Scripting PowerDesigner

When working with large or multiple models, it can sometimes be tedious to perform repetitive tasks, such as modifying objects using global rules, importing or generating new formats or checking models.

Such operations can be automated through scripts. Scripting is widely used in various PowerDesigner features. For example, to:

You can access PowerDesigner objects using any scripting language such as Java, VBScript or C# (C Sharp). However, the scripting language used to illustrate our examples in this chapter is VBScript.

VBScript is a Microsoft scripting language. PowerDesigner provides integrated support for Microsoft VBScript so that you can write and run scripts to interact with metamodel objects in a development environment using properties and methods. Every PowerDesigner object can be read and modified (creation, update or deletion).

• Accessing PowerDesigner Metamodel Objects
  PowerDesigner ships with a metamodel published in an Object Oriented Model (metamodel.oom) that illustrates how metadata interact in the software. All objects in the PowerDesigner metamodel have a name and a code. They correspond to the public name of the metadata. An HTML help file is also provided to allows you to find out which properties and methods can be used to drill down to a PowerDesigner object.
• Using the Metamodel Objects Help File
  PowerDesigner provides a compiled HTML help file that you can open from the Help > Metamodel Objects Help command or from the Edit/Run Script editor dialog box. This reference guide is intended to help you get familiar with the PowerDesigner objects properties, collections and methods that you can use in scripting.
• Using the Edit/Run Script Editor
  The Edit/Run Script editor runs in the PowerDesigner environment and provides access to the scripting environment. You open it from the Tools > Execute Commands menu. It is available whatever the type of the active model and also when no model is active.
• Basic Scripting Tasks
  You can use scripts to create and open models, and to manipulate objects and symbols in PowerDesigner.
• Manipulating Databases by Script
  You can use scripts to manipulate databases in PowerDesigner.
• Manipulating the Repository By Script
  PowerDesigner lets you access the Repository feature via scripting using the RepositoryConnection as BaseObject global property.
• Managing Reports by Script
  You can generate HTML and RTF reports using scripting, but you cannot create reports.
• Accessing Metadata by Script
  You can access and manipulate PowerDesigner internal objects using Visual Basic Scripting. The scripting lets you access and modify object properties, collections, and methods using the public names of objects.
• Managing the Workspace by Script
  The Workspace object corresponds to the workspace root in the Browser. PowerDesigner lets you access the current workspace using the ActiveWorkspace As BaseObject global property.
• Communicating With PowerDesigner Using OLE Automation
  OLE Automation (or Visual Basic for Applications) is a way to communicate with PowerDesigner from another application using the COM architecture in the same application or in other applications. You can write a program using any language that support COM, such as Word and Excel macros, VB, C++, or PowerBuilder.
• Customizing PowerDesigner Menus Using Add-Ins
  An add-in is a module that adds a specific feature or service to PowerDesigner standard behavior. PowerDesigner add-ins allow you to customize PowerDesigner menus by adding your own menu items. You can customize the following menus: