Understand_Archi_Model_Structure.md

Understand Archi Tool Model File Structure

Archi store the model in one single file with extension .archimate, the file is in XML format.

When you start from one empty model, you will have the file as below:

<?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="test2" id="id-61e011e655fb40d3ae25e0473d628c6d" version="5.0.0">
  <folder name="Strategy" id="id-f17cd7312cca4e2ca8bed3f23acd14bd" type="strategy"/>
  <folder name="Business" id="id-26612ea8f7614bbd86cf8d936682fb85" type="business"/>
  <folder name="Application" id="id-756e3ee9ea854f9483cc978658211a4b" type="application"/>
  <folder name="Technology &amp; Physical" id="id-f19682beb0b648bfb36d94b0f49ebe31" type="technology"/>
  <folder name="Motivation" id="id-c634c79bdafe466ab3db9c7d51fbdf13" type="motivation"/>
  <folder name="Implementation &amp; Migration" id="id-f796e5690c4e480bb5302a6296e39764" type="implementation_migration"/>
  <folder name="Other" id="id-c313edf2549d4902ac7932a12dccfa12" type="other"/>
  <folder name="Relations" id="id-e57fe88e5ee74ab3a773bccdd15a0b12" type="relations"/>
  <folder name="Views" id="id-328e09c148be4adb8fc092b461798f2e" type="diagrams">
    <element xsi:type="archimate:ArchimateDiagramModel" name="Default View" id="id-c9bfa834ca0b4b628a3a9adaf47d32a1"/>
  </folder>
</archimate:model>

Let's use following steps to examine the model file structure:

1. Add one element
2. Add documentation to element
3. Add properties to element
4. Create a view
5. Add element (instance) to the view
6. Adjust element looks and feels in the view
7. Add relationship between element
8. Add properties to relationship

Check detail demo in below two videos:

• Archi - understand model file structure (part 1)
• Archi - understand model file structure (part 2)