Creating and Accessing Extensions (Scripting)

You can create extensions by script to define additional properties, new metaclasses, forms, and any other type of extension to the standard metamodel.

The following example creates an EAM, then creates an extension inside it, defines a new type of object called tablet derived from the MobileDevice metaclass, and creates an extended attribute and new custom form for it:

Dim MyModel, MyExt, MyStype, MyExAtt, MyForm, FormDef
set MyModel = CreateModel(PdEAM.Cls_Model,"Diagram=TechnologyInfrastructureDiagram")
MyModel.SetNameAndCode "MyEAM" , "MyEAM"
'Create extension
Set MyExt = MyModel.ExtendedModelDefinitions.CreateNew()
MyExt.Name = "MyExtension"
MyExt.Code = "MyExtension"
'Create stereotype
Set MyStype = MyExt.AddMetaExtension(PdEAM.Cls_MobileDevice, Cls_StereotypeTargetItem)
MyStype.Name = "Tablet"
MyStype.UseAsMetaClass = true 
'Create extended atrribute
Set MyExAtt = MyStype.AddMetaExtension(Cls_ExtendedAttributeTargetItem)
MyExAtt.Name = "TabletType"
MyExAtt.Label = "Type"
MyExAtt.DataType = "12" ' (String) For a full list of values, 
' see ExtendedAttributeTargetItem in the Metamodel objects help
MyExAtt.ListOfValues = "iPad;Android;Playbook;Windows8"
MyExAtt.Value = "iPad"
'Create form to replace General tab
Set MyForm = MyStype.AddMetaExtension(Cls_FormTargetItem)
MyForm.Name = "ReplaceGeneral"
MyForm.FormType = "GENERAL"
'Assemble form definition
FormDef = "<Form><StandardNameAndCode Attribute=""NameAndCode"" />" & vbcrlf
FormDef = FormDef + "<StandardAttribute Attribute=""Comment"" />" & vbcrlf
FormDef = FormDef + "<ExtendedAttribute Attribute=""TabletType"" />" & vbcrlf
FormDef = FormDef + "<StandardAttribute Attribute=""KeywordList""  /></Form>"
MyForm.Value = FormDef

You can get and set extended attribute values using the following methods:

GetExtendedAttribute("resource.attribute")
GetExtendedAttributeText("resource.attribute")
SetExtendedAttribute "resource.attribute" "value"
SetExtendedAttributeText "resource.attribute" "value"

You can access collections defined in an extension using the following methods:

GetCollectionByStereotype("stereotype" - for new types of objects defined in an target or extension file (see Promoting a Stereotype to Metaclass Status).
GetExtendedCollection("resource.collection") - for extended collections and compositions (see Extended Collections and Compositions (Profile)).
GetCalculatedCollection("resource.collection") - for calculated collections (see Calculated Collections (Profile)).
GetCollectionByName("resource.collection")-for any kind of collection.

The following script uses the GetCollectionByStereotype() method to access the collection of tablets and the SetExtendedAttribute method to set the tablet type:

Dim col, obj
'The collection of tablets is not directly accessible
set col = ActiveModel.GetCollectionByStereotype("Tablet")
'Create an array to hold the values to assign to tablet properties
Dim myArray(3)
myArray(0) = "Tablet1, T1, PlayBook"
myArray(1) = "Tablet2, T2, Android"
myArray(2) = "Tablet3, T3, iPad"
myArray(3) = "Tablet4, T4, iPad"
CreateObjects col, myArray

'Procedure to assign values to properties
Sub CreateObjects(compColl, dataArray)
   For Each line In dataArray
      Dim myProps
      myProps = split(line, ",")
      set obj = compColl.CreateNew()
      obj.Name = myProps(0)
      obj.Code = myProps(1)
        'Special syntax for setting extended attribute
      obj.SetExtendedAttribute "MYEXT.TabletType", myProps(2)
   Next   
End Sub