish components having the same name
  * Add message during the import as it may take some time
  * Imports can now be undone / redone
  * A label now explains that the icons can be selected on the import element window
  * Classes to import are pre-selectionned depending on the folder where the components will be imported to
  * The categories can now be clicked to select/un-select the whole category
  * It is now possible to import (merge) models
  * Introduce new "template" import mode that mixes copy and shared mode

Import model:
  * A context menu entry allowing to import a model has been added when no model is selected
  * Automatically open the default view (if any) at the end of a successful import
  * Fix number of images to import

Export model:
  * Complete rewrite of the comparison management (use timestamps in addition of version number as it is possible to switch from a database to another)
  * In case of exception, the database lock is released before the error message is displayed
  * An option has been added to show or not show the model's comparison to the database before the export (showing comparison gives more information to the user but it takes some time on big models)
  * For relational databases:
    * The export is now in "collaborative mode", which syncs the model with the database:
      * It can be compared to a pull+push to GitHub:
         * Components created or updated in the model are exported to the database
         * Components created or updated in the database by another person are imported into the model
         * Components removed from the model in the database by another person are removed from the model in Archi
         * Components updated in both the model and the database generate conflicts that need to be manually solved
      * It is slower than the previous mode but allows several people to work on the same model at the same time
    * Allow to specify border width and scale factor for views screenshots
    * To simplify the code, it is no more possible to choose between whole export or elements and relationships only
  * For Neo4J databases:
    * Create two export modes: native and extended:
      * Native mode means that Archi relationships are exported as Neo4J relationships (but this mode does not allow to export relationships on relationships)
      * Extended mode means that Archi relationships are exported as Neo4J nodes (this mode makes Neo4J diagrams more complex but allow relationships on relationships)
    * New option to empty the database before the export
    * New option to specialize relationships

Get history from database:
  * It is now possible to get history for all the model components (including folders, diagrams, canvas and sketches)
  * It is now possible to import/export an individual component from the history window

Other:
bug fixes:
    * Fix export blocks and images objects that have got no image set
    * Fix plugin initialization failure that occurred some times
    * Fix progress bar during download new version of the plugin from GitHub
    * Fix centering of GUI windows, especially on hiDPI displays
    * Fix calculation of numbers of images to import
    * Fix properties updates when several of them have got the same name during sync of existing components
    * Fix centering of GUI windows especially on HiDPI displays
Improvements:
    * Fill in the inline help pages
    * Rewrite debug and trace messages to be more useful
    * Increase compiler severity to maximum and resolve all the warnings to improve code resiliency
    * Reduce memory leak
    * Better management of the cancel button during the import and export process
    * Add the ability to import an image from the database (on the Image and Block objects in Canvas)
    * Remove the name, the documentation and the properties from view objects and connections checksum as they are not related to the view objects and connections themselves, but to the linked element or relationship
    * Some annoying popups have been replaced by messages directly in the import/export window
    * Add procedures that can be called by the script plugin
    * The inline help can be accessed using the interrogation mark on every plugin window.
    * Export and import back the model's "metadata" (may be used by other external tools)
    * Do not calculate checksum on images anymore as the path is already a kind of checksum
    * A new "show debug information" window has been created
    * Add "import model from database" menu entry on right click when no model has been loaded yet
    * Manage the objects transparency (introduced in Archi 4.3)
    * Check for max memory available at startup and suggest to increase it (Xmx parameter) if less than 1 GB
Update JDBC drivers
      * Neo4J to 3.1.0
      * SQLite to 3.21.0
      * PostGreSQL to 42.2.1

Thank you very much in advance for your help.

Best regards
Hervé