Projects and Frameworks

A project allows you to group together all the models and other types of documents you need for a particular modeling task, and save them as a simple entity in your repository.

A project can contain one or more project diagrams (see Project Diagrams), which show the connections between models and other documents:

Your project can also contain one or more framework diagrams and/or a framework matrix, which direct how your project must be modeled and list the documents that are needed (see Completing Framework Diagrams and Matrices).

You can create a project from scratch or from a template. PowerDesigner provides a set of predefined project templates, and you can also create your own (see Project Templates).

• Creating a Project
  Every project (.prj) contains at least one diagram, and any number of model or file documents. The project can also contain one or more framework diagrams, a framework matrix, and one or more dependency matrices.
• Building a Project
  You build your project by creating (or adding existing) models and files. Project documents are listed in the Browser and displayed as icons in the project diagram. You can open a model or file by double-clicking its icon in the diagram or in the Browser.
• Completing Framework Diagrams and Matrices
  Your project may contain one or more framework diagrams and/or a framework matrix, which direct how your project should be built.
• Designing Framework Diagrams and Matrices
  Framework architects (users who have selected the Authorize Framework Design user profile when installing PowerDesigner) can create, design, and delete framework diagrams and matrices in projects, by enabling the Framework Design Mode.
• Project and Framework Templates
  A project template can provide predefined content, rules, and formatting for your project, and can also include a framework matrix or framework diagram.
• Project and Framework Properties
  Projects, model and file documents, and framework diagrams and matrices have a variety of properties that you can configure to control their behavior.