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.

Note: To comply with recent Microsoft recommendations, PowerDesigner no longer allows you to save resource files inside the Program Files folder, and will propose an alternative location if you try to do so, adding the selected directory to the list of paths for that type of resource file. Resource files previously saved inside Program Files may no longer be available, as Windows Vista or Windows 7 actually store them in a virtual mirror at, for example, C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Sybase\PowerDesigner 16\Resource Files\DBMS. To restore these files to your lists, optionally move them to a more convenient path, and add their location to your list using the Path tool.

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 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 in the PowerDesigner installation is specified, but you can add as many additional directories as necessary.

If you plan to modify the delivered resource files or create your own, we recommend that you store these files in a directory outside the PowerDesigner installation directory.

The root of the library belonging to your most recent repository connection is implicitly included at the head of the list, and is scanned recursively (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 required 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.