Definition of User-defined Attributes

2.1 Definition of User-defined Attributes

Syntax

Scalar Attributes

<data type> <attribute name> { := <value> } ;

Indexed Attributes

<data type> <attribute name> [ <integer value> ] ;

shadow Attributes

<data type> <attribute name> shadows { instance }
    <object> <attribute> { [ <index> ] } ;

<data type>

One of the data types available in the IDM, e.g. integer, object, string, boolean… can be used.

<attribute name>

The name of the attribute, it can be arbitrarily chosen by the user. The name has to correspond to the DM name convention for identifiers (uppercase letters at the beginning, etc.)

Example

Declaration without point:

pushbutton MyButton
{
  integer Position;
}

Referencing with point:
```
MyButton.Position := 1;
```

<value>

Value that corresponds to the data type defined before.

<integer value>

Number which defines the field size.

An attribute can be defined with the keyword shadows. It does not memorize its value, but accesses (by reading and writing) the following indicated object attribute. When the additional keyword instance is used, this means when the model is instantiated, the reference is set to the newly created instance and does not stay on the model.

<object>: Object which the attribute accesses.
<attribute>: Attribute of the object which the attribute accesses.
<index>: Indicates rows and columns for list objects and their attributes.

Examples

Definition of a pushbutton Model with a user-defined attribute Position which will be inherited by all instances with the initial value 17.
```
model pushbutton MyModel
{
  integer Position := 17;
}
```
Definition of a pushbutton Model with an indexed, user-defined attribute(array) Active, which can contain 5 items of the data type boolean.
```
model pushbutton MyModel
{
  boolean Active[5];
}
```
Definition of a pushbutton Model whose user-defined string attribute CurrentValue gets its value from the contents of the edittextes Et.
```
model pushbutton MyModel
{
  string CurrentValue shadows Et.content;
}
```
Definition of a window Model with a user defined attribute CurrentValue, which refers to the instance of edittext Et when the Model is instantiated.
```
model window MyModel
{
  string CurrentValue shadows instance Et.content;
  child edittext Et
  {
  }
}
```