[import] Metadata on a Dependency cannot resolve an imported library metadata definition by its unqualified name

[atanaka]

Summary

When a metadata usage is owned by a Dependency — as a prefix (#Refinement dependency …) or in its body
(dependency … { @Refinement; }) — its type cannot be resolved if it names a metadata definition of the standard
library by its unqualified name, even though the library package is imported. The upload reports
Unable to resolve name 'Refinement', and the imported MetadataUsage has no type. The same name resolves when it is
qualified, and a metadata definition declared in the same package resolves unqualified.

The SysML v2 Pilot Implementation (0.62.0) accepts the file without errors.

Environment

• SysON v2026.9.0 and v2026.9.2 (Docker images eclipsesyson/syson:v2026.9.0 / v2026.9.2, linux/amd64), blank project
• Uploaded through the GraphQL uploadDocument mutation

Reproduction

Upload this file into a blank project:

package ReproRefinement {
    private import ModelingMetadata::*;
    metadata def <mm> LocalMeta;
    requirement def Upper;
    requirement def A;
    requirement def B;
    requirement def C;
    requirement def D;
    requirement def E;
    #refinement dependency A to Upper;                    // library, short name
    #Refinement dependency B to Upper;                    // library, declared name
    #mm dependency C to Upper;                            // local metadata definition
    dependency D to Upper { @Refinement; }                // library, body annotation
    #ModelingMetadata::Refinement dependency E to Upper;  // library, qualified name
}

Result, per line (checked with GET /api/rest/projects/{p}/commits/{p}/elements, FeatureTyping.type of each MetadataUsage):

Metadata	Annotated element	Resolved
#refinement	Dependency	no
#Refinement	Dependency	no
@Refinement in the body	Dependency	no
#mm (local definition)	Dependency	yes
#ModelingMetadata::Refinement	Dependency	yes

The upload reports three warnings, one per unresolved line:

[Warning] Unable to resolve name 'refinement' for reference 'type' on element '[FeatureTyping] ReproRefinement::<OwningMembership>::<Dependency>::<Annotation>::<MetadataUsage>::<FeatureTyping>'
[Warning] Unable to resolve name 'Refinement' for reference 'type' on element '[FeatureTyping] ReproRefinement::<OwningMembership>::<Dependency>::<Annotation>::<MetadataUsage>::<FeatureTyping>'
[Warning] Unable to resolve name 'Refinement' for reference 'type' on element '[FeatureTyping] ReproRefinement::<OwningMembership>::<Dependency>::<Annotation>::<MetadataUsage>::<FeatureTyping>'

ModelingMetadata.json bundled in syson-application-configuration-2026.9.0.jar does declare
MetadataDefinition Refinement with declaredShortName = "refinement", so the definition is available.

Impact

airbus/apollo-11-sysml-v2 records all its cross-layer traceability as
#refinement dependency … to …; (369 dependencies). After upload every one of them keeps its client and supplier but
loses the Refinement typing, so a refinement cannot be told apart from any other dependency. The Pilot
Implementation reports 0 errors and 0 warnings for the same 28 files.

Cause

Not located. In the repro, an unqualified name of an imported library definition fails while a local definition and
a qualified library name resolve. In a separate upload, #Refinement requirement def F; did resolve in SysON
(the Pilot Implementation rejects that line, because Refinement may only annotate a Dependency), so the failure
appears to depend on the annotated element being a Dependency; we have not checked other element kinds.

Workaround

Qualify the name: #ModelingMetadata::Refinement dependency A to Upper;.

[atanaka]

I missed #2017 when searching for duplicates before opening this issue — sorry about that. It is the same situation:
a MetadataUsage owned by a relationship (here a Dependency, there a MembershipExpose) whose type is written as an
unqualified name. Feel free to close this one as a duplicate and keep the discussion in #2017.

Since #2017 contains the view that a fully qualified name is required in this case, here are two data points that may
help decide it:

• The SysML v2 Pilot Implementation 0.62.0 resolves the unqualified names in both cases, with no error or warning:
  the repro above, and the sample of On Relationships, MetadataUsage name resolution and Annotation location seem erroneous #2017 (expose MyItem { @MyAnnotation; }). SysON v2026.9.0 reports
  Unable to resolve name 'MyAnnotation' for the latter, as described there.
• The unqualified form is used in published models. airbus/apollo-11-sysml-v2
  writes all 369 of its traceability dependencies as #refinement dependency … to …;, relying on
  private import ModelingMetadata::*;.

One difference from #2017: in the repro above, a metadata definition declared in the same package (#mm) does resolve
on a Dependency, whereas in #2017 a same-package definition does not resolve on an expose. So the behaviour is not
the same for every kind of relationship.

I don't have a reading of the specification to add either way; if SysON keeps requiring the qualified name, a hint in
the warning (for example, suggesting the qualified name) would already make such files much easier to fix.

[AxelRICHARD]

Hello @atanaka ,

Thank you for raising this issue and for using SysON.
We rely on SysIDE for the import module, but SysIDE is not open-source anymore so we rely on an old version of the SysIDE parser.
That could explain the problem.

If you are interested in providing a fix in the import module of SysON (we already have other fixes for other kind of import problems), we will take a look at it with the greatest interest.

Regards,

[atanaka]

Thank you for the reply. I looked a bit further, and I don't think the parser is the cause in this case:

• The warning Unable to resolve name 'Refinement' … is reported by org.eclipse.syson.sysml.parser.AstTreeParser,
  during reference resolution on the Java side; the bundled syside-cli.js does not contain this message.
• Running the bundled syside-cli.js dump on the repro above, all five metadata references are in the AST in the
  same form, as a MetaclassReference whose targetRef.text is refinement, Refinement, mm, Refinement
  (the body annotation) and ModelingMetadata::Refinement. The two that resolve and the three that don't are
  indistinguishable at that stage.

So the difference seems to come from how names are resolved for a MetadataUsage owned by a relationship, which is
the question discussed in #2017. Given the view there that a qualified name is required, this may be the expected
behaviour for SysON; in that case, feel free to close this issue in favour of #2017.

[AxelRICHARD]

Hello @atanaka,

Thank you for your analyze. I've linked both issues.
I don't think this is the expected behavior in SysON.
If you are interested in providing a fix in SysON for that issue, we will take a look at it with the greatest interest.

Regards,