Chapter 16 The Generation Links Viewer

What Are Generation Links?

You can generate a model from another model of the same type or from another type.

Model generation is used to link models together provided the Save Generation Dependencies option is selected in the Detail tab of the generation dialog box. This option creates the generation link itself and makes it possible to keep track of the identity of the origin of each generated object.

The links in the following figure show the different generations allowed among PowerDesigner models:

For more information about intermodel generation, see chapter Linking and Synchronizing Models in PowerDesigner and also the Generating other Models chapter in the appropriate models user's guide.

ILM specifics

The Information Liquidity Model (ILM) also provides a graphical view in your diagram of various databases (PDM) and formats, such as XML document (XSM) and data application (OOM) together with the different transformations that operate between them. You can recover the ILM diagram corresponding to the intermodel generation using the Complete Generation Link command or the Complete All Generation Links command (for recursive completeness) in the contextual menu of a data store (database, XML document or data access application). You can easily visualize the generation dependencies between the various elements by right clicking the generation link between these elements and open the Generation Links Viewer:

For more information, see the "Defining Generation Links" section in the "Building an Information Liquidity Model" chapter in the ILM User's Guide .