Customization > Extensibility Through Profiles, Stereotypes, Tag Definitions and Scripts > Advanced extensibility through stereotype scripts and script items > Overview of creating new diagram and item types through stereotypes > Overview of creating new diagram and item types through stereotypes
  
Overview of creating new diagram and item types through stereotypes
You cannot create new diagram and item types as such, but you can use Stereotypes to customize diagrams and items so that they appear and behave like new diagram and item types.
Creating new diagram types
A Stereotype can change the appearance and behavior of a diagram in the following ways:
• Change the displayed Type for the diagram, that is, the name of the Type that appears in the diagram's Property Pages. You do this through the Override Type Name check box on the Directly-Stereotyped Options tab.
• Change the icon that is used for the diagram in the Modeler panes and Property Pages. For more information, see Overview of using alternative item icons and symbols through iconic stereotypes.
• Change the diagram toolbar that is used for the diagram. The new toolbar can use existing toolbar buttons and customized toolbar buttons that run scripts against the items they add to the diagram. For more information, see Overview of extending diagram toolbars through stereotypes and scripts.
• Change the behavior when dropping items on to the diagram. The Stereotype can run a script when items are dropped on to the diagram. For more information, see Overview of extending drop behavior through stereotypes and scripts.
• Change the behavior of the diagram when it is going to be deleted. The Stereotype runs a script that can propagate the deletion. For more information, see Overview of extending delete behavior through stereotypes and scripts.
• Add additional properties to the diagram and allow linking to other item types through Tag Definitions. For more information, see Overview of extending linking capabilities through stereotypes and tag definitions, and Overview of extending model item properties through stereotypes and tag definitions.
• Add new commands to the diagram's context menu. In addition, you can hide Add, New and Populate submenu commands that appear on the diagram's context menu when you right-click the diagram background. For more information, see Overview of extending context menu commands through stereotypes and scripts.
Creating new item types
A Stereotype can change the appearance and behavior of an item in the following ways:
• Change the displayed Type for the item, that is, the name of the Type that appears in the item's Property Pages. You do this through the Override Type Name check box on the Directly-Stereotyped Options tab.
• Change the icon that is used for the item in the Modeler panes and Property Pages. For more information, see Overview of using alternative item icons and symbols through iconic stereotypes.
• Change the symbol that is used for the item when added to a diagram. For more information, see Overview of using alternative item icons and symbols through iconic stereotypes.
• Change the behavior of the item when it is double-clicked. The Stereotype runs a script when the item is double-clicked. For more information, see Overview of extending double-click behavior through stereotypes and scripts.
• Change the behavior of the item when it is going to be deleted. The Stereotype runs a script that can propagate the deletion. Overview of extending delete behavior through stereotypes and scripts
• Add additional properties to the diagram and allow linking to other item types through Tag Definitions. For more information, see Overview of extending linking capabilities through stereotypes and tag definitions, and Overview of extending model item properties through stereotypes and tag definitions.
• Add new commands to the diagram's context menu. In addition, you can hide Add, New and Populate submenu commands that appear on the diagram's context menu when you right-click the diagram background. For more information, see Overview of extending context menu commands through stereotypes and scripts.
• Hide item specific tabs from the item's Property Pages. For more information, see Making item specific tabs on property pages read-only through stereotypes.