I should note that in the next generation of archetypes and tooling, archetype 'source' files for specialised archetypes will be 'differential' in nature - i.e. valid ADL, but containing only added and changed items from the parent, just as for subclasses in an object-oriented programming environment. This will not affect archetypes already created, other than to generate warnings for inconsistencies. Over time, the tools will migrate to working off the differential source form, not the inheritance-flattened form we use today (with the difference only manifesting for specialised archetypes).
The current generation of the ADL worbench already shows the inherited items that are changed or added in specialised archetypes. The next release will enable the source files to be displayed, and will generate the appropriate warnings due to more sophisticated validation up the specialisation lineage. In practical terms, this translates to more maintainable archetypes and a better ability to see the differences between a given specialised archetype and the parent. - thomas beale
