[Feature Request] Working with referenced models (import / link / reuse)

[RemcoKapinga]

Description

For advanced use cases, it would be very useful to enable working with linked or references models, and allowing cross usage. I foresee a workflow where i can import (or rather: reference) another model, and can reuse entities, relations and views from that model in my own model.

This would greatly enhance collaboration for modelers, in the same manner that structured package manangement works for software developers.

As an entry point, when we enable referencing external model files (by adding a path or uri and version), and allowing referencing elements from that external model, would make a great start. Referenced models can be considered read-only (you need to change to original file) from the using model.

as an example (for sake of discussion) i mocked up this xml syntax for this feature:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<archimate:model xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:archimate="http://www.archimatetool.com/archimate" name="Example " id="id-7ebbb31b960a4807b93af98bce688595" version="5.0.0">
  <references>
    <reference name="Core Elements" id="id-32636af347447807b93af98bce688595" modelversion="5.0.0" path="core.archimate"/>
    <reference name="Reference Patterns" id="id-2453634525447807b93af98bce688595" modelversion="5.0.0" uri="https://example.org/patterns/reference.archimate>version=23"/>
  </references>
  <folder name="Strategy" id="id-ffc0dd84c1d54c45ba4c46bc9d4cb50e" type="strategy">
  ...

[RemcoKapinga]

As a practical example, this allows multpiple users to work on sepererate models, and publish those models (versioned). For example, one author is responsible for modelling the organization, and provides updates when needed. another person models the business layer. As a technical architect i can reference those seperate models, link to elements, add them in my diagrams, etc..

When an author publishes a new version, I can use that new version, and get updated elements. Or i can decide to use the current version and not update. This would make a point-in-time view possible as well, for older architecture models i can always refer to a certain model / version, without the risk of external updates.

When updating a reference, there may be need to resolve changes (especially for elements that are no longer present in the referenced mode). Since archi works with unique id's, referencing should be stable.

As another example, this allows me to share / publish reference patterns atc.. at a central location that others can reuse in their own models.

[Phillipus]

I won't be implementing this, personally. But as this is an open source project, you (or someone else) could provide an implementation and pull request. Realistically, this won't happen because the changes required for this feature go so deep, and affect so many parts of the code, that it would take someone an enormous effort and many months of time to implement.

[RemcoKapinga]

Would you be able to give some pointers where to start with this? What area of the code would i need to start with?