Chapter 6 Managing Models

Interchanging models using XMI format

PowerDesigner allows you to interchange Unified Modeling Language (UML) models between different UML tool vendors using the XML Metadata Interchange (XMI) standard file format.

XMI combines the benefits of web-based XML standard for defining, validating and sharing document formats on the Web with the benefits of the object-oriented UML. However, the current version of XMI does not support diagrams interchange.

Using XML to transmit data gives the advantage that data can be interchanged regardless of platforms.

PowerDesigner allows you not only to import XMI files so that you can use models created in collaborative modeling environments, but also allows you to export them as XMI files so that any partner can use them.

Note that only objects from the class diagram and from the use case diagram are exported. Objects proceeding from the remaining version 7 UML diagrams are not exported.

The current version of XMI is 1.1 and PowerDesigner uses the UML 1.3 DTD to generate XMI files.

When you import an XMI file in PowerDesigner, you must select an object language and the first diagram, in which you want to open the XMI file. When you export an XMI file, you save your Object-Oriented Model (OOM) under the XML format.