Home > Data Modeler Dialog Boxes > Design Properties
This dialog box displays the properties of the Database Design.
General
Name: Name of the database design.
Settings
Contains panes with settings that affect the appearance and behavior of the design.
Import: Lets you import a previously exported XML file with settings to be used for the design.
Export: Exports the current design's settings to an XML file.
Save: Saves the current settings.
Compare Mappings
Contains options for comparing source and target objects. This information applies in special cases, such as if you have changed column properties (such as name, data type, or position in the table) and compare a model with a previous version of the same model; the mappings make it possible to know that it is the same column that is changed.
Specifies colors and optionally prefixes for the display of different classification types in a multidimensional model. You can also add (+ or Add icon) and delete (X or Remove icon) user-defined classification types.
Diagram: Format
Specifies default object fonts and colors, and line widths and colors, for the display of different types of design objects.
Diagram: Logical Model
Domains Presentation: Specifies what is displayed as the data type for an attribute based on a domain: Domain Name causes the domain name to be displayed; Used Logical Type causes the logical type used in the domain definition to be displayed.
DDL
Automatic Index Generation: Primary Key Constraint: Controls whether an index is automatically generated for each primary key constraint.
Automatic Index Generation: Unique Key Constraint: Controls whether an index is automatically generated for each unique key constraint.
Automatic Index Generation: Foreign Key Constraint: Controls whether an index is automatically generated for each foreign key constraint.
Preserve DDL Generation Options: Controls whether to restore the original DDL generation options after a current DDL generation operation if you made any changes to the options for the current DDL generation operation.
DDL: Migration
Lets you specify one or more pairs of string replacements to be made when DDL statements are generated. Each pair specifies the old string and the new string with which to replace the old string.
Selected: Controls whether the specified replacement is enabled or disabled.
Case Sensitive: Controls whether the replacement is done only if the case of the old string in the DDL exactly matches the case specified for the old string.
Naming Standard
Lets you implement naming standardization: you can view, add, and modify naming standards for logical and relational model objects and for domains. These standards will be checked when you apply Design Rules, and any violations of the standards will be reported as errors or warnings. You can also apply the naming standards to primary and foreign keys, constraints, and indexes in a relational model by right-clicking the model name in the object browser and selecting Apply Naming Standards to Keys and Constraints.
Do not confuse naming standardization with using the Name Abbreviations dialog box, which makes immediate name changes to enforce consistency in spellings and abbreviations, and which is limited to relational model name strings.
For an excellent discussion of naming standards, see the United States Coast Guard Data Element Naming Standards Guidebook.
Logical Model: Separator: Space, Title Case, or a specified Character; controls how "words" in names are separated. Title case refers to capitalizing each "word" and not including spaces: for example, GovernmentAccounts. (Title case is sometimes called CamelCase.)
Relational Model and Domain: Separator: Character to be used to separate "words" in names.
Abbreviated Only: If this option is enabled, non-abbreviated words cannot be used in relational model object names (that is, only abbreviated words can be used).
Glossary: You can add one or more glossary files to be used in naming standardization. (For more information about glossaries, see Glossary Editor.)
Naming Standard: Attribute, Column, Domain, Entity, Table
For logical model entities and attributes, relational model tables and columns, and domains, you can add, rearrange, and make optional or mandatory any of the following components of object names: prime word, class word, modifier, and qualifier. The acceptable values of these components are specified in the glossary file or files that you specify for Glossary.
Naming Standard: Templates
For various kinds of constraints for tables and entities, you can edit the format string and add variable string elements.
Example: To see a sample name in a currently specified format, select the desired constraint type (for example, Foreign Key).
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