Customizing the metamodel > Metamodel graphical editor > Creating user defined definitions
  
Creating user defined definitions
When creating user‑defined definitions, maintain the usrprops customization definitions in a separate encyclopedia from your working architecture. The number of entries in the encyclopedia will quickly multiply, because you are creating a definition entry for each new user-defined symbol, definition, diagram, chapter, and so on.
The steps to define a customized user props definition file are:
1 Create an encyclopedia with a scenario in mind.
2 Create a user diagram type definition.
3 Create user definition types.
4 Create user symbol types.
5 Create a user props file definition.
6 Generate a user props file.
7 Import the new user props file into a production encyclopedia.
To create a user defined definition
Perform one of these actions:
•In the Explorer, right-click the Definitions group, and then click New Definition
•Click Dictionary > New Definition.
Definition type
Description
User Definition Type
Create new Definition types.
User Definition Chapter
Create Chapter (tabs) in the User Definition Type.
User Definition Control
Refer to existing user definition properties.
User Definition Property
Create new properties in the User Definition Type.
User Diagram Type
Create new Diagram types.
User Diagram Control
Refer to existing user diagram properties.
User Diagram Property
Create Properties of Diagrams.
User File Fragment
Include references to other files in the USRPROPS.TXT, using the #include command. Type the actual file fragment in the User File Fragment’s Text property and then add it in the proper place in the User Props File definition.
User List
Create new Lists.
User List Item
Create new values in Lists.
User Object Fragment
Create command fragments such as #IFDEF and #endif statements.
User Props File
Create new instances which make the entries of USRPROPS.TXT file.
User Relation
Create new relation types.
User Symbol Type
Create new symbol types.
User Symbol Control
Refer to existing user symbol properties.
User Symbol Property
Add a new property in the symbol type.
Advanced use of user‑defined definitions
If you have advanced knowledge of the System Architect scripting language, you can extend the definition types that are created by adding "text blocks” in the desired section of the USRPROPS.TXT file. To do this, create a User Object Fragment definition. This allows you to create command fragments such as #IFDEF and #ENDIF statements.
You can also include references to other files in USRPROPS.TXT file, by using the #INCLUDE command (see #INCLUDE, #INCLUDEX, #INCLUDEENC, #INCLUDEXENC). Type the actual file fragment in the User File Fragment’s Text property, and then add it in the proper place in the User Props File definition.
See also
Creating user diagram types
Metamodel graphical editor