Actor Properties

To view or edit an actor's properties, double-click its diagram symbol or 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 beyond the core UML definition. You can enter a stereotype directly in this field, or add stereotypes to the list by specifying them in an extension file.
Keywords	Provide a way of loosely grouping objects through tagging. To enter multiple keywords, separate them with commas.

Implementation Classes Tab

An actor can be a human being (person, partner) or a machine, or process (automated system). When analyzing what an actor must do, you can identify the classes and interfaces that need to be created for the actor to perform his task, and attach them to the actor. The Implementation Classes tab lists the classes and interfaces used to implement the actor. The following tools are available:

Tool	Action
	Add Objects – Opens a dialog box to select any class or interface in the model to implement the actor.
	Create a New Class – Creates a new class to implement the actor.
	Create a New Interface - Creates a new interface to implement the actor.

For example, an actor Car could be implemented by the classes Engine and Motorway.

Conceptually, you may link elements even deeper. For example, a clerk working in an insurance company is represented as an actor in a use case diagram, dealing with customers who declare a car accident.

The clerk actor becomes an object in a communication or sequence diagram, receiving messages from customers and sending messages to his manager, which is an instance of the Clerk class in a class diagram with its associated attributes and operations:

Related Diagrams Tab

The Related Diagrams tab lists diagrams that help you to further understand the actor. Click the Add Objects tool to add diagrams to the list from any model open in the workspace. For more information, see Core Features Guide > Modeling with PowerDesigner > Diagrams, Matrices, and Symbols > Diagrams > Specifying Diagrams as Related Diagrams.