Models are the basic work unit in PowerDesigner. You can create a model directly in the workspace, in a folder, or as part of a project.
To create a model, click the New tool or select (see Creating a Model). For a list of available types of models, see PowerDesigner Models and Diagrams. For detailed information about a particular type of model, and for information about creating a model by importing, generating or reverse engineering, see the appropriate modeling guide.
To add an existing model to the workspace, click the Open tool or select , browse to the model file, and click Open. To open the model as read-only, select the Open as read-only check box.
Note: By default, when you open a workspace, its models are closed and bear a red dot in their bottom-left corners. To open a closed model, double-click it or right-click it and select Open or Open as Read-only. To close an open model to free up memory, right-click it and select Close.
When a model contains unsaved changes, an asterisk is appended to its name in the Browser. When you save a model or a multi-model report, PowerDesigner assigns it a unique identifying number called GUID (Global Unique ID, which is used to identify documents in the Repository and during model generation), and creates a backup copy of your file with the same identifying number:
- To perform a standard save - select , click the Save tool, or right-click the model entry in the Browser and select Save.
- To save the model as a backup version with the same GUID - select , or right-click the model node in the Browser and select Save As.
- To save the model as a new model with a new GUID - select , or right-click the model node in the Browser and select Save As New Model. If you check the new model into the repository, it must be as a new model without any revision history. Other models with shortcuts pointing to the original model will continue to be connected to that model.
- To save the workspace and all the model it contains - select , or click the Save All tool.
Note: The following formats are available when you save a model:
- XML - [default] Larger and somewhat slower to load, but editable in a text editor. Recommended for small to medium-sized models.
- Binary - Smaller and faster to load, but not editable outside of PowerDesigner. Recommended for large models.
To change the display name of a model in the Browser, select it and press F2, or right-click it and select Rename.
To delete a model from the workspace, select it and click the Delete tool, press Del, or right-click it and select Detach From Workspace. The model is removed from the workspace, but the file is not deleted from your disk.