PowerDesigner Resource Files

The PowerDesigner® modeling environment is powered by XML-format resource files, which define the objects available in each model along with the methods for generating and reverse-engineering them. You can view, copy, and edit the provided resource files and create your own in order to customize and extend the behavior of the environment.

The following types of resource files, based on or extending the PowerDesigner public metamodel are provided:

You can review all the available resource files from the lists of resource files, available by selecting Tools > Resources > type.

The following tools are available on each resource file list:

Tool

Description

Properties - Opens the resource file in the Resource Editor.

New - Creates a new resource file using an existing file as a model (see Creating and Copying Resource Files).

Save - Saves the selected resource file.

Save All - Saves all the resource files in the list.

Path - Specifies the directories that contain the resource files to populate this list and other places in the PowerDesigner interface where resources of this type can be selected. By default, only the directory containing the resource files delivered as part of the PowerDesigner installation is specified, but you can add as many additional directories as necessary. The root of the library belonging to your most recent repository connection is implicitly included at the head of the list (see Sharing Resource Files via the Library)

Note: In rare cases, when seeking resource files to resolve broken references in models, the directories in the list are scanned in order, and the first matching instance of the sought for resource is used.

Compare - Selects two resource files for comparison.

Merge - Selects two resource files for merging.

ToolCheckIn

Check In - [if the repository is installed] Checks the selected resource file into the repository. For information about storing your resource files in the repository, see Sharing Resource Files via the Library.

ToolUpdateFromRepository

Update from Repository - [if the repository is installed] Checks out a version of the selected file from the repository to your local machine.

ToolCompareWithRepository

Compare with Repository - [if the repository is installed] Compares the selected file with a resource file stored in the repository.