Rich Text Format Documentation
Rich text reports are documents produced by Enterprise Architect in Rich Text Format (RTF), a format common to many word processors. In particular it is targeted at Microsoft Word? which enables you to link together a number of rich text documents into a single master document.
Typically you create a Word master document, then some Enterprise Architect RTF reports. You link the reports back into sub-sections of the master document, and refresh them as required during project development. In this way the project document becomes an easily-managed and feature-rich work product.
You can also populate a Word document from specific sections of reports, based on bookmarks. For example, a Word document might have a section for a small part of your component model. Using bookmarks you can generate a full component model, and then link into just one section of the report. This way you can maintain a complex Word document from parts of Enterprise Architect reports. The RTF Generator performs one pass for one template, but using a Word master document and Enterprise Architect bookmarks enables you to incorporate material from several RTF documents with different formats based on different templates.
By adding tables of contents, figure tables, sections, and headers and footers, you can manage a complex document with relative ease. Simply update the Enterprise Architect RTF reports then refresh the links in MS Word.
You can also maintain complex documents by creating virtual documents in Enterprise Architect, setting up a document object (a Class element of stereotype Model Document) and linking packages into the document, in whatever order or combination is most appropriate to your requirements. You can select packages from different areas of the model, arrange them in any order, and edit or delete the packages. The virtual document automatically incorporates the changes.
The RTF Generator
Enterprise Architect has an enhanced RTF Document Generator that features:
| · | Powerful WYSIWYG RTF style template editor support, enabling: |
| · | Headers and Footers |
| · | Images |
| · | Indexes |
| · | Tabular Sections |
| · | Nested Sections |
| · | All model elements, connectors, diagrams and their properties |
| · | Template import and export using XML |
| · | Basic templates supplied for customization. |
| · | A document generator that: |
| · | Provides simplified options |
| · | Generates complex documents based on RTF templates. |
| · | An embedded RTF viewer that you use to view RTF documents generated in Enterprise Architect directly within Enterprise Architect. |
More Information
A tutorial on using the RTF Generator and creating RTF documentation is provided on the Sparx Systems website. Click on the following link:
http://www.sparxsystems.com/resources/whitepapers/
For more information, see:
See Also