Extended objects, sub-objects, and links let you model concepts that are not natively supported by PowerDesigner. For example, you can add extended objects to a PDM to model new database objects. You can specify generated files and templates in the definition of your extended objects in order to enable their generation and reverse-engineering.
Extended objects and extended links are available by default in the free model (see The Free Model (FEM)), and can be added to any other type of model through the Profile category in the model's resource file or in an extension file (see Customizing and Extending PowerDesigner > Extension Files).
To view or edit an extended object'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.
|
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. |
|
Source |
[extended links only] Specifies the name of the origin object of the extended link. |
|
Destination |
[extended links only] Specifies the name of the destination object of the extended link. |
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. |
Keywords |
Provide a way of loosely grouping objects through tagging. To enter multiple keywords, separate them with commas. |