Adding DBMS physical options to your forms

Chapter 4 Extending your Models with Profiles

Adding DBMS physical options to your forms

Many of the DBMSs supported in the PowerDesigner Physical data Model use "physical options" as part of the definition of their objects. PowerDesigner displays all of the available options on the Physical Options tab of the relevant object's property sheet, which is powered by the Options entry in the Script/Objects/<object> category in the DBMS resource file.

For more information about physical options, see "Physical Options" in the DBMS Resource File Reference chapter

The most commonly-used physical options are displayed on a pre-configured custom form, which is called Physical Options (Common), and is located in the object's profile. You can edit this form by adding or removing controls, or create your own form to manage your preferred physical options.

For a physical option to be displayed in a profile form, it must be promoted to the status of an extended attribute (with a "physical option" type), and is then added to the form in the same way as other attributes.

To add a physical option to a form:

Right-click the metaclass and select New→Extended Attribute from Physical Options to open the Select Physical Options dialog:

Note that this dialog will be empty if no physical options are defined in the Options entry in the Script/Objects/<object> category.

Select the physical option required and click OK to create an extended attribute associated with it.

Specify any other appropriate properties.

Select the form in which you want to insert the physical option and click the Extended Attribute tool to insert it as a control (see Adding extended attributes and other controls to your form).

Changing the associated physical option
You can access the Select Physical Options dialog to change the associated physical option by clicking the ellipsis to the right of the Physical Options field in the Extended Attribute property sheet.