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Mapping definition

The Alfabet import configuration handles the data transfer between ARIS and Alfabet. The configuration defines the general mapping for models, connections, and assignments between ARIS and Alfabet objects and how Alfabet objects are actually mapped in ARIS.

If you want to change the object type attributes to be used, or transfer different attributes, adapt both configuration files.

Generally, Alfabet tables are mapped to ARIS objects. Alfabet tables are mapped using the table XML property. The import of an entire table or the import/connection of a single Alfabet object is performed using the following import definition.

Table element

    <table name="VALUENODE" arisgroupname="Values" condition="Stereotype" aristype="OT_FUNC_INST">
        <condition value="Initiative" arisgroupname="Initiatives" aristype="ST_INITIATIVE" />
        <condition value="Vision" arisgroupname="Visions" aristype="ST_VISION" />
        <condition value="Business Requirement" arisgroupname="Business Requirements" aristype="ST_REQUIREMENT" />
        <condition value="Architecture Requirement" arisgroupname="Architecture Requirements" aristype="ST_REQUIREMENT" />

XML properties

  • name

    Alfabet table name, for example, VALUENODE.

  • arisgroupname

    Name of the ARIS database group.If the entire table is imported, arisgroupname is the name of the subgroup that is created for the table content. If arisgroupname is empty or not specified, no subgroup will be created

  • aristype

    API name of an object type, a model type, or a symbol type.

  • overview-model (optional)

    Optionally creates an overview model and places an occurrence of each table object that meets this condition in the model.

  • check-master (optional)

    Checks for the existence of the specified Alfabet property, such as ARIS_GUID, maintained for an Alfabet object with the ARIS GUID of the corresponding ARIS object. If the ARIS database contains this GUID, the related ARIS object is used as the master instead of the Alfabet object, for example check-master="ARIS_GUID". The attributes and properties of the master object are not overwritten by the import and a master is not removed if the object has been deleted in Alfabet.

  • condition (optional)

    Defines a conditional mapping based on the property referenced by the condition attribute of the condition element. For example, if the property referenced in the class element is Stereotype (<class ... condition="Stereotype">) and a condition element specifies "BOT" as the value to be matched (<condition ... value="BOT"/>), then all objects that have a "BOT" stereotype are mapped according to what the condition element defines, and NOT according to what the class element defines. They could, for example, be stored in a different database group or get a different symbol.

  • value

    Property value specifying that this condition is to be applied.

  • aristype

    ARIS API name of the ARIS object type to be used. If an ARIS symbol type is specified here, the object type is derived from the symbol. In addition, the default symbol of the imported item is set to this symbol type.

  • arisgroupname

    Optionally overwrites the default group name of the <table> element for items meeting this condition.

  • overview-model (optional)

    Optionally creates an overview model and places an occurrence of each table object that meets this condition in the model.

'assign' sub-element of a 'table' element

Creates an assignment for all objects that are imported from this table.

XML properties

  • type

    Creates one assigned model per imported object. Cannot be used as table sub-element.

  • model

    API name for the model type of the ARIS model to be assigned, for example, MT_APPL_SYS_TYPE_DGM.

  • child-symbol

    API name for the symbol type of the ARIS object used in the assigned model, for example, ST_APPL_SYST_TYPE. Not used if the referenced element is the model itself.

  • add-parent

    Adds an occurrence of the superior object to the assigned model. The default setting is false. If you change it to true, an occurrence of the superior object will be added to the assigned model. Therefore, the parent-symbol attribute is mandatory.

  • parent-symbol

    API name for the symbol type of the superior ARIS object used in the assigned model, for example, ST_APPL_SYS_TYPE. Required only if the add-parent attribute is set to true.

'attr' sub-element

Maps an Alfabet property value, for example , String or Date, Reference or ReferenceArray properties are not allowed here.

<attr alfabet="StartDate" condition="Status" value="Evaluation" aris="AT_EVALUATION_START" />
<attr alfabet="EndDate" condition="Status" value="Evaluation" aris="AT_EVALUATION_END" />
<attr alfabet="StartDate" condition="Status" value="Pilot" aris="AT_TO_BE_PHASED_IN_START" />
<attr alfabet="EndDate" condition="Status" value="Pilot" aris="AT_TO_BE_PHASED_IN_END" />

In this case, the value of the "StartDate" property is written to the aris attribute "AT_EVALUATION_START" only if the alfabet property "Status" has the value "Evaluation", etc.

When used as a sub-element of the <cxn> element (see below), the property is mapped to an attribute of the connection.

XML properties

  • attr

    Defines the handling of attributes. If at least one attr sub-element is specified, this restricts the list of attributes imported into ARIS to the list of attr elements listed here.

  • alfabet

    Name of the Alfabet property.

  • aris

    API name of the ARIS attribute. An empty string (""): not mapped/ignored.

XML properties for conditional attribute import

  • condition

    Property that has to be checked against the value. Only if the value of the property equals the given value is the attribute imported.

  • value

Value that is checked against the value of the condition XML property for conditional attribute import.

'cxn' sub-element

Creates a connection definition and/or an assignment between the current table item and the referenced item.

XML properties

  • property

    Name of the Alfabet property. The property must be of the Reference or ReferenceArray type.

  • cxntyp

    API name of the ARIS connection type. Empty string (""): not mapped/ignored. Value="-1": do not create a connection. Is allowed only if an assignment definition is available as a sub-element.

  • srctotarget

    Defines the direction of a connection. Value true: From class element to referenced element. Value false: From referenced element to class element.

  • forceexist (optional)

    Specifies whether or not the import forces the target or source object of a referenced object to exist in the database. If the value is set to true, the target or source object will be created using the mapping definition of the referenced object. Only if the target or source object exists will a connection be imported. Whether the target object or the source object must exist depends on the value specified in the srctotarget XML property. The default value is false.

  • make-parent-group (optional)

    Specifies that the group containing the referenced element will become the superior group of the element in question. You must set the parent mapping to isgroup="true".

  • connected-objtype (optional)

    Used to validate the source/target object type. An exception is thrown during import if the type of the existing object is identified to be invalid.

  • overview-model (optional)

    Creates an occurrence of the target object and the corresponding connection in the overview model if the overview-model property is specified at the table element. The value corresponds to the symbol type number (see API name).

  • assigned-model (optional)

    Creates an occurrence of the target object and the corresponding connection in the assigned model if the table element has an assigned sub-element. The value corresponds to the symbol type number (see API name).

'assign' sub-element of a 'cxn' element

Creates an assignment to a model either in addition to a connection, instead of a connection, or to a model if the referenced item is a model derived from an additional Alfabet table.

XML properties

  • type

    Type of the assignment. Possible values are:

    all: Assigns them all to the superior item in one model.

    each: Assigns one model per subordinate item.

  • model

    API name for the model type of the ARIS model to be assigned, for example, MT_APPL_SYS_TYPE_DGM.

  • child-symbol

    API name for the symbol type of the ARIS object used in the assigned model, for example, ST_APPL_SYST_TYPE.

    Not used if the referenced element is the model itself.

  • add-parent

    Adds an occurrence of the superior object to the assigned model. The default setting is false. If you change it to true, an occurrence of the superior object will be added to the assigned model. Therefore, the parent-symbol attribute is mandatory.

  • parent-symbol

    API name for the symbol type of the superior ARIS object used in the assigned model, for example, ST_APPL_SYS_TYPE.

    Required only if the add-parent attribute is set to true.

  • srctotarget

    Optionally defines the assignment's direction.

    Value true (default value): From table element to referenced element.

    Value false: From referenced element to table element.

  • group

    group (depending on srctotarget)

    Optionally defines in which database group the assigned model is created. source is the group of the table element, target is the group of the connected element.

    Value source (default value): Database group where the source table element of the assignment is stored.

    Value target: Database group where the connected table element of the assignment is stored.

'foreignattr' sub-element of a 'cxn' element

Adds attributes from an additional Alfabet table to the imported ARIS item.

XML properties

  • table

    Name of the additional Alfabet table

  • property

    Name of the property of the additional table that refers to the current table element, for example, Owner.

In example 3 of the mapping examples, the foreignattr element, which is a list of attr elements, is accepted. This list defines the attributes to be imported.