Chapter 11 Managing Object Replications
When a shortcut references an object in different models, the complete object definition can only be accessed when the referencing model is opened.
When the referencing model is closed, the shortcut that references the target object only contains a partial definition (name, code, type) of the target object.
Some attributes of an object are critical to the operation of PowerDesigner, thus making shortcut usage impractical. For example shortcuts to CDM data items are not allowed because the data type attribute is not available to the model if the referencing model is closed.
Another example can be the reuse of a table structure in your application that comes from a corporate department or division. You may have a copy of this table in your database application with some database replication mechanisms. In that case, a replica would be more useful than a shortcut, as you have the full table structure and do not need to open the target model to generate a complete and correct SQL. It is even more obvious, if you add columns to your copy of the table.
When a shortcut references an object in different models or packages, you cannot perform changes on these shortcuts. Only the target object can be modified.
This can be restrictive when for example a Client table that you referenced in different models or packages contains more columns that you need (Name, Address, Phone Number, Fax number etc.). In one model you may need that Client table with only the Name and Address columns, and in another model you may need the same table with only the Name column, but want to preserve the link to the target object nevertheless.
PowerDesigner addresses these needs with the object replication feature.
For more information on shortcuts, see the "Managing Shortcuts" chapter.
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