Creating Data Formats For Reuse

You can create data formats to reuse in constraints for multiple objects by clicking the New button to the right of the Format field on the Standard Checks tab. Data formats are informational only, and are not generated as constraints.

Note: To create multiple data formats, use the List of Data Formats, available by selecting Model > Data Formats.

Data Format Properties

To view or edit a data format's properties, double-click its Browser or list entry. The property sheet tabs and fields listed here are those available by default, before any customization of the interface by you or an administrator.

The General tab contains the following properties:

Property

Description

Name/Code/Comment

Identify the object. The name should clearly convey the object's purpose to non-technical users, while the code, which is used for generating code or scripts, may be abbreviated, and should not normally include spaces. You can optionally add a comment to provide more detailed information about the object. By default the code is generated from the name by applying the naming conventions specified in the model options. To decouple name-code synchronization, click to release the = button to the right of the Code field.

Stereotype

Extends the semantics of the object. You can enter a stereotype directly in this field, or add stereotypes to the list by specifying them in an extension file.

Type

Specifies the type of the format. You can choose between:
  • Date/Time
  • String
  • Regular Expression

Expression

Specifies the form of the data to be stored in the column; For example, 9999.99 would represent a four digit number with two decimal places.

Keywords

Provide a way of loosely grouping objects through tagging. To enter multiple keywords, separate them with commas.