OnLine
Applied Information Studies

PowerDesigner CDM Entity Tool

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The entity icon is the starting point and perhaps most used of the tools in the PowerDesigner tool box. To place a new entity on the CDM, click on this icon. The cursor changes into the entity box shape .

Click anywhere on the drawing space to drop a new entity.

Notice that PowerDesigner has automatically named this entity "Ent_1". PowerDesigner generates the number portion from an internal counter which is incremented for each object created (i.e., entity, relationship, data item, attribute, domain). This number is the internal "object ID" which PowerDesigner uses to connect its object structure. It is not relevant to you or your data model. You can easily rename your entity at any time and we will cover that in the next page.

Be careful not to click more than once in any spot or you will "stack" several entities so that only the top one shows. The clue will be that the default entity name has a higher number than you might expect. If this happens, you can easily manipulate the entities to clean up.

To get rid of the entity cursor , move your cursor the top left corner of the tool box and click on the arrow icon . This will restore the default selection arrow cursor.

A shortcut to clear any icon special cursor is to single-click on the right mouse. This is the same as selecting the arrow icon in the tool box. To restore the last used special cursor, double-click the right mouse.

PowerDesigner allowed you to create the new entity with the absolute minimum effort: select the icon and click the diagram. At any time - now or later - you can rename the entity, color it or change its line style, write unlimited text to describe it, add attribut, attach business rules, or otherwise rearrange the entity. But none of these are required at the time you create the entity.