MetaEdit+ provides means to export and import design data
between MetaEdit+ repositories, and with the API or Workbench versions also with
other tools capable of importing or exporting definitions in XML format. It is
possible to export and import both type (metamodel) and instance (model) level
data. MetaEdit+ provides two formats for data exchange: a complete native binary
format that enables export/import between two MetaEdit+ repositories and an open
XML based format for wider tool integration.
Figure 5-8. Graph Manager.
4) | Press
the arrow button between the lists. This updates the right-hand list by
selecting the elements that are included in the selected graphs. This operation
may take some time, especially the first time, when all the data must first be
loaded from the repository. The selected elements are ordered by their metatype
(Graph, Object, Relationship, Role), type name, and name. You may choose any of
the elements from the list on the right to see the reason why that item was
included. Note that for binary export, graphs reached by explosion,
decomposition or property links will be included along with their properties,
but without their contents; similarly the types of their contents will not be
exported. To export the whole graphs, include them in the selection in the left
list.
|
5) | Depending on
whether you want to export elements as a binary patch or XML, press either
Save as Patch or Export to XML button at the bottom of the Graph
Manager. Saving as a patch will create a binary file with extension
.mec whereas exporting to XML will
result an .mxm
file. |
6) | Give a
name for the export file (with extension
.mec or
.mxm). With binary export you are also
asked to give the name for your current repository. The repository name is
needed because in the case of a binary patch target repositories remember the
source repositories from which they have imported models. The use of the same
repository name allows models to be exported from a given source repository to a
given target repository many times, updating the previously imported models. If
the name is different, new graphs, objects etc. will be created. If the name is
the same, the previously imported models will be updated. If the name is the
same, but the second export was actually from a different repository, importing
would cause serious errors, so an error message will be displayed and MetaEdit+
must be exited. You should thus take care to make the names you use for your
repositories unique. |