File Object Properties

You can modify an object's properties from its property sheet. To open a file object property sheet, double-click its diagram symbol or its Browser entry in the Files folder. The General tab contains the following properties:

Property	Description
Name	The name of the item which should be clear and meaningful, and should convey the item's purpose to non-technical users
Code	The technical name of the item used for generating code or scripts, which may be abbreviated, and should not generally include spaces
Comment	Descriptive label for the file object
Stereotype	Sub-classification used to extend the semantics of the file object. You can create stereotypes in the Profile category of the resource file attached to the current model.
Location type	Specifies the nature of the file object. You can choose from the following options: Embedded – the file is stored within the model and is saved when you save the model. External – the file is stored in the Windows file system, and you must enter its path in the Location field. URL – the file is on the web and you must enter its URL in the Location field If you subsequently change the type: From external to embedded – you will be prompted to import the contents of the file into the model From embedded to external – you will be warned that the existing contents will be lost.
Location	[External and URL types only] Path or URL to the file.
Extension	Extension of the file object name that indicates the application to open when the file object is embedded
Generate	File object is automatically included among the objects generated from the model when you launch the inter-model generation process
Artifact	Specifies that the file object is not a piece of documentation, but rather forms an integral part of the application. If an artifact has an extension that is defined in the Editors page in the General Options dialog box and is linked to the <internal> editor (see Specifying Text Editors), a Contents tab is displayed in the artifact property sheet. The Contents tab allows you to edit the artifact file directly in the internal text editor of PowerDesigner. For more information about the use of artifact files, see "Files" in the Building Implementation Diagrams chapter of the Objet-Oriented Modeling guide.