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#!N
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#!Rmdfsec Module Description Files #!N #!EC #!N #!N A module description
file ( #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* .mdf #!EF file) contains essential information about Data
Explorer modules, including their inputs and outputs. Data Explorer uses this
information for various executive and user-interface operations, among them the creation
of tool icons. #!N #!N A module description file consists of
one or more "definition" sections, one section for each module described.
Every section must contain the first two statements shown here, along
with #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* INPUT #!F-adobe-times-medium-r-normal--18* and #!EF OUTPUT #!EF : #!N #!N
#!CForestGreen #!N #!F-adobe-courier-bold-r-normal--18* #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* #!N MODULE #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* name #!EF #!N CATEGORY
#!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* category name #!EF #!N DESCRIPTION #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* module description #!EF #!N
FLAGS #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* optional flags #!EF #!N OUTBOARD " #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* executable #!EF
" ; #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* host #!EF #!N #!N LOADABLE " #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* executable
#!EF " #!N #!N INPUT #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* name #!EF [ #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* visible
#!EF ]; #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* type #!EF ; #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* default #!EF ; #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18*
description #!EF #!N #!N OPTIONS #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* option1; option2;... #!EF ; #!N
#!N OUTPUT #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* name #!EF [ #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* cache #!EF ]; #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18*
type #!EF ; #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* description #!EF #!N REPEAT #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* n #!EF
#!EF #!EF #!N #!N #!EC Note: A module description may contain
an #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* OUTBOARD #!EF or a #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* LOADABLE #!EF statement, but
not both. #!N #!I0 #!N #!N #!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* MODULE
#!EF #!EF #!I50 #!N Is required and must be the first
statement in the definition section. It assigns a name to the
module being described. #!N #!N #!F-adobe-times-medium-i-normal--18* name #!EF must be a
single alphanumeric word, with a letter for the first character. #!N
#!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* CATEGORY #!EF #!EF #!I50 #!N Is required.
It assigns the module to a Data Explorer or user-defined category.
(Categories function as tool menus in the VPE window; see #!Lundus2,dxall298 h Graphical User Interface: Important Windows #!EL
in IBM Visualization Data Explorer User's Guide.) #!N #!N #!F-adobe-times-medium-i-normal--18* category
name #!EF may contain more than one word (e.g., "Import and
Export"). #!N #!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* DESCRIPTION #!EF #!EF #!I50 #!N
Is optional. It serves as a help function. #!N #!N #!F-adobe-times-medium-i-normal--18*
module description #!EF should briefly describe the module function. Brevity is
recommended since this description shares limited space with other information (accessed
with the #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* Description... #!EF button in the module's configuration dialog
box). #!N #!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* FLAGS #!EF #!EF #!I50 #!N
Is optional. Most modules do not need to set flags. #!N
#!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-medium-r-normal--18* #!N #!N #!I30 #!N o #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* PIN #!EF
: Specifies that a module is always to execute on the
same processor. Applicable only to multiprocessor systems. #!N #!I30 #!N o
#!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* PERSISTENT #!EF : Specifies that the outboard #!Rprsflag executable is
not to be terminated after each execution of the visual program.
#!N #!I30 #!N o #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* ERR_CONT #!EF : Specifies that modules
downstream are to continue to execute even when this module returns
#!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* ERROR #!EF . #!N #!I30 #!N o #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* SIDE_EFFECT #!EF
: Specifies that the module has side effects and must execute
each time the visual program is executed, even if its inputs
have not changed. #!N #!N #!N #!I30 #!N o #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* ASYNC
#!EF : Identifies the module as being able to initiate execution
in response to an external event. (See also #!Lasynmod,dxall1048 h Asynchronous Modules #!EL .) #!N
#!I0 #!N #!EF #!N #!N #!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* OUTBOARD #!EF
#!EF #!I50 #!N Is optional. It identifies the module as a
separate executable program. Note: If this statement is included, the module
definition must not have a #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* LOADABLE #!EF statement (see below).
#!N #!N " #!F-adobe-times-medium-i-normal--18* executable #!EF " specifies the name of
the executable and any arguments to be passed. (Quotation marks are
required for executable specifications containing spaces or tabs; otherwise they are
optional.) Note: If you are running Data Explorer on the IBM
POWER Visualization System**, the name of the executable must be preceded
by the term "os," and the combination enclosed in quotation marks
(e.g., "os executable"). #!N #!N #!F-adobe-times-medium-i-normal--18* host #!EF is optional and
specifies a remote machine on which the executable is to be
run. The default host is the one on which the executive
runs. (See also #!Lclo,dxall998 h ...as an outboard module #!EL and #!Lclo2,dxall1051 h Compiling, Linking, and Debugging an Outboard Module #!EL .) #!N #!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18*
#!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* LOADABLE #!EF #!EF #!I50 #!N Is optional. It identifies the
module as being runtime loadable (i.e., compiled separately and loaded into
Data Explorer at run time. Note: If this statement is included,
the module definition must not have an #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* OUTBOARD #!EF statement
(see above). #!N #!N " #!F-adobe-times-medium-i-normal--18* executable #!EF " specifies the
name of the executable and any arguments to be passed. (Quotation
marks are required for executable specifications containing spaces or tabs; otherwise
they are optional.) #!N #!N See also #!Lclrtlm,dxall999 h ...as a runtime-loadable module #!EL and #!Lmodruns,dxall1059 h Compiling, Linking, and Debugging a Runtime-loadable Module #!EL #!N
#!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* INPUT #!EF #!EF #!I50 #!N Is required
for each input parameter (i.e., two input parameters, two statements). A
statement consists of four fields separated by semicolons: #!N #!I0 #!N
#!F-adobe-times-medium-r-normal--18* #!N #!N #!I30 #!N 1. #!F-adobe-times-medium-i-normal--18* name #!EF (of a
parameter) must be one word and must conform to the executive's
lexical conventions (see #!Lusl,dxall495 h Data Explorer Scripting Language #!EL in IBM Visualization Data Explorer User's Guide).
#!N #!N [ #!F-adobe-times-medium-i-normal--18* visible #!EF ] is optional. #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* visible:
#!EF #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* n #!EF specifies the accessibility and initial visibility of
input tabs: #!N #!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-medium-r-normal--18* #!N #!N #!I30 #!N 0:
Not initially visible. #!N #!I30 #!N 1: Initially visible (default). #!N
#!I30 #!N 2: Not available to the user interface. #!N #!I0
#!N #!EF #!N #!N #!N A hidden parameter ( #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* visible:0
#!EF ) can be exposed with the #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* Expand #!EF button
in the module's configuration dialog box. Less commonly used parameters are
often hidden by default. #!N #!I30 #!N 2. #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* type #!EF
specifies the type(s) of the input and is used for type
matching in the Visual Program Editor. The valid types are: #!CForestGreen
#!N #!N #!F-adobe-courier-bold-r-normal--18* #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* #!N camera integer list scalar value #!N
field matrix scalar list value list #!N flag matrix list series
vector #!N group object string vector list #!N integer #!EF #!EF
#!N #!N #!EC #!N #!N To specify more than one type,
use the word #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* or #!EF as a separator (see, for
example, the description file for Filter in #!Lexmdf,dxall1047 h Examples of Module Description Files #!EL ). #!N #!N
If the type of the input value is not explicit (e.g.,
a string without quotation marks or a vector without brackets), the
user interface attempts to match the input against the type(s) specified
in the #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* INPUT #!EF statement. It reads from left to
right and stops at the first successful match. For this reason,
#!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* string #!EF should be specified last, because any series of
characters can always be converted to a string by adding double-quotation
marks. #!N #!I30 #!N 3. #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* default #!EF identifies the value
to be used if none has been specified. #!N Note: This
part of the #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* INPUT #!EF statement is informational only: it
is the module writer's responsibility to implement a default value. #!N
By convention, parentheses identify a description of default behavior rather than
an actual value. If no default is applicable, specify #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* (no
default) #!EF . If the parameter is required, specify #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* (none)
#!EF . #!N #!I30 #!N 4. #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* description #!EF should contain
a short phrase describing the parameter. #!N #!I0 #!N #!EF #!N
#!N #!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* OPTIONS #!EF #!EF #!I50 #!N Is
optional. It identifies a list of possible values for the parameter.
This list can be accessed by clicking on the #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* ...
#!EF button to the right of the #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* Value #!EF field
in the module's configuration dialog box. #!N #!N Options in the
list are separated by a semicolon (;). If the option itself
includes a semicolon, use a back slash (\) to escape it
with. To accommodate inputs that have more options than will fit
on a single line, use multiple OPTIONS statements. If the REPEAT
statement is used, the OPTIONS statement must precede it. #!N #!I0
#!N #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* OUTPUT #!EF #!EF #!I50 #!N Is required for
each output parameter (i.e., two output parameters, two statements). A statement
consists of three fields separated by semicolons: #!N #!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-medium-r-normal--18*
#!N #!N #!I30 #!N 1. #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* name #!EF (of a parameter)
must be one word and must conform to the executive's lexical
conventions (see #!Lusl,dxall495 h Data Explorer Scripting Language #!EL in IBM Visualization Data Explorer User's Guide). #!N
#!N [ #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* attribute #!EF ] is optional. #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* cache: #!EF
#!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* n #!EF specifies the caching to be performed by the
executive: #!N #!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-medium-r-normal--18* #!N #!N #!I30 #!N 0: Do
not cache the output. #!N #!I30 #!N 1: Cache all outputs
(default). #!N #!I30 #!N 2: Cache the output of the last
execution only. #!N #!I0 #!N #!EF #!N #!N #!N Output caching
is similar to module caching (see #!Lfca,dxall543 h Function Call Attributes #!EL in IBM Visualization Data
Explorer User's Guide.) Cache specifications for outputs override those for the
module. #!N #!I30 #!N 2. #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* type #!EF specifies the type
of the output and is used for type matching in the
Visual Program Editor. The valid types are: #!CForestGreen #!N #!N #!F-adobe-courier-bold-r-normal--18*
#!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* #!N camera integer list scalar value #!N field matrix scalar
list value list #!N flag matrix list series vector #!N group
object string vector list #!N integer #!EF #!EF #!N #!N #!EC
#!N #!N To specify more than one type, use the word
#!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* or #!EF as a separator. #!N #!I30 #!N 3. #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18*
description #!EF should be a short phrase describing the parameter. #!N
#!I0 #!N #!EF #!N #!N #!N #!I0 #!N #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* REPEAT
#!EF #!EF #!I50 #!N Is optional. It specifies some number of
#!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* INPUT #!EF or #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* OUTPUT #!EF statements to be repeated.
The parameter #!F-adobe-times-bold-i-normal--18* n #!EF specifies the number of statements (input
or output) affected: "1" specifies the first immediately preceding statement; "2,"
the first and second preceding statements; and so on. #!N #!N
#!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* REPEAT #!EF must come immediately after #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* INPUT #!EF (after
the last input statement if there are two or more) or
after #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* OPTIONS #!EF if #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* OPTIONS #!EF is used. The
same requirement applies to #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* OUTPUT #!EF . That is, one
#!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* REPEAT #!EF for all inputs and another for all outputs.
#!N #!N The number of repetitions of a single statement is
determined by the number of corresponding tabs on the module icon
(up to a maximum of 21). Thus, #!F-adobe-times-bold-r-normal--18* REPEAT #!EF makes
it possible to add input and output tabs to (or delete
them from) a module icon, thereby adding or deleting inputs and
outputs. #!I0 #!N #!N #!N #!N #!N #!F-adobe-times-medium-i-normal--18* Next Topic #!EF
#!N #!N #!Lexmdf,dxall1047 h Examples of Module Description Files #!EL #!N #!F-adobe-times-medium-i-normal--18* #!N