User data extensions are a set of one or more attribute fields that you can define to hold data to be stored in the model. User data extensions allow you to add your own data fields to your hydraulic model. For example, you can add a field for keeping track of the date of installation for an element, or the type of area serviced by a particular element.

User data extensions exhibit the same characteristics as the predefined data used in and produced by the model calculations. This means that user data extensions can be imported or exported through database and shapefile connections, viewed and edited in the Property Editor or in FlexTables, included in tabular reports or element detailed reports, annotated in the drawing, color coded, and reported in the detailed element reports.

You define user data extensions in the User Data Extensions dialog box.

To define a user data extension:

1. Click Tools > User Data Extensions.
2. In the list pane on the left, select the element type for which you want to define a new attribute field.
3. Click the New button to create a new user data extension. A user data extension with a default name appears under the element type. You can rename the new field if you wish.
4. In the Property Editor for the new field, enter the following:
5. Type the name of the new field. This is the unique identifier for the field. The name field in the Property Editor is the name of the column in the data source.
6. Type the label for the new field. This is the label that will appear next to the field for the user data extension in the Property Editor for the selected element type. This is also the column heading if the data extension is selected to appear in a FlexTable.
7. Click the Ellipses (...) button in the Category field, then use the drop-down menu in the Select Category dialog box to select an existing category in which the new field will appear in the Property Editor. To create a new category, simply type the category name in the field.
8. Type a number in the Field Order Index field. This is the display order of fields within a particular category in the Property Editor. This order also controls the order of columns in Alternative tables. An entry of 0 means the new field will be displayed first within the specified category.
9. Type a description for the field. This description will appear at the bottom of the Property Editor when the field is selected for an element in your model. You can use this field as a reminder about the purpose of the field.
10. Select an alternative from the drop-down menu in the Alternative field. This is the alternative that you want to extend with the new field.
11. Select a data type from the drop-down menu in the Data Type field.
12. If you select Enumerated, an Ellipses (...) button appears in the Default Value field. Enumerated user data extensions are fields that present multiple choices.
13. Enter the default value for the new field. If the data type is Enumerated, click the Ellipses (...) button to display the Enumeration Editor dialog box, where you define enumerated members.
14. Perform the following optional steps:
15. To import an existing User Data Extension XML File, click the Import button, then select the file you want to import. User Data Extension XML Files contain the file name extension .xml or .udx.xml.
16. To export existing user data extensions, click the Export to XML button, then type the name of the udx.xml file. All user data extensions for all element types defined in the current hydraulic model are exported.
17. To share the new field among two or more element types, select the user data extension in the list pane, then click the Sharing button or right-click and select Sharing. In the Shared Field Specification dialog box, select the check box next to the element or elements that will share the user data extension. The icon next to the user data extension changes to indicate that it is a shared field.
18. To delete an existing user data extension, select the user data extension you want to delete in the list pane, then click the Delete button, or right-click and select Delete.
19. To rename a the display label of an existing user data extension, select the user data extension in the list pane, click the Rename button or right-click and select Rename, then type the new display label.
20. To expand the list of elements and view all user data extensions, click the Expand All button.
21. To collapse the list of elements so that no user data extensions are displayed, click the Collapse All button.
22. Click OK to close the dialog box and save your user data extensions. The new field(s) you created will appear in the Property Editor for every instance of the specified element type in your model.