Cannot access Diagram metadata via GTL or VB Script

Question

I'm using PD 16.5 SP03 PL03.
I need to extract a CSV file that contains selected metadata from the entity attributes that are displayed in a LDM diagram. Nothing works.
If I create a Generated File containing GTL, no preview tab appears in the diagram properties (this approach works for the model and entities, but not for the diagram).
If I write a simple VB Script to extract metadata via the DisplayedObjects collection, I get an error message that says the Class doesn't support automation.
Is there another way?

Answer 1

Hi,
You may use the EvaluateTextFor on Object, and use the .Q macro to quote the desired properties.
Ex.
<<
Function %Get%(obj)
   dim sym, sobj, str
   for each sym in obj.Symbols
      if (sym.isKindOf(cls_ObjectSymbol)) then
         if(str <> "") then str = str & vbCrLf
         str = str & sym.Object.EvaluateTextFor("%.Q:ClassName%\t%.Q:Code%\t%.Q:Name%\t%.Q:Comment%", "%CurrentTargetCode%")
      end if
   next
   %Get% = str
End Function
>>
Nice [productive] solution will be to add a template in "NamedObject" with a default description, ie <<%.Q:Code%\t%.Q:Name%\t%.Q:Comment%>>
that you may override in specific object type. For instance, Entity would display specifc properties, and attributes others.
You will have a template (say "xlsDump") under NamedObject with a default contents.
But in Entity, the same template will have additional parent entity for instance, so the same template "xlsDump" will contain <<%.Q:Code%\t%.Q:Name%\t%.Q:Comment%\t[%ParentEntity%?%.Q:ParentEntity.Name%:"No parent"]>>
Ex.
NamedObject.xlsDump=
%.Q:ClassName%\t%.Q:Code%\t%.Q:Name%\t%.Q:Comment%
Entity.xlsDump=
%.Q:ClassName%\t%.Q:Code%\t%.Q:Name%\t%.Q:Comment%\t[%ParentEntity%?%.Q:ParentEntity.Name%:"No parent"]\n
.foreach_item("Attributes")
%xlsDump%
.next("\n")
EntityAttribute.xlsDump=
%.Q:ClassName%\t%.Q:Code%\t%.Q:Name%\t%.Q:Comment%\t%.Q:DataType%
You LogicalDiagram.XPreview extended attribute Get Method Script =
Function %Get%(obj)
   dim sym, sobj, str
   for each sym in obj.Symbols
      if (sym.isKindOf(cls_ObjectSymbol)) then
         if(str <> "") then str = str & vbCrLf
         str = str & sym.Object.EvaluateTextFor("%xlsDump%", "%CurrentTargetCode%")
      end if
   next
   %Get% = str
End Function
You will have a preview page as
<<
"Entity" "CAR" "Car" "Car vehicle" "Vehicle"
"Entity Attribute" "NUMBEROFSEATS" "NumberOfSeats" "" "I"
"Entity Attribute" "TYPE" "Type" "" "VA128"
"Entity Attribute" "CONDUCTORSEATSLEFT" "ConductorSeatsLeft" "" "BL"
"Entity" "VEHICLE" "Vehicle" "" "No parent"
"Entity Attribute" "NUMBEROFSEATS" "NumberOfSeats" "" "I"
"Entity Attribute" "TYPE" "Type" "" "VA128"
"Inheritance" "INHERITANCE_1" "Inheritance_1" ""
>>
for a simple model Vehicule(NumberOfSeats,Type) <-[inhr]--Car(ConductorSeatsLeft)
Marc