Understanding dependencies

Chapter 12 Impact Analysis

Understanding dependencies

An impact analysis report provides a list of standard object dependencies. You can further refine the analysis and drill down the dependencies tree using propagation rules.

All models open in the workspace are displayed in the dependencies graph. You can also extract and visualize any dependencies in models closed in the workspace but consolidated in the repository.

A dependency is the general term used for a semantic link between objects within the same model, or between different models. Dependencies can belong to different types of collections:

Direct collection - Objects directly related to the object. This link is displayed as an association in the metamodel, and the objects usually appear in a list in the object property sheet. For example, attributes in an entity, or data in a process.
Inverse collection - Objects inversely related to the current object and displayed on the Dependencies tab. For example, diagrams where an object is displayed, or references using a table.
Calculated collection – A user-defined collection created to display a list of associated objects on the Dependencies tab. For example, in a model where columns and domains can diverge, you can create a calculated collection on the domain metaclass that lists all the columns that use the domain and have identical data type
Extended collection – A user-defined collection used to define an additional link between two selected metaclasses or stereotypes, and displayed on the Dependencies tab. For example, you can define an extended collection in the package metaclass and define FileObject as the target metaclass in order to attach documents containing use case specifications to the different packages of a model

You create calculated and extended collections in a resource file attached to the model. For more information, see the "Managing Profiles" chapter in the Advanced User Documentation .

In the Dependencies page of the Impact Analysis dialog box, each object is displayed as a node with several sub-categories corresponding to the different collections depending on this object.