Quick Start - archimatetool/archi-modelrepository-plugin2 GitHub Wiki

This quick start guide shows you how to add an Archi model to the Collaboration Workspace so that you can commit changes locally without having to synchronise with a remote repository. The remote repository can be set up later as desired. This is a great way to test some of the features of coArchi2 without having to worry about setting up authentication and remote repositories.

For this quick start guide we've arranged Archi's panels as in the following screenshot. The Collaboration Workspace, Change History and Branches panels can be opened from the main toolbar or menu. There's one model open in the Models Tree - the one that we're going to add to the Collaboration Workspace.

1. Select the model you wish to add to the Collaboration Workspace in the Models Tree so it has the focus. This might be an existing model or a new, empty, model.
2. From the main or right-click context "Collaboration" menu select "Add Model to Workspace..."
3. A dialog will open:

4. As we are not linking this model to an online repository at this stage we can leave all the fields blank. The "Store user name and password" checkbox can be checked or unchecked, it doesn't matter.
5. Click the "Add" button
6. The model will now appear in the Collaboration Workspace panel

7. An initial commit is made and visible in the Change History panel:

When you clicked the "Add" button the model file (*.archimate) was copied to a newly created repository folder which contains all of the necessary Git files required for version tracking and collaboration. Note that a copy was made of the original file. The folder location is as follows, where "XXXXXXXXXXXX" is a unique number:

<user home>/Documents/Archi/repositories/XXXXXXXXXXXX

Inside this folder is the model file renamed to model.archimate and a .git folder (which will be hidden unless you have hidden files visible).

At the same time an initial commit was made with the message "First Commit". This is the starting point for the model's history of changes.

Now that the local repository has been initialised with a copy of the model and an initial commit made we can continue to make changes to the model. When we make a change and Save the model we can see the change in the Change History panel.

1. Modify the model
2. Save the model
3. Note the change in the Change History panel where it now displays a row "Working Changes":

4. When you're happy with the changes to the model make sure it's saved and has the focus (selected in the Models Tree or one of its Views)
5. From the main or right-click context "Collaboration" menu select "Commit Changes..."
6. A dialog will open:

7. If you have previously added your user name and email address in Preferences these fields will be populated. If not, add them now.
8. Add a message to the main text box that describes the change. The message should be a single line that summarises the change concisely. Additional text can be added after a space below this line.
9. Click the "OK" button
10. The commit is added to the Change History panel:

When you made a change to the model and saved it, coArchi (actually Git) detected a change between the current state of the model and the initial commit. This showed up in the Change History panel as "Working Changes". Adding the change as a "commit" marks this point in time in the history of changes. From here on, you can continue to add more changes and commits, or even undo the commit or revert to a previous commit. See Getting into the Details for more information.