Line style for elements (dotted, dashed)

[johmut]

Dear Community,

Some time ago, I filed a [Feature Request] to be able to change the 'Line style for elements (dotted, dashed)'.

We use the Line style to visually indicate the validation stage of our elements in our governance lifecycle.

If you support this [Feature Request], please let me know in your comments and feel free to review and comment on the specification thread in https://github.com/archimatetool/archi/issues/702.

Thanks &
Kind Regards,
JohMut

[Alexis_H]

Hi JohMut,

I support this feature request.

I'm currently using element line-color to add contextual info on specific elements (eg, impact of a specific initiative on elements : new/modified/to-be-dismissed) but sometime more dimensions are required (like governance status as you point it) and dashed/dotted lines would be great for that !

Your proposal specification as stated in github issue looks perfect for me.

Best regards,
Alexis

[Phil Beauvoir]

Hi everyone,

the key thing here is not whether we support the request (we do) but to finalise the implementation details as set out in the issue. These are to do with whether to allow line styles for the Grouping figure and the icon-type figures.

Phil

[Jean-Baptiste Sarrodie]

Hi,

the key thing here is not whether we support the request (we do) but to finalise the implementation details as set out in the issue. These are to do with whether to allow line styles for the Grouping figure and the icon-type figures.

As I have some issues commenting on GitHub, here are my 2cts on this:
- Agree that only solid, dashed and dotted should be implemented. This matches what we already have for visual connections.
- UI should be the same as for visual connections (see attached screenshot).
- This should not only apply to ArchiMate elements, but also to visual note, group, sticky and block).
- I would allow linestyle customization only for box notation.
- I would allow linestyle customization for all ArchiMate elements, including Grouping. Of course this can lead to some Grouping looking like visual group (and vice versa) but people can already create ArchiMate elements that use other element's icon through custom images, so let's assume users won't be (too) silly.
- Grouping should by default use dashed line (ArchiMate default notation should always be Archi's default). I know this raises (again) the common issue of EMF default values, and I would rather try to avoid changing the internal XML version as this lead to lots of trouble for coArchi users. So if there's some way to add a specific rule for grouping without changing the version, I'm all for it.

Regards,

JB

[Phil Beauvoir]

Grouping should by default use dashed line (ArchiMate default notation should always be Archi's default). I know this raises (again) the common issue of EMF default values, and I would rather try to avoid changing the internal XML version as this lead to lots of trouble for coArchi users. So if there's some way to add a specific rule for grouping without changing the version, I'm all for it.

Unfortunately, there's no way around this for backward compatibility when opening models prior to this change. The default is solid, we have to check for model version in order to set dashed for Grouping.

[Jean-Baptiste Sarrodie]

Hi,

Unfortunately, there's no way around this for backward compatibility when opening models prior to this change. The default is solid, we have to check for model version in order to set dashed for Grouping.

(Thinking out loud)

Instead of having the following values 0, 1 and 2 for "solid", "dashed" and "dotted" with default value being 0 (solid), could we have (for ArchiMate elements) -1, 0, 1 and 2 for "ArchiMate default", "solid", "dashed" and "dotted" with the default value being -1 (ArchiMate default). Then, each figure would decide what "ArchiMate default" means (solid for all but Grouping).

JB

[Phil Beauvoir]

Instead of having the following values 0, 1 and 2 for "solid", "dashed" and "dotted" with default value being 0 (solid), could we have (for ArchiMate elements) -1, 0, 1 and 2 for "ArchiMate default", "solid", "dashed" and "dotted" with the default value being -1 (ArchiMate default). Then, each figure would decide what "ArchiMate default" means (solid for all but Grouping).

Yep, good idea.