Comparing Model Elements

You need to select model elements from the active model or another model on a running data repository to identify the differences between them.

Purpose

You need to select model elements from the active model or another model on a running data repository to identify the differences between them.

The comparison always takes place between a model elements and all of its subelements in the active model and any number of other model elements and their subelements.

Selecting Model Elements for Comparison

Prerequisites

You need to be logged-in to the models which contain the elements you wish to compare. It is sufficient to be logged-in as Guest.

Context

Elements within the current model are compared by default. This is the default for model selection in the right-hand selection.

How to proceed

Select Review>Compare>Compare Model Elements.

The Compare Model Elements editor appears.
If you want to compare elements from different models, click on the Change model button in the right-hand selection.

The Open a Model on a Repository Server dialog appears.
Log-in to the second model.Log-in as model administrator.

The login dialog closes and the model name and repository name (shown in parentheses) appear in the selection area.

Selecting Root Elements for Comparison

Prerequisites

You need to select model elements from the active model or another model on a running data repository to identify the differences between them. You need to log-in to the other model for this.

For them to be able to be compared, the root elements to be compared need to have the same element type but may not be identical.

Context

The comparison always takes place between a model elements and all of its subelements in the active model and any number of other model elements and their subelements.

Different model elements in the active model can be dragged and dropped in the top left and right-hand selection areas.

You can only drag model elements from another model and drop them in the top right-hand area.

You can compare multiple pairs of root elements simultaneously.

How to proceed

Drag the element to be compared from the active model and drop it in the top left-hand selection area.
If you only need one structure element as a root element, it is also possible to click on the top-left selection area. The selection window that contains the model structure appears; the elements and packages are shown here. Click on the element you want.

The element is shown in the selection area.
If you want to compare the element with another element in the active model, then repeat the process for the top right-hand area.

The element is shown in the selection area.
If you want to compare the element with an element from another open model, then jump to the other model and drag the element to be compared from the other model and drop it in the top right-hand selection area of the editor.
If you only need one structure element as a root element, it is also possible to click on Change model. The model login dialog appears. Once logged-in, click in the top right-hand selection field. A selection window with the model's model structure of the model you are currently logged-in to opens. Select the structure element you want there.

The element is shown in the selection area.
If you want to compare other pairs of root elements, select the Add command from the context menu in the selection area and repeat the steps above.

The Remove command can be used to remove the pair currently under the mouse pointer.

Comparing Model Elements

Prerequisites

The Compare model elements editor is opened and is being shown. You have selected the root elements to e compared.

The root elements to be compared need to have the same element type for them to be able to be compared.

Context

Set what classifies the elements to be compared as the same element using the UUID or name. You can use case sensitivity for the name.

Equal byUUID
Display elements with the same UUID and hierarchical position in the left and the right model element as one node in the comparison result.
Equal by Name
Display elements with the same name and hierarchical position in the left and the right model element as one node in the comparison result.
Equal by Name(match case)
Display elements with the same name (matching the case) and hierarchical position in the left and the right model element as one node in the comparison result.

The criteria that judges them as the same only affect the root elements' subelements, as the root elements are always considered the same.

The compared elements are merged after comparison and shown in the hierarchy area as a result tree. If two elements are treated as the same, these are then represented by one node; if this is not the case, they are shown as two nodes.

Elements are only essentially treated as the same if they have the same element type and owner. This means that comparison does not allow you to tell (yet) whether the element was moved or transformed into another element type.

The node's icon and color show whether the elements are equal, unequal or only the subelements are unequal, whether subelements are only contained in the left or right branch or whether the right element has a different owner.

Icon/Label	Meaning
	Both elements are equal.
	Both elements are equal but subelements differ.
	Both elements are not equal.
Green	Element only exists in the left model.
Red	Element only exists in the right model.
	The right element has another owner.

How to proceed

Select one of the three criteria Equal by that will identify elements as equal.

Two elements are always considered to be the same if they have the same UUID, regardless of which values you select. Depending on the value selected, elements with different UUIDs are also considered to be the same if they have the same name; case sensitivity may or may not be taken into consideration.
Select Compare>Compare>Start comparison.

The comparison is performed and the result tree is shown in the hierarchy area.
If the right-hand element has a different owner and this is displayed in the tree, you can have the owner selected in the hierarchy area using Jump to the right owner in the tree.