Basic Scripting Tasks

You can use scripts to create and open models, and to manipulate objects and symbols in PowerDesigner.

• Creating a Model by Script
  You create a model using the CreateModel (modelkind As Long, filename As String = "", flags As Long =omf_Default) As BaseObject global function together with the cls_Model constant prefixed with the Module name to identify the type of model you want to create.
• Opening a Model by Script
  You open a model using the OpenModel (filename As String, flags As Long =omf_Default) As BaseObject global function.
• Creating an Object by Script
  It is recommended to create an object directly from the collection to which it belongs in order to directly obtain a valid state for the object. When you do so, you only create the object but not its graphical symbol.
• Creating a Symbol by Script
  You create the associated symbol of an object by attaching it to the active diagram using the following method: AttachObject(ByVal Obj As BaseObject) As BaseObject.
• Displaying an Object Symbol by Script
  You can display objects symbol in a diagram using the following methods:
• Positioning a Symbol next to Another by Script
  You position a symbol next to another using the X and Y (respectively Abscissa and Ordinate) points, together with a combination of method (Position As Apoint) and function (NewPoint(X As Long = 0, Y As Long = 0) As Apoint)).
• Deleting an Object by Script
  You delete an object from a model using the Delete As Boolean method.
• Retrieving an Object by Script
  The following example illustrates how you can retrieve an object by its code in the model
• Creating a Shortcut by Script
  You create a shortcut in a model using the CreateShortcut(ByVal NewPackage As BaseObject, ByVal ParentCol As String = "") As BaseObject method.
• Creating a Link Object by Script
  You create a link object using the CreateNew(kind As Long = 0) As BaseObject method, then you have to declare its ends.
• Browsing a Collection by Script
  All collections can be iterated through the usual "For Each variable In collection" construction.
• Manipulating Objects in a Collection by Script
  In the following example, we are going to manipulate objects in collections by creating business rule objects and attaching them to a class object. To do so, we :
• Extending the Metamodel by Script
  When you import a file using scripts, you can import as extended attributes or extended collections some properties that may not correspond to standard attributes.
• Manipulating Extended Properties by Script
  You can dynamically get and set objects extended properties like attributes and collections using scripts.
• Creating a Graphical Synonym by Script
  You create a graphical synonym by attaching the same object twice to the same package.
• Creating an Object Selection by Script
  Object Selection is a model object that is very useful to select other model objects in order to apply to them a specific treatment. You can for example add some objects to the Object Selection to move them to another package in a unique operation instead of repeating the same operation for each and every objects individually.
• Creating an Extension by Script
  Like any other PowerDesigner object, extensions can be read, created and modified using scripting.
• Mapping Objects by Script
  You can use scripting to map objects from heterogeneous models.