IBM Visualization Data Explorer Programmer's Reference

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3.6 Module Builder: Individual Parameter Information Section

Use this section to specify the following information about each input and output parameter.
Input or Output? The kind of parameter: input or output.
Number The ordinal number of the input or output being defined: "1" (first), "2" (second), and so on.
Name The parameter name, which appears in the module's configuration dialog box and is displayed when the tab of the module stand-in is selected. It may also be used in script mode and appear in the C-code framework file.
Description A brief description of the parameter being defined. It appears in a Description of... box when the Description... button of the module's configuration dialog box is selected.
Required Specification that the parameter must be set, because no default value is possible. This option is grayed-out for output parameters.
Default value The default value of the parameter. It appears in the module configuration dialog box and is included in the C-code framework file as a comment.

Note: Implementing the default value is the module writer's responsibility.

Descriptive Specifies whether the default value is an actual value or a descriptive phrase (e.g., "center of object").
Object Type This parameter allows the user to specify a Field Object or a simple parameter. Each specification has an associated set of options that are enabled when the appropriate toggle button is activated.

Field Parameter Options

Data type

The type of the data associated with the parameter (click on the associated button to display a list of valid types). This information is used in the C-code framework file to check for errors before the user's routine is called.

Data Shape

The "shape" of the data associated with the parameter (e.g., scalar). This information is used in the C-code framework file to check for errors before the user's routine is called.

Positions

One of the following options controlling information about the positions component of the first input parameter:

  • Not required--No positions information is passed.
  • Regular--a compact representation of the positions is passed.
  • Irregular--An explicit Array of positions is passed.
This option is grayed-out for all but the first input argument.

Connections

One of the following options controlling information about the connections component of the first input parameter:

  • Not required--No connections information is passed.
  • Regular--a compact representation of the connections is passed.
  • Irregular--An explicit Array of connections is passed.
This option is grayed-out for all but the first input argument.

Element type

The type of connection element expected by the module: lines, quads, cubes, triangles, or tetrahedra. The specification is checked against the connection type of the first input argument before the user's routine is called.

This option is grayed-out unless the connections component is passed in by the Connections option.

Dependency

The dependency of the data component of the input. The specification is checked against the dependency of the input Fields.

Simple Parameter Options

This set of options is enabled and displayed only when the simple parameter toggle button is activated (see above).

Type

The type of the parameter, as specified by activating one of 10 toggle buttons.

Vector Length

The length of the vector (given that the parameter type is a vector).


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