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:

  • Embedded – the file is stored within the model and is saved when you save the model. If you subsequently change the type to external, you will be warned that the existing contents will be lost.

  • External – the file is stored in the Windows file system, and you must enter its path in the Location field. If you subsequently change the type to embedded, you will be prompted to import the contents of the file into the model.

  • URL – the file is on the web and you must enter its URL in the Location field

Location

[External and URL types only] Specifies the path or URL to the file.

Extension

Specifies the extension of the file object, which is used to associate it with an editor. By default, the extension is set to txt.

Generate

Specifies to generate the file object when you generate the model to another model.

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, which allows you to edit the artifact file in the PowerDesigner text editor.

For more information about the use of artifact files, see "Files" in the Building Implementation Diagrams chapter of the Objet-Oriented Modeling guide.