SBVR12 — SBVR makes use of ElementImports to give additional aliases to some elements in the same package

SBVR makes use of ElementImports to give additional aliases to some elements in the same package. This is invalid use of ElementImport: the UML/MOF specs clearly state that ElementImports are only for elements “in another package”. I recently confirmed my understanding with the UML team that “another” does mean literally that (confirmed by OCL elsewhere in the spec) and it cannot be interpreted to mean “the same package”.

Even were the ElementImport to be permitted, it would not have the intended meaning which I believe is to add additional synonyms to elements. In contrast the alias in an ElementImport “Specifies the name that should be added to the namespace of the importing Package in lieu of the name of the imported PackagableElement.”

This issue is urgent since it affects the production of correct normative artifacts for SBVR 1.1.

Drop the use of elementImport to include aliases in the SBVR Metamodel file as it is an invalid use of elementImport.