Adding associations from the Data Modeler

About this task

You can use the Data Modeler to define associations between business objects. Before you define an association, you may want to see if it is already defined.

Procedure

Select a business object in the Data Modeler's Object Browser panel.
You can get information about the association definitions connected to a business object by looking at the Data Modeler's Association List panel. The Association List panel does not automatically appear. To see it, click the Association List menu item in the View menu.
- All association definitions shown in the Association List panel have the selected business object on one end of the association. The information displayed for each association definition is:
  - The name of the module that contains the other business object.
  - The name of the association on the side of the selected business object.
  - The name of the other business object.
- For example, an association in the Association List for the triBuilding business object is Geography Cost Index (triCostEstimate - Has Cost Index - triGeographyCostIndex). This defines an association named Has Cost Index that is also connected to the triGeographyCostIndex business object in the triCostEstimate module.
- The Association List panel initially displays all association definitions connected to the selected business object. This list is divided into two parts by a section bar labeled Other Associated Objects. The associations that appear above the bar are those being used to support a structural feature of the data model. Association definitions not being used to support a structural feature appear below the bar.
- If the size of the Association List panel is so large as to be inconvenient, you may want it to not display the non-structural associations. There is an arrowhead on the right side of the Other Associated Objects section bar. When the entire list is visible in the Association List panel, the arrowhead points up. If you click it while it is pointing up, the association definitions in the Other Associated Objects section become hidden and the arrowhead points down. If you click the arrowhead again, the associations in the Other Associated Objects section are visible again and the arrowhead points up.
If you did not find the association you were looking for in the Association List panel, you need to define the association.
To add an association, select the New Association menu item in the Data Modeler's New menu. This causes the Association Properties panel for a new association to appear. Also, a Save Association action appears at the top of the Data Modeler. For detailed information about entering the properties defining an association, see the description in "Associate business object panel".
After you have finished specifying the properties of a new association definition, create the association definition by clicking the Save Association action at the top of the Data Modeler.
As you create association definitions, they appear in the Association List panel in the Other Associated Objects section.
To edit the properties of an existing association definition, click its name on the association definition in the Association List panel. This causes the association's properties to appear and the Save Association action to appear at the top of the Data Modeler.
When you are finished editing the association's properties, be sure to click the Save Association action to save the edits.