PowerDesigner Resource Files

The SAP® Sybase® 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:

Definition file: customize the metamodel to define the objects available for a specific DBMS or language:
- DBMS definition files (.xdb) - define a specific DBMS in the PDM (see Customizing and Extending PowerDesigner > DBMS Definition Files).
- Process, object, and XML language definition files (.xpl, .xol, and .xsl) – define a specific language in the BPM, OOM, or XSM (see Customizing and Extending PowerDesigner > Object, Process, and XML Language Definition Files).
Extension files (.xem) – extend the standard definitions of target languages to, for example, specify a persistence framework or server in an OOM. You can create or attach one or more XEMs to a model (see Extension Files).
Report templates (.rtp) - specify the structure of a report. Editable within the Report Template Editor (see Report Templates).
Report language files (.xrl) – translate the headings and other standard text in a report (see Customizing and Extending PowerDesigner > Translating Reports with Report Language Resource Files).
Impact and lineage analysis rule sets (.rul) - specify the rules defined for generating impact and lineage analyses (see Analysis Rule Sets).
Object permission profiles (.ppf) - customize the PowerDesigner interface to hide models, objects, and properties (see Controlling the Availability of Models, Objects, and Properties).
User profiles (.upf) - store preferences for model options, general options, display preferences, etc (see User Profiles).
Model category sets (.mcc) - customize the New Model dialog to guide model creation (see Customizing the New Model Dialog).
Conversion tables (.csv) - define conversions between the name and code of an object (see Creating a Conversion Table).

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, from version 16.5 onwards, PowerDesigner no longer allows you to save modifications to 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. If you have previously created or modified resource files inside Program Files, your 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. The first directory in the list is the default, which is proposed whenever you save a you file. 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.
	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.
	Update from Repository - [if the repository is installed] Checks out a version of the selected file from the repository to your local machine.
	Compare with Repository - [if the repository is installed] Compares the selected file with a resource file stored in the repository.