How does eaDocX Quick Document compare with the Sparx EA Built-In Auto-document feature?

In summary:

Short version: they solve the same problem (“get something out of EA into Word”) but come from opposite directions.

• EA’s built-in auto-documentation is a generic, template-driven report engine: powerful, comprehensive, but quite “raw” and template-heavy. Read More
• eaDocX Quick Document is a model-aware “2-click” Word doc generator: it reads the structure of what you selected and guesses a sensible, business-readable document, which you then refine via eaDocX profiles. Read More

Below is a side-by-side comparison.

1. How you use it

eaDocX Quick Document

• Select a Package, element, diagram, RTF Model Document or RTF Master Document in the Browser.
• Right-click → Specialize → eaDocX → Quick Document.
• eaDocX immediately creates a new Word document using your default Word template. Read More

EA built-in auto-doc

• Select a Package/element (or Report Package / Model Document for virtual docs).
• Press F8 or Publish → Model Reports → Report Builder → Generate Documentation. Read More
• Choose: template, TOC template, output file name + format (RTF/PDF/DOCX), options (child packages, filters, etc.). Read More

2. What you get by default

eaDocX Quick Document

• Examines the structure of the selected part of the model (actors, use cases, requirements, test cases, etc.).
• Builds a Word document with:
  • Intro/document info
  • Tables (e.g. Actors vs Use Cases; Requirements vs Test Cases)
  • Hyperlinks between rows/sections
  • Per-element sections formatted consistently. Read More
• You can enable “Compact Document” so that blank sections (“(none)”) are removed, making the result look like a hand-crafted Word doc rather than a dump. Read More

EA built-in auto-doc

• Produces a linear report based on the chosen template – typically:
  • Package/element headings
  • Notes, tagged values, attributes/operations
  • Diagrams and connector lists. Read More
• Out of the box, the system templates (“Basic Report”, “Model Report” etc.) are quite generic and can feel technical unless you edit them. Read More

3. Customization model

eaDocX Quick Document

• Uses eaDocX Profiles for each element/connector type: you choose which properties, relationships and tagged values appear, how they’re captioned, and in what order. Read More
• Quick Document has global defaults (e.g. show reverse relationships, show all tagged values). You tweak these once, regenerate, and get a noticeably different document (e.g. full forward/backward traceability). Read More
• All formatting uses normal Word styles from your corporate template, so changing the look is normal Word work. Read More

EA built-in auto-doc

• Uses EA’s Document Template Designer: an RTF/DOCX-oriented template language with sections for Package/Element/Connector, etc. Read More
• For sophisticated outputs you often combine:
  • Report templates
  • Template fragments
  • Virtual documents (Report Package + Model Document elements)
  • Filters and search-driven content. Read More
• Very flexible, but you’re designing at the template level, not at the “what would a requirements reviewer like to see?” level.

4. Formatting & styling

eaDocX Quick Document

• Outputs native Word documents that obey your company Word template (styles, headers/footers, numbering, etc.) and can also be published as HTML. Read More
• Has specific features like “Hide empty fields” / “Compact Document” to avoid ugly blank lines and tables. Read More

EA built-in auto-doc

• Has its own WYSIWYG document editor. Templates and documents live inside EA but are still RTF/DOCX-compatible. Read More
• Common pattern is: generate RTF/DOCX reports and link them into a Word master document, where you then manage styles, TOCs, figure lists, etc. Read More

5. Traceability and “cleverness”

eaDocX Quick Document

• Quick Document is explicitly marketed as discovering model structure and producing traceability views: e.g. forward and reverse links between requirements and test cases, or between actors and use cases, with hyperlinks both ways. Read More
• Can show reverse relationships and additional tagged values just via settings, without scripting. Read More

EA built-in auto-doc

• Can absolutely print relationships and tagged values, but only where the template includes them; cross-cutting / multi-hop traces often need custom templates or document-script fragments. Read More

6. Output formats & distribution

eaDocX Quick Document

• Outputs Word (DOCX) and, via eaDocX, HTML, which you can then share via Teams/SharePoint/Dropbox etc. Read More
• Designed specifically for “business-ready” documents – the assumption is that non-EA users will read the result. Read More

EA built-in auto-doc

• Outputs PDF, RTF, DOCX and HTML directly from EA. Read More
• Good for generating large reference reports or internal technical documentation directly from the tool.

7. Learning curve & maintenance

eaDocX Quick Document

• Very low barrier: “no configuration and no setup” to get a useful first doc; you refine later via profiles and options. Read More
• Maintenance tends to be: tweak profiles and global options as your modeling style evolves.

EA built-in auto-doc

• Powerful but with a steeper learning curve:
  • Understanding template sections and field codes
  • Managing template fragments and virtual documents
  • Possibly scripting to fill gaps. Read More