Collaborating with Patterns

Patterns Catalogs Storage

To enable multiple users to use pattern catalogs, the pattern catalogs files have to be shared.

To do that, a simple Eclipse project containing the catalog files has to be used (see example below).

This project can be stored:

In a shared directory (problem: no versioning and no change control),
In a ClearCase view. In this case, to avoid concurrent modifications, all users should share the same UCM stream.

Every user who wants to participate to the shared project and use patterns will have to import this shared project in its workspace.

Example project storage layout (shared directory or SCM only):

For now, to use patterns, it is mandatory to have write access on a .patterns file before opening the corresponding catalog.

This is a bug in Capella, the .patterns file must be writable even if no data have to be written in.

With ClearCase:

Open the catalog,
When asked, do an “ Unreserved Check Out ” on the .patterns file (for pattern creation/update do a “ Reserved Check Out ”),
Use patterns from the catalog (or do some changes),
Close the catalog,
Do an ‘Undo Check Out” (or do a “Check In” to keep changes).

It is recommended to clearly separate the pattern creation/update phase and the pattern application phase:

Phase 1: Pattern catalogs and Patterns are created or updated by a pattern expert,
Phase 2: Users do their modeling using the created catalogs.