Standard Syntax

Attribute values can be set in two ways:

1. By assigning a value via a Programmable Macro Language (PML) variable, for example: !!CE.XLEN = 99

   Note: There must be a space between the ‘=’ and a digit. "!!CE.XLEN =99" would not be valid.

2. Use the attribute name to assign a value to the Current Element (CE), for example, XLEN 99

The following general rules must be followed:

• The value assigned must be the correct type for the attribute type (see examples below)

• PML variables can not be directly used if using method (2). The PML variable must be expanded using the late evaluation syntax (that is, ‘XLEN !A’ is invalid but ‘XLEN $!A’ is OK. This also applies to any PML variables within expressions).

The behavior for each attribute type is described below:

REAL attribute - allows an int, real or real expression

!A = 1000

!!CE.XLEN= !A

!!CE.XLEN= (99.9 + !A )

XLEN $!A

XLEN (99.9 + $!A )

XLEN (99 + XLEN OF PREV BOX )

INTEGER attribute - allows an int, a real or real expression. The result will be rounded to the nearest integer.

!!CE.AREA = 99.6

Q AREA – will now return 100

TEXT attribute - allows a text value, a text expression, or UNSET. Assigning UNSET will result in a zero length string.

!A = ‘Some text ‘

!!CE.DESC = ‘My description’

!!CE.DESC = (!A + ‘extra text’)

DESC UNSET

LOGICAL attribute - allows FALSE, TRUE or logical expression.

SHOP TRUE

!A = 99

!B = 100

!!CE.SHOP ( !A GT !B)

SHOP ( $!A GT $!B)

REF attribute - allows a name, refno, ID expression, or UNSET, NULREF keywords. The UNSET and NULREF keywords both result in a null reference (=0/0) being assigned.

CREF =123/456

CREF /MYBRAN

CREF UNSET

CREF NULREF

!!CE.CREF (FIRST MEMBER OF /PIPE1 )

Note: There must be a space between the name and the ‘)’

WORD attribute - If assigning to a PML variable, then allows a text value or text expression.

!A = ‘FLG’

!!CE.TCON = !A + ‘D’

If assigning via the attribute name, then it must be a word.

TCON FLGD

POSITION attribute - allows a position or position expression.

HPOS N 100 U 100

!!CE.POS = (N 100 from /MYEQUIP )

AT N 100 from /MYEQUIP

Notes: The POS attribute can not be set by name, use AT syntax instead.

Do not use brackets if setting by attribute name.

DIRECTION attribute - Allows a direction or direction expression

HDIR N 45 U

HDIR TOWARDS /MYEQUIP

!!CE.HDIR = (TOWARDS /MYEQUIP )

Note: Do not use brackets if setting by attribute name.

ORIENTATION attribute - Allows an orientation or an orientation expression

ORI N IS U

!!CE.ORI = (N IS E WRT /VESS1 )

Note: Do not use brackets if setting by attribute name.

The value being assigned to an attribute must either be dimensionally equivalent to the attribute, or else a numerical value (which is taken to be in current working units of the dimension). If there is a clash of physical quantity an error will occur. The following will all generate errors.

XLEN 5kg

!!CE.XLEN = 5kg

XLEN $!W where !W has been set to 5kg