Extensibility with Custom Properties

Note: There is a newer version of this specification see VEC 2.1.0

Extensibility with Custom Properties

CustomProperties have been introduced to the VEC as the dedicated extension mechanism. In this way, all classes that are derived subclasses from the ExtendableElement class are extendable having the principal possibility to define various CustomProperties. So CustomProperties make it possible to express and transport almost every piece of data in an embedded way for which the VEC does not define a different means of expression.

Note: According to this data format specification it is strictly forbidden to store data within CustomProperties for which the VEC knows a special predefined way of expression. VEC-Files that do not obey to this rule are not compliant to this data format specification.

Note: In contrast to the KOMP-model the VEC model specifies the CustomProperty concept by the four classes SimpleValueProperty, LocalizedStringProperty, NumericalValueProperty and ValueRangeProperty. This improves the definition of extensions providing means to express data values not only as String but also as typed data fields.

Note: Please refer to the detailed class description for information about which elements inherit from ExtendableElement.