Forms (Profile)

You can use forms to create new property sheet tabs or to replace existing tab, or to create dialog boxes that are launched from menus or by clicking on buttons in your property sheet tabs. Building a new form is fast and easy, using the form tools in the resource editor.

By default, extended attributes are listed alphabetically on the Extended Attributes tab of the object's property sheet. By creating your own form, you can make these attributes more visible and easy to use, by organizing them logically, grouping related ones, and emphasizing those that are most important. Custom forms are used in PDMs to emphasize the most commonly-used physical options on the "Physical Options (Common)" tabs.

You can create a form on any metaclass that has a property sheet, or on a stereotype or a criterion. For property tabs, if the tab is linked to a stereotype or criterion, it is displayed only when the metaclass instance bears the stereotype or meets the criterion.

• Creating a Form
  You can create a form in a profile to create a new property tab or dialog box in the PowerDesigner interface, or to replace a standard property sheet tab.
• Form Properties
  You specify the properties for a form by selecting its entry in the resource editor.
• Adding Extended Attributes and Other Controls to Your Form
  You insert controls into your form using the tools in the Form tab toolbar.
• Example: Creating a Property Sheet Tab
  In this example, we will create a new property tab for the EAM Person metaclass to display extended attributes we define to store personal information.
• Example: Including a Form in a Form
  In this example, we will replace the General tab of the EAM Person metaclass by a form which includes properties from the person and from the site to which she is assigned by including a form defined on the Site metaclass as a read-only control in a form defined on the Person metaclass.
• Example: Opening a Dialog from a Property Sheet
  In this example, we will add a button to a property sheet tab, to open a dialog box, allowing you to enter additional personal details for a person.