Stereotypes (Profile)

Stereotypes are a per-instance extension mechanism. When a stereotype is applied to a metaclass instance (by selecting it in the Stereotype field of the object's property sheet), any extensions that you add to the stereotype are then applied to the instance.

Stereotypes can be promoted to the status of metaclasses to give them greater visibility in the interface, with a specific list, Browser category and, optionally custom symbol and toolbox tool. For more information, see Promoting a Stereotype to Metaclass Status.

You can define more than one stereotype for a given metaclass, but you can only apply a single stereotype to each instance. Stereotypes support inheritance: extensions to a parent stereotype are inherited by its children.

• Creating a Stereotype
  You can create a stereotype within a metaclass, a criterion, or another stereotype.
• Stereotype Properties
  You specify the properties for a stereotype by selecting its entry in the resource editor.
• Promoting a Stereotype to Metaclass Status
  You can promote a stereotype to metaclass status by selecting Use as Metaclass in the stereotype property page. Stereotypes promoted in this way have their own Browser folders and entries in the Model menu and New contextual menu.
• Specifying an Icon and Custom Tool for a Stereotype
  You can specify an icon for a stereotype to allow users to identify instances of the metaclass bearing the stereotype in the Browser, property sheets, and elsewhere in the interface. You can also specify a tool to allow user to create instances from the Toolbox.