You can create a class that inherits properties and relationships from an existing base class. You can then modify or add properties and relationships to the new class.

As the first step of defining class inheritance, choose the base class from which to inherit. In the Authoring Tool, you can choose the base class by using one of the following methods:

The procedures in this section describe all methods for defining class inheritance in the Authoring Tool.

To start with the configuration item class or the work item class as base class

  1. If the Management Pack Explorer is not visible in the Authoring Tool, click View, and then click Management Pack Explorer.

  2. In the Management Pack Explorer, select and then expand any management pack.

  3. Right-click Classes, and then select Create Configuration Item Class or Create Work Item Class.

  4. If you are creating a class from a sealed management pack, then in the Target Management Pack dialog box, select an unsealed management pack to store the class customization, and then click OK.

    If you are creating a class from an unsealed management pack, then this class customization is saved in that selected management pack.

  5. In the Create Class dialog box, specify the internal name for the new class, and then click Create.

    In the authoring pane, you can now view the list of properties of the new class. If you are creating a configuration item class, then all properties of the configuration item class are listed, and if you are creating a work item class, then all properties of the work item class are displayed.

  6. Click Create property or Create relationship to define new properties and new relationships for the class.

To start with a selected base class

  1. If the Management Pack Explorer is not visible in the Authoring Tool, click View, and then click Management Pack Explorer.

  2. In the Management Pack Explorer, locate and then right-click the base class from which the new class will inherit. Select Inherit from this class.

  3. In the Inherit New Class dialog box, enter an internal name for the class.

    In the authoring pane, the Class properties and relationship list displays the properties of the base class.

  4. You can now click Create property or Create relationship to add properties or a relationship to the new class.

To start without a selected base class

  1. If the Management Pack Explorer is not visible in the Authoring Tool, click View, and then click Management Pack Explorer.

  2. In the Management Pack Explorer, select and then expand any management pack.

  3. Right-click Classes, and then select Create other class.

  4. In the Base class dialog box, select the base class to inherit from. Optionally, if you know in which management pack the base class that you want to use is defined, you can filter on the respective management pack, and select the base class for this customization.

    Click OK.

  5. If the base class, that you selected to inherit from, is in a sealed management pack, then in the Target Management Pack dialog box, select an unsealed management pack to store the class customization, and then click OK.

    If the base class, that you selected to inherit from, is in an unsealed management pack, then this class customization will be saved in that selected management pack.

  6. In the Create class dialog box, specify the internal name for this class. Click Create.

    In the authoring pane, you can now view the list of properties of the new class. This list includes all the properties of the base class that you selected.