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Special Attributes

It is possible to define a number of special features and behaviors of a stereotyped model element, such as the icon to represent it in the Project Browser and Diagram Toolbox, the default location of any image files associated with the stereotype, the dimensions of the element in a diagram, or whether the appearance is defined by a Shape Script. You define these features in your Profile using special attributes that can be applied to either the:

  • Stereotype elements or
  • Metaclass elements, referring to the stereotypes that extend them

Access

Ribbon

Design > Element > Attributes

Context Menu

Right-click on element | Features & Properties | Attributes

Keyboard Shortcuts

F9

Set the attribute(s)

Field/Button

Description

See also

Name

Type the name of the attribute (as listed in these tables).

Initial

Type or select the initial value of the attribute.

Close

Click on this button to close the dialog.

Stereotype element Attributes

Attribute

Meaning

See also

_defaultAttributeType

Defines the default type of the new attributes created from the Diagram Toolbox. Use this in a Stereotype element that extends an Attribute Metaclass, and set the 'Initial Value' field to the required attribute type.

If you do not provide this, the system creates attributes with the default type int.

icon

Contains the bitmap file location of the 16x16-pixel icon displayed beside all elements defined by the Stereotype, in the Project Browser. This does not apply to Package elements. The icon is also automatically used as the Diagram Toolbox image wherever the stereotyped element is listed.

For a transparent background, you can use light grey - RGB (192,192,192).

For this attribute to work correctly, also set the _metatype attribute.

_image

Identifies a Shape Script definition, the script for which is created in the 'Initial Value' field.

For this attribute to take effect, you need to set the 'Alternate Image' option when you save the Profile.

Add Shape Scripts Export a Profile

_instanceMode

Define what happens when an instance is created of a stereotyped element.

Define Creation of Instance

_instanceOwner

Deprecated.

_instanceType

Deprecated.

_metatype

Defines stereotypes as metatypes, so that the identity of an element as a custom, stereotyped element is hidden.

Define a Stereotype as a Metatype

_sizeY

Sets the initial height of the element, in pixels, at 100% zoom.

For this attribute to take effect, you need to set the 'Element Size' option when you save the Profile.

Export a Profile

_sizeX

Sets the initial width of the element, in pixels, at 100% zoom.

For this attribute to take effect, you need to set the 'Element Size' option when you save the Profile.

Export a Profile

_strictness

Defines the degree to which a stereotyped element can have more than one stereotype applied to it.

Define Multiple-Stereotype Level

Metaclass element Attributes

Attribute

Meaning

See also

_AttInh

If set to 1, sets the 'Inherited Features: Show Attributes' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

Feature Visibility

_AttPkg

If set to 1, sets the 'Attribute Visibility: Package' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

_AttPri

If set to 1, sets the 'Attribute Visibility: Private' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

_AttPro

If set to 1, sets the 'Attribute Visibility: Protected' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

_AttPub

If set to 1, sets the 'Attribute Visibility: Public' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

compositionKind

When applied to an Association, defines whether the source or target end is an aggregate or composite. Permitted values are:

  • None
  • Aggregate at Source
  • Aggregate at Target
  • Composite at Source
  • Composite at Target
Aggregation

_ConInh

If set to 1, sets the 'Show Element Compartments: Inherited Constraints' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

Feature Visibility

_Constraint

If set to 1, sets the 'Show Element Compartments: Constraints' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

_defaultDiagramType

Defines the type of child diagram created when an element is made composite.

Define Child Diagram Type

direction

Automatically created when any type of connector Metaclass element is dragged from the 'Profile' toolbox page onto a diagram. You can set a value for this attribute in preference to using the _SourceNavigability or _TargetNavigability attributes.

_HideStype

Set the 'Initial Value' field to a comma-separated list of stereotypes to hide those stereotypes by setting the 'Hide Stereotyped Features' filter for each new stereotyped model element.

Feature Visibility

_isVertical

Set to True for a stereotyped ActivityPartition to make the default Activity Partition orientation vertical.

Partition

_lineStyle

Sets the line style of a stereotyped connector; the 'Initial Value' of the attribute can be one of:

  • direct
  • auto
  • custom
  • bezier
  • treeH (horizontal)
  • treeV (vertical)
  • treeLH (lateral horizontal)
  • treeLV (lateral vertical)
  • orthogonalS (orthogonal, square corners)
  • orthogonalR (orthogonal, rounded corners)
Connector Styles

_makeComposite

Makes each stereotyped element a composite element when it is created.

Define Composite Elements

_OpInh

If set to 1, sets the 'Inherited Features: Show Operations' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

Feature Visibility

_OpPkg

If set to 1, sets the 'Operation Visibility: Package' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

_OpPri

If set to 1, sets the 'Operation Visibility: Private' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

_OpPro

If set to 1, sets the 'Operation Visibility: Protected' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

_OpPub

If set to 1, sets the 'Operation Visibility: Public' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

_PType

If set to 1, sets the 'Show element type (Port or Part only)' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

_ResInh

If set to 1, sets the 'Show Element Compartments: Inherited Responsibilities' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

_Responsibility

If set to 1, sets the 'Show Element Compartments: Responsibilities' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

_Runstate

If set to any non-blank value, sets the 'Hide Object Runstate in current diagram' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

To show the runstate, omit this attribute or give it a blank value.

_SourceAggregation

Deprecated. See compositionKind.

_SourceMultiplicity

Sets the multiplicity of the source element, such as 1..* or 0..1.

Source and Target Role

_SourceNavigability

If the connector is non-navigable, set this attribute to 'Non-Navigable'.

If other values are more appropriate, use the direction attribute (above).

_subtypeProperty

Specifies the fully qualified name of the Tagged Value that is used to generate a popup submenu each time an element with the stereotype is created from the Toolbox.

The Tagged Value is an enumeration and the submenu consists of a command for each enumeration literal. The Tagged Value is initialized with whichever command is selected on the submenu; if none is selected (such as if the user clicks off the submenu) then the default value is used as normal.

For example, if you create a BPMN 2 Activity element, a submenu displays listing the task types such as 'BusinessRule', 'Manual' and 'Receive'. Selecting one of these values sets it as the value of the taskType Tagged Value.

The Tagged Value is effectively the Activity's subtype; in the BPMN 2 profile, in the format profile::stereotype::tag, the subtypeProperty for the Activity stereotype would be:

      BPMN2.0::Activity::taskType.

BPMN 2.0 Activity

_Tag

If set to 1, sets the 'Show Element Compartments: Tags' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

Feature Visibility

_tagGroupings

Maps the Tagged Values into the tag groups displayed in the Tagged Values window, in the form:

     tagName1=groupName1;tagName2=groupName2;

This facility currently is available for object types only, not for other types such as attributes.

Define Tag Groupings

_tagGroups

Defines a comma-separated list of required groups in the order in which they are to be displayed in the Tagged Values window. For example:

     groupName1,groupName2,groupName3

This facility currently is available for object types only, not for other types such as attributes.

_tagGroupStates

Maps _tagGroups displayed in the Tagged Values window to the state of open or closed, in the form:

     groupName1=open;groupName2=closed;

This facility currently is available for object types only, not for other types such as attributes.

_TagInh

If set to 1, sets the 'Show Element Compartments: Inherited Tags' checkbox to selected on each new stereotyped model element.

Feature Visibility

_TargetAggregation

Deprecated. See compositionKind.

_TargetMultiplicity

Sets the multiplicity of the target element, such as 1..* or 0..1.

Source and Target Role

_TargetNavigability

If the connector is non-navigable, set this attribute to Non-Navigable.

If other values are more appropriate, use the direction attribute (above).

_UCRect

(Only applicable to element types that have a distinct rectangle notation.)

If set to 1, initially displays the element in rectangle notation. If set to 0, initially displays the element in standard notation.

Notes

  • Where an attribute is set to 1 to turn a feature on, setting it to 0 turns the feature off