Software AG Designer provides an integrated graphical environment for creating custom blocks that you can use to build scenarios in Event Modeler. The Apama block editor contains two tabs, the Builder tab and the Source tab.

On the Builder tab, you add the metadata for the block and specify its interface. On the Source tab, you add the EPL code that implements the block's behavior. Software AG Designer validates the EPL code you add to the block. When you save a block, it is saved as a block definition file with a.bdf extension. Block definition files are then used when you add the block to a scenario in the Event Modeler.

You can define a new block from scratch by using the block editor or you can base the new block on an existing event type definition.

See File Definition Formats for detailed information on the internals of block definition files.