Table Properties

To view or edit a table'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. You can enter a stereotype directly in this field, or add stereotypes to the list by specifying them in an extension file.
Owner	Specifies the user who is the owner of the table (usually its creator). Use the tools to the right of the list to create, browse for, or view the properties of the currently selected user.
Number	Specifies the estimated number of records in the table, which is used to estimate database size. This field is automatically populated during reverse engineering if you select the Statistics check box in the Reverse Engineering dialog (see Reverse Engineering from a Live Database). You can enter your own value in this field, or refresh its statistics (along with those for all of the table's columns) at any time by right-clicking the table and selecting Update Statistics. To update the statistics for all tables, select Tools > Update Statistics (see Reverse Engineering Database Statistics).
Generate	Specifies that the table is generated in the database
Dimensional type	Specifies the type of the table for purposes of creating star or snowflake schemas containing fact tables and dimensions. PowerDesigner's support for BusinessObjects universes (see Generating a BusinessObjects Universe), will use this information if it is available. You can choose between: Fact - see Facts (PDM). Dimension - see Dimensions (PDM). Exclude - PowerDesigner will not consider the table when identifying or generating multidimensional objects. Alternatively, PowerDesigner can identify the type of multidimensional object for all or some of your tables and views (see Identifying Fact and Dimension Tables) and generate facts and dimensions (with mappings to their source objects in a multidimensional diagram (see Generating Cubes).
Type	Specifies the type of the table. You can choose between: Relational Object - for abstract data types XML - for storing and retrieving data using an XML format. For more information, see Creating an XML Table or View
Keywords	Provide a way of loosely grouping objects through tagging. To enter multiple keywords, separate them with commas.

Lifecycle tab

The Lifecycle tab is available if data lifecycle modeling (see Lifecycles (PDM)) is supported for your DBMS. These properties can be set for all the tables governed by the lifecycle on the lifecycle property sheet Tables tab (seeLifecycle Properties).

Property	Description
Lifecycle	Specifies the lifecycle with which the table is associated. Select a lifecycle from the list or click the tools to the right of this field to create a new lifecycle or open the property sheet of the currently selected one.
Start date	Specifies the start date from which to generate the first partition. Click the Generate Partitions tool to the right of this field to create partitions for the table, based on the partition range and start date.
Partition range	[read only] Specifies the duration of the partitions that will be created for the table. This value is controlled by the lifecycle (see Lifecycle Properties).
Row growth rate (per year)/Initial Rows	Specifies an estimate of the increase of the size of the table per year, and the number of rows to start from as a basis for the calculation of cost savings. Click the Estimate Cost Savings tool to the right of this field to perform the calculation.
Cost Savings	This groupbox lists the cost savings that accrue to the storage of this table's data through its association with the lifecycle. Each line in the grid represents one year of savings, which are shown as a monetary value and as a percentage of the cost of storing the data statically outside of a lifecycle.

The following tabs are also available:

Columns - lists the columns associated with the table (see Columns (PDM)). The following tools are available on this tab:

Tool	Description
	Insert a Row / Add a Row - Creates a column above the selected column or at the end of the list.
	Add Columns / Replicate Columns - Copies or replicates columns from another table (see Copying or Replicating a Column from Another Table).
	Create Index - Creates an index associated with the selected columns (see Creating an Index).
	Create Key - Creates a (by default, alternate) key associated with the selected columns (see Creating Alternate Keys).

Indexes - lists the indexes associated with the table (see Indexes (PDM)).
Keys - lists the keys associated with the table (see Primary, Alternate, and Foreign Keys (PDM)).
Triggers - lists the triggers associated with the table (see Triggers (PDM)).
Procedures - lists the procedures associated with the table (see Stored Procedures and Functions (PDM)).
Security Procedures - [data lifecycle modeling only] lists the procedures which control access to the table (see Stored Procedures and Functions (PDM)).
Check - specifies the constraints associated with the table (see Setting Data Profiling Constraints)
Physical Options - lists the physical options associated with the table (see Physical Options (PDM)).
Preview - displays the SQL code associated with the table (see Previewing SQL Statements).