StereoTypes(Custom Attributes) For Code Generators

A lot of development languages(e.g C#, Java) allow you to add custom attributes(metadata) to them

For example

    [DataMember]
    [Browsable(false)]
    public DateTime DateCreated { get; set; }=DateTime.Now;

UML calls this feature Stereotypes and it allows you to extend the UML models with metadata. So for example you could add an stereotype(attribute) for a regex expression to enable data valuation.

This is a very powerful feature that allows you to extend via metadata what the object is capable of. For example you could add attributes to enable serialization.

The Code Generators can then access these Stereotypes to enable advanced functionality in the generated code.

With a code generation there are three elements you can add an SteropType at

  • Model (Diagram)
  • Classifier (Class or Interface)
  • Property (Attribute)

Stereotype Propertys

When you add a Stereotype to one of these above elements, you can set the following property's

  • Group
  • Name
  • Type
  • Value

Group

The group property defines which property group the stereotype will appear in the elements property window.

GroupExample

Name

The name property defines the name for the property in the properties window

NameExample

Type

Defines the type the user will enter in the properties window.

The type can be one of the following

  • Boolean
  • Datatype
  • Date
  • Directory
  • File
  • GUID
  • LongNote
  • LocalElement
  • LocalClass
  • PropertyType
  • RichNote
  • String
  • UmlClass
  • UmlElement
  • UmlModel
  • Variable

Boolean

Allow the user to enter a yes/no value

DataType

Allow the user to select a primitive data-type as defined in the code generators e.g. integer

Date

Allow the user to enter a date

Directory

Allows the user to choose an Directory. e.g. Where the code will be output to.

File

A file in the filesystem

LongNote

An extra field for documentation

Local Element

Local Class

Property Type

RichNote

An extra field for documentation in the rich text format

String

A string value

UML Class

An UML Class selected from the current project

UML Model

An UML Model selected from the current project

UML Element

An UML Element selected from the current project

Variable

Value

This allow the code generator to set a default value for any new Stereotype.

Example

The Entity Framework has a number of stereotypes. One at the Model Level to define what the DBContext will be and two at the property level.

SteroTypes

The DBContextName Stereotype was the following property values.

dbcontext

And when this Code Generator is assigned to a project, the below stereotype is added to the Model.

example