Linked Properties

Linked properties are properties which are linked to other properties and are provided by a function package.

You can specify that a property can be linked to a function package property. To do this, the property must be selected from the list displayed under the corresponding function package in the property creation menu.

The corresponding function package's property provider supplies the list of linked properties in the property creation menu.

With linked properties, values are not internally maintained by AWM during run time. When a property value of a linked property is needed during run time, AWM forwards the request to the corresponding function package. The function package can then provide or set the property value.

Most linked properties require a Resource Identifier in order to be resolved, which is a reference to a property which must contain a unique ID of a resource from which to obtain the property value at run time.

Example: Model

• Linked property: Last Modified (Eclipse function package)
• Resource identifier: PROP_Eclipse_ResourcePath

Example: Run time

• Resource identifier value at run time: /TestProject/TestFolder/TestFile.txt
• Linked property value at run time: "9/21/15 2:50 PM"

Whether or not a resource identifier is required depends on the linked property, or more specifically, whether the property belongs to a specific resource. Linked properties not requiring an identifier are usually global properties like system variables or preferences. In the model editor, the “Resource Identifier” attribute of a linked property only appears if it is necessary for the property, and if not set, a validation error occurs upon validation.

Unlike other properties, for example, properties referenced by input parameters of a tool descriptor, resource identifier properties are only resolved from an element’s properties. This means that a linked property requiring a resource identifier can only be resolved for an element type which also contains the resource identifier as a property.

Example:

In order to resolve the linked property “Last Modified”, see example above, an element must be selected at run time, which contains the “PROP_Eclipse_ResourcePath” property because it is the resource identifier of the linked property.