Understand the Basics
The cornerstone is the KISS. This basically means that we avoid reinventing the wheel and use Git (a source code management system) to manage the hard stuff (branch management, diff/merge...). But the plugin manages all the "plumbing" needed to provide a good user experience without requiring Git knowledge.
From a technical point of view, a model repository is nothing more than a Git server into which we will create one git repository per model (containing the model saved in the Grafico format). If you are interrested by the underlying logic, note that it is built upon already existing Grafico plugin, so reading Grafico wiki can helps you understand how all this can work.
- Collaboration Workspace: allows quick access to all ArchiMate models managed by this plugin. Model icon change depending on sync state. This state is also visible in the status bar when a model is selected.
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Change History tab: show the list of commits done on selected model. Also allows access to older versions (
Extract model from this commit) and rolling back changes (Restore to this commitandUndo the lastest commit). - Collaboration menu: offers access to all features. They apply to the currently active model (ie. the model owning the view being edited and in focus, or the one that contains the select element in the model tree).
- Toolbar: offers quick access to main features. Also apply to the currently active model.
- You need to have a new empty git repository already setup on a git server
- To add the model from the repository locally, select the first toolbar button in the plugin tab (the green cross). This will clone the repository and create a new blank model
- Work as usual on your model and save it whenever you want
- When you're ready to commit your changes, then choose "Commit Changes" (this can be done offline)
- When you're ready to publish/share your work, then choose "Publish". In case of conflicts (same concept changed and published by someone else) you'll see a windows helping you to fix them.