Creating Tags

The Fast Parser embeds parsing instructions directly into copies of your simulation input and output files.

  1. Double-click the Fast Parser component icon .
    The Fast Parser Component Editor appears.
  2. From the Fast Parser Component Editor’s Mode list, click Input or Output.
    OptionDescription
    Input The location of the tag in the template file determines the location of the parse. For input files, it is based on line and word location. Input tags are used to insert parameter values as specified by Isight into a file that is being prepared, usually an input file to your simulation code.
    Output The location of the tag in the template files determines the location of the parse. For output files, it is based on the location relative to the last marker. Therefore, templates can be small portions of the actual file from which they are extracting data. Output tags are used to extract parameter values from a file that is being parsed and to send them back to Isight, usually for an output file to your simulation code.
  3. Click Load Input File or Load Output File to select the file from which to read or to write.

    You are prompted to make a copy of this file to use as the template file. If you click Yes, you can begin using the Fast Parser. If you click No, click Load Template File to locate the existing template file.

  4. Click the item that you want to tag, and click the button.
    1. Specify the parameter for the tag using one of the following methods:

      • Type the name of the parameter in the Parameter Name text box to create a new parameter.
      • In the Parameter Name list, select an existing parameter.
        Note: Parameter names must be alphanumeric (i.e., no spaces or underscores).

    2. In the Substitution Type list, select the tag. The following choices are available:

      Scalar
      Array ElementIf you select this option, you will need to enter the Array Index.
      Array ColumnIf you select this option, you will need to enter the Initial Array Index and Final Array Index.
      • (Input only) Selecting Array Column writes the contents of an array in Isight as a column of values in the file.
      • (Output only) Selecting Array Column extracts every value of the column into its own Isight parameter.
      Note: For this substitution type, you tag the top of the column.
      Multiple ValuesIf you select this option, you will need to enter the Array Index. You can also enter the Number of Values, which sets the number of rows to fill in with the tagged value.
      • (Input only) Selecting Multiple Values inserts the same number into every value of a column.
      • (Output only) Selecting Multiple Values extracts either the last, minimum, maximum, minimum(absolute), maximum(absolute), sum, or average value of multiple tags into a single Isight parameter.
      Note: For this substitution type, you tag the top of the column.

    3. If desired, in the Substitution Format list, select the tag format. The following choices are available:

      IntegerFormats the number as an integer.
      DoubleFormats the number as a double precision real.
      ExponentialFormats the number in exponential notation (e.g., 1.23e+004).
      Best FitFormats the number using the best fit format depending on its value (it may be written as an integer or as a real).

    4. In the Max Field Width text box, type the number of characters allowed by the format. In the Precision text box, type the number of digits after the decimal point, if available.
    5. (Input only) Click Leading Plus if you want a plug sign (+) to appear in your input text file before the positive numbers in your tag.
    6. (Input only) Click Left Justify if you want the numbers in your tag to be left justified in your input text file.

      By default, numbers are right justified.

    7. (Output only) In the Failed Parse Value text box, type the failed run value.

      This value is returned to Isight when a run fails to produce an output value to be parsed. For example, you might use this to return a bad objective function value when a simulation code fails to analyze a particular design point.

    8. (Output only – Multiple Values option only) Use the Multiple Extractions list to tag multiple outputs with the same variable name and to return to the parameter file either the last one read, the minimum, the maximum, the minimum absolute value, the maximum absolute value, the sum, or the average.
    9. Click OK to save your tags and to return to the Fast Parser Component Editor.
  5. If desired, select the tag, and click the button to delete it.
  6. Click OK to save your changes and to close the Fast Parser Component Editor.