Configuring the File Parameter Information

You can configure input file information for the parameters that the iSIGHT component will use during execution. In addition, you can configure output file information for the parameters such as where the file will exist after the iSIGHT component executes.

You can edit the file parameter information directly from the iSIGHT Component Editor or from the Design Gateway Files tab. For more information about using the Files tab, see Working with Parameters and File Parameters in the Isight User’s Guide.

Note: If you are not sure which file parameter type you are editing, refer to the text and graphic at the top of the Configure File dialog box. It explains the parameter type and shows a graphic representation of how the parameter is used.

  1. Double-click the iSIGHT component icon .

    The iSIGHT Component Editor appears.

  2. From the iSIGHT Component Editor, click Edit.

    Edit buttons are available on the iSIGHT Component Editor and the Support Files tab.

    For input parameters, you use the Source area to configure the location of the file prior to the iSIGHT component executing. For output parameters, you use the Source area to configure the location where the file will exist after the component executes.

    For a mapped input file parameter, this information is overridden by parameter mapping. You may still find it convenient to configure a data source in case you run the component alone (not as part of a larger simulation process flow).

  3. If you are working with input files, set the following in the Source area:

    1. From the Location list, select a data source.

      For more information, see About Data Sources.

    2. Click Preview to display the contents of the selected file. For In Model file parameters, you can edit the contents of the file from the Preview dialog box. Other types cannot be edited.

      Warning: By default, the file parameter type is set to binary. As a result, if you are running on Windows and your system is configured to associate iSIGHT with the .desc file extension, clicking on Preview launches iSIGHT.

  4. If you are working with output files, set the following in the Source area:

    1. In the Name text box, enter the file name information.

      The data are stored in a regular file on the file system. In the Name text box, enter the base name of the file, excluding all directory path information. You can also click Browse to locate the file that you want to use.

      You can leave the File name text box empty. However, Isight assigns a name for the output file and passes that name to the component during execution.

    2. In the Path text box, enter an expression that defines the directory path of the file.

      The meaning of this expression is determined by the setting of the Options list. For more information about expressions, see About Output File Expressions.

  5. From the Type list, specify Binary or Text.

    Note: The iSIGHT Component Editor sets the file type of all inferred input file parameters to binary. For most iSIGHT applications it may be helpful to set the Type to Text.

  6. If you are working with text files, select the encoding to use when converting between bytes and characters.

    In the Encoding list, select the encoding type that you want to use.

    In a Locale (a system setting that includes the language, number formats, and character set in use) that uses multibyte characters (Japanese, Chinese, Korean), there is a default encoding used to convert bytes into characters. Most text files are written using this encoding, but sometimes it is necessary to specify this encoding.

    Note: The Encoding list appears only if you have selected Show File Type encoding on the Files tab on the Preferences dialog box. For information on preference options, see Setting Files and Directories Preferences in the Isight User’s Guide.

  7. If you are working with input files, specify where you want the file copied so that it will be available when the component executes.

    In the Destination area, select one of the following:

    Option Description
    Fixed file name Select this option if the component expects its input in a specific place. Enter the file name in the text box provided, or click Browse to locate the file. Typically, this is a simple file name with no path, indicating a file in the run-time working directory. You can use an absolute path for a program that expects its input to be in a specific directory. However, this parameter type is not safe for parallel or distributed execution
    Automatic Have Isight assign a name to the file and pass that name to the component. This option is the most commonly used.

  8. If you are working with output files, specify where you want the file copied before the runtime directory of the component is removed.

    In the Destination area, select one of the following:

    Option Description
    Isight File Manager Store the contents of the file as part of the run results. This option is the simplest one, and it is the default. However, there is a limit to the size of a file saved this way; usually the limit is around 4 MB. The data are physically stored in the Run Results database.
    Specific location Copy the working directory to the specified location. This setting must be an absolute path because there is no concept of a “working directory” after the component finishes executing. The file name substitutions described in About Variable Substitutions in the Isight User’s Guide can be used to file the data in locations of your choice. If there are no substitutions, the same file will be written by every run and the model is not suitable for parallel execution.

    Note: If the File Name text box in the Source area is left empty and you select Specific location, the data will not be written to the run-time working directory. Instead, the absolute path described in the Source area will be passed to the component, and the component can write the data directly to the specified location. This option is more efficient for large output files, though it can be difficult to configure for parallel and distributed execution.
    None Select to not copy the data after the component executes. Instead, the absolute path to the Source area is stored in the results database. If the Source area Name is a simple file name (not an absolute path), the data are written to the working directory, which is typically deleted after the component finishes executing. In this case the file is effectively discarded after the component executes and cannot be mapped to subsequent components or viewed from the Runtime Gateway.

    Note: Files in the run-time working directory cannot be mapped to subsequent components using the None option, even if you click Keep Execution Directory. To use this option with file mapping, the Source location must be an absolute path or a relative path on a shared file system.

    If the Source Name is an absolute path, the component writes to this location and Isight passes the location on to subsequent components. The component writes directly to an absolute path, and Isight never copies the data.

  9. Click OK to save your changes and to return to the iSIGHT Component Editor.