Extended Objects, Sub-Objects, and Links (Profile)

Extended objects, sub-objects, and links are special metaclasses that are designed to allow you to add completely new types of objects to your models, rather than basing them on existing PowerDesigner objects. These objects do not appear, by default, in models other than the free model unless you add them to an extension or other resource file.

  • Extended objects – define new types of objects that can be created anywhere.

  • Extended sub-objects – define new types of child objects that can only be created in the property sheet of their parent via an extended composition (see Extended Collections and Compositions (Profile)).

  • Extended links – define new types of links between objects.

  1. Right-click the Profile category, select Add Metaclasses, and click the PdCommon sub-tab in the dialog to display the list of objects common to all models.
  2. Select one or more of ExtendedLink, ExtendedSubObject, and ExtendedObject and click OK to add them to your profile.
    Note: To make the tools for creating extended objects and extended links available in the Toolbox of models other than the free model, you must add them via the customization dialog available at Tools > Customize Menus and Tools.
  3. [optional] To create your own object add a stereotype (see Stereotypes (Profile) and define appropriate extensions under the stereotype. To have your object appear in the PowerDesigner interface as a standard metaclass, with its own tool, Browser category and model list, select Use as metaclass in the stereotype definition (see Promoting a Stereotype to Metaclass Status).
  4. Click Apply to save the changes.