ID mapping

ID mappings enable you to control the consolidation of items (objects and connections) or models generated by the patterns during the model transformation.

For an ID mapping, any string can be assigned as a value (identifier).

In principle, items or models that were assigned identical identifiers by an ID mapping are combined in the transformation result into one item or model. With this consolidation mechanism, multiple patterns can determine the properties of a single item or model.

Reuse an item with ID mapping

The ID mapping mechanism also offers the option of reusing items or models that already exist in the database. To do so, the GUID of the item or model to be reused must be assigned as identifier.

Objects and connections

If reuse is possible, the existing object or connection definition is reused and created as an occurrence in the result of the model transformation. No new object or connection definition is generated.

If reuse is impossible, a new object or connection definition is generated.

Models

If the model can be reused all item occurrences in the existing model are deleted and replaced in the reused model by the item occurrences generated by the model transformation.

The operator Re-use only, DoNotModifyReusedElement, and ForceGUID enable the change of the default behavior described above.

See also

What is a transformation pattern?