Working with a profile

Chapter 4 Managing Profiles

Working with a profile

You can extend the metamodel in the following ways:

Add new kinds of objects:
- Metaclasses (Profile) - sub-classify objects.
- Stereotypes (Profile) [for metaclasses and stereotypes only] - sub-classify objects.
- Criteria (Profile) - evaluate conditions to subclassify objects.
Add new properties to objects:
- Extended Attributes (Profile) – provide extra metadata.
- Extended Collections (Profile) – enable manual linking between objects.
- Calculated Collections (Profile) – automate linking between objects.
- Forms (Profile) - are custom property tabs or dialog boxes.
- Custom Symbols (Profile) - help you visually distinguish objects.
Add constraints and validation rules to objects:
- Custom Checks (Profile) – provide data testing.
- Event Handlers (Profile) – invoke methods when triggered by an event.
Execute commands on objects:
- Methods (Profile) – are written in VBScript and are invoked by other profile extensions such as menus and form buttons.
- Menus (Profile) [for metaclasses and stereotypes only] – customize PowerDesigner menus.
Generate objects in new ways:
- Templates and Generated Files (Profile) - customize generation.
- Transformations and Transformation Profiles (Profile) – automate changes to objects at generation or on demand.

Extension conflict

You can attach several resource files to a model. For example, an OOM always has an object language resource file, and could additionally have several extended model definitions attached. A conflict would occur if two extensions with identical names were defined on the same metaclass in two or more of these resource files.

For example, the stereotype <<document>> is defined for components in two extended model definitions attached to the same OOM and each has a different custom symbol. When you create a component and assign the <<document>> stereotype,:PowerDesigner may select either of the symbols.

In case of such conflicts, the extended model definition extension usually prevails. When two XEMs are in conflict, priority is given to the one highest in the list.