Designer's Interface Startup File

The startup file defines a single execution of the Designer's Interface. It names the client and server to be used, and specifies settings for parameters and variables.

The interface mediates communication between the client and server. This is described in the Designer's Interface Overview.

The startup file is checked for consistency against the client and server specification files. The interface checks that all referenced parameters are valid, and that only known (input and output) variable fields have been set.

The startup file uses the Designer's Interface input file syntax.

Startup File Records:

server

server shell_invocation

Specifies the server to be used for execution of the Designer's Interface. The entire remainder of the line (usually additional fields are ignored) is used as the shell invocation to execute the server. The server specification file is found by appending ``.spec'' to the executable name (the first field of the shell_invocation).

Server records must be specified exactly once. Client and server records must precede other record types.

client

client client_name

Specifies the client to be used for execution of the Designer's Interface. Clients are compiled into the interface, so the client name must match a known client. The location of the client specification file is also compiled with the name.

Client records must be specified exactly once. Client and server records must precede other record types.

host

host host_name n_process status_directory working_directory

Specifies a host machine for execution of server processes. rsh access is needed on the host machine. Multiple processes may be run on a single machine by setting n_process > 1.

The status directory specifies the location of the return status Perl script status.pl. (This formulation may change to disambiguate it from the working directory).

The working directory specifies the location to run the server on the host machine. A single host may have multiple host record entries if server processes are unable to share a working directory.

input parameter

parameter destination name value

destination can be Client, Server, or Interface

Specifies the value of a client or server input parameter. The parameter name must be listed in the specification file of the target module. The interface passes the parameter value as a string.

Recognized Interface parameters are:

time_limit: Server calls which exceed this time limit (in seconds) are killed by the interface and returned to the server as failures. This protects against runaway processes. The default value is 3600 seconds (1 hour).
quit_time_limit: Allows the interface to halt execution of the client if a server call exceeds its time limit. Valid settings are quit or no_quit, with no_quit being the default action.
cache_size: This controls the size of a memory cache of past server calls. The cache is checked for matching input before new calls are issued. The default cache size has 100 entries.

input variable

input name `('units`)' field_setting_list

Specifies an input variable for the current execution. The variable name and units must be known in the server specification file.

field_setting_list is a list of settings associated with the input variable. Each setting takes the form name=value, where name is a recognized field name. The interface recognizes fields InputType and start_value. All other fields should match the client specification file.

The InputType field is required by the interface, and may be set to Variable or Constant. If it is Constant, then start_value is required, and its value is used as the variable value. In this case, the variable name is not passed to the client.

Units should correspond to the actual units of the input variable. The Designer's Interface does not perform unit conversion. A unitless quantity is denoted by empty parentheses ``()''.

output variable

output name `('units`)' field_setting_list

Specifies an output variable for the current execution. The variable name and units must be known in the server specification file.

field_setting_list is a list of settings associated with the input variable. Each setting takes the form name=value, where name is a recognized field name. The interface recognizes the field UseByClient. All other fields should match the client specification file.

The UseByClient field is required by the interface, and may be set to TRUE or FALSE. Variables with FALSE fields are not seen by the client (but are printed in the Designer's Interface trace output).

Most clients support the field OutputType, which may be set to MeasureOfMerit or Constraint.

Units should correspond to the actual units of the output variable. The Designer's Interface does not perform unit conversion. A unitless quantity is denoted by empty parentheses ``()''.
Server output variables not referenced in the startup file are ignored.

Example

Here are set of files to randomly probe a simple function:

Return to Designer's Interface Overview.