Defining User Names for Classes and Attributes

You may need to change class or attribute names in the feature dictionary sometimes - to another language, for instance. Or, in the case of user created class names, you may want to add spaces or certain characters that this application does not permit normally. Ways of doing this are explained below.

You will come across references to the CATfct file elsewhere in the feature dictionary documentation. Briefly, the CATfct file is the file which stores the user-created classes that you see in each feature dictionary. The CATfct file must be kept in the default location, though you can change its name with a corresponding change in the project resource management file.

The basic classes - the classes that display when you create a new feature dictionary and that cannot be deleted - are stored in a .feat file. 

CHANGING USER CLASS NAMES: The CATfct file is linked to another file which is of the type CATNls. The classes that you see in the feature dictionary are actually defined in the CATNls file. It is set up this way so that users can customize class names without having to change the dictionary. 

When you add a new subclass you cannot use certain characters or even spaces. You cannot add the class Piping Valve - it has to be PipingValve. Only alphanumeric characters can be used, without any spaces.

If you want to override these restrictions you can create a CATNls file and enter your preferred names. The format of a CATNls file is reproduced below. To use your own name enter the subclass name as you created it in the first column, followed by your preferred name.

If you create a new CATNls file you have to follow a naming convention so that the application can recognize it. If your feature dictionary is named CATPipinguser, then the CATNls file must have the name CATPipinguserNLS with the extension CATNls. Thus the file would be named CATPipinguserNLS.CATNls. All CATNls files must be stored in the directory ...intel_a\resources\msgcatalog.

CHANGING BASIC CLASS NAMES: Basic class names are those that you see when you create a new feature dictionary. These classes are stored in a .feat file, which in turn is linked to a CATNls file.

Feat files must be located in the directory ...intel_a\resources\graphic. The Piping Design file, for instance, is named  CATPiping.feat. The corresponding CATNls file is in the directory ...intel_a\resources\msgcatalog. In the case of Piping Design the file is named CATPipingNLS.CATNls. The format of the file is as described above, and you need to change it in a similar manner.

CHANGING ATTRIBUTE NAMES: All attribute names are contained in the file CATPlantShipModelerAttrNLS.CATNls, which is in the directory ...intel_a\resources\msgcatalog. You cannot create a new file for attributes - you must use the existing file. Enter a name using the conventions described above.

Extreme caution must be used in changing names because all documents linked to them will be affected. It is recommended that the basic class names not be changed. For the same reason you should not delete attributes and classes.