Chapter 3 Using the PowerDesigner Interface

Defining a text editor

When you are using PowerDesigner, you need a text editor for:

• Editing descriptions and annotations for object
• Editing generated scripts like SQL in the PDM or Java in the OOM
• Editing code like class operation implementation or trigger SQL code
• Editing file objects

PowerDesigner allows you to define text editors in the General Options dialog box.

You can define as many text editors as you want for your file extensions. The same file extension can have several text editors. The first editor you defined for your file extension becomes the default editor since the list of editors is not sorted.

The list of editors also contains the editors you define to edit codes or notes or to open file objects using the feature.

For more information, see "Selecting an application program for a file object" or "Editing notes using an external editor" in the "Managing objects" chapter.

When you define a text editor, you have to specify the following in the list of editors:

<internal>

The <internal> keyword allows you to assign the PowerDesigner internal editor to an extension type, which is useful to edit artifact file objects.

For more information about artifact file object, see " File object properties" in the "Managing Objects" chapter.

To define a text editor:

1. Select Tools→General Options to display the General Options dialog box. By default, the General category is selected.
2. Select Editors in the Category tree view to display the Editors page.
3. Click a blank line in the list.
   
   or
   
   Click the Insert a Row tool.
4. Type a file extension in the Extension column.
5. Type an editor name in the Editor Name column.
6. Type an editor command in the Editor Command column.
   
   or
   
   Click the Ellipsis button at the end of the Editor Command column.
   
   A standard Open dialog box appears.
   
   Browse to the directory that contains the program file you want.
7. Click OK.

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