Next: Windows NT / Windows Up: Customising FEMGV Previous: Start-up file
Next: Windows NT / Windows
Up: Customising FEMGV
Previous: Start-up file
Up to 300 synonyms may be defined, and read in from a startup file whenever a FEMGV session is initiated.
The intention is that a user may develop a number of additional commands, abbreviations, and command macros, and that these can give FEMGV a more flexible, powerful, and personalised command language, than can be achieved by any other means.
Commands may be translated into other languages using this technique, or commands may be redefined to fit in with other programs with which a particular user is familiar.
The examples in this section are intended only to give the user a broad indication of areas where synonyms can be used to make the software more user-friendly.
The name of the synonym file will generally be fgvsyn.syn but if necessary the user should refer to the separate installation notes provided, or consult with his FEMGV distributor.
An example synonym file is included as part of the standard delivery of FEMGV and can be found in the 'demo' sub_directory of the installation. This file can be activated by setting the environment variable FGVSYN to the path of the 'demo' directory. The file can of course be modified and extended by the user.
There are many single keys on the standard computer keyboard that can be used to have special meanings using synonyms. The examples below are used for the manipulation of synonyms themselves, and will be assumed in the following sections in order to abbreviate synonym handling commands :
UTILITY SETUP SYNONYM ADD + 1 UTILITY SETUP SYNONYM ADD
UTILITY SETUP SYNONYM ADD - 1 UTILITY SETUP SYNONYM DELETE
UTILITY SETUP SYNONYM ADD = 1 UTILITY SETUP SYNONYM LIST
UTILITY SETUP SYNONYM ADD _ 1 UTILITY SETUP SYNONYM LIST M
The last line defines the underline key (upper case -) to list all synonyms which begin with the letter 'M'. This facilitates the listing of macros if the practice of using 'M' followed by a number is followed to define useful macros.
The function keys are referenced by the name:
FnKEY Function key Fn FnSKEY Function key Fn and SHIFT FnCKEY Function key Fn and CONTROL FnSCKEY Function key Fn and both SHIFT and CONTROL
Synonyms may be used to define macros such that one command will be mapped to a sequence of commands, inhibiting redraws with semi-colons. It is recommended that the letter M followed by a number be used to identify command macros, with two characters specified as the search range.
+ M1 2 E R T 45 45 45;R L L1;R N D A;M B;P S;E F
+ M2 2 E R T 45 45 45;R L L1;R N S XX;R C VO;V M;P P;E F
+ M3 2 E R T 45 45 45;R L L1;R N S XX;R C VO;V H F;
P C L 12;E F
etc.
In other cases a more meaningful macro name (or letter) could be used :
+ XSECTION 1 V S C;E N;E L;E F
+ VONMISES 2 R N S XX;R C VO
There is a restriction in the current release, in that the synonyms themselves are limited to 12 characters, of which the search string may be from 1 to 6 characters long, and the strings that are substituted for the synonyms are limited to 60 characters.
Macros cannot refer to other macros in this release of FEMGV. All the commands in the substitution strings of synonyms must be valid FEMGV commands.
It is possible to define synonyms that allow command parameters to be input :
+ PICT 4 R L $1; R N STRESS $2; P C L $3
This defines a synonym called PICT. The $1, $2 and $3 specify that three parameters will be required to satisfy the synonym. If, for example, the user enters :
PICT CASE1 XX 12
Then this will generate the following command sequence :
RESULTS LOADCASE CASE1 ;
RESULTS NODAL STRESS XX ;
PRESENT CONTOURS LEVEL 12
It is possible to use the same parameter more than once. For example :
+ TURN 4 E R R $1; E R U $1; E R C $1
A parameter may be optional. This is indicated by use of a '-' and is only possible for the last parameter. Thus with the synonym :
+ FRED 4 V G $1 $-2; E F
it is possible to enter either :
FRED B12
to generate :
VIEW GEOMETRY B12;
EYE FRAME
or, to enter :
FRED B12 BLUE
to generate :
VIEW GEOMETRY B12 BLUE;
EYE FRAME
Parameter substitution can be useful when reading command files from other pre-processor systems as it allows the order of input arguments to be changed. Take for example the problem of mapping a command such as TRFM TR1 ROT to the FEMGV command CONSTRUCT TRANSFORM ROT TR1. This can be achieved by the synonym :
+ TRFM 4 CO TR $2 $1
If a command synonym that uses parameter substitution is incompletely
entered then the user will be prompted for input with '$1=
',
'$2=' ....... '$n=' where the prompts
will appear in the order the parameters are required in the
expanded command.
Operating system commands can also be included in synonyms. The system command needs to be enclosed in double quotation marks, for example UTILITY SETUP SYNONYM ADD DIR "!ls" would create a synonym DIR which will show the directory contents on a UNIX computer.
Depending upon the names assigned to loadcases at a particular site, the user may wish to establish easy loadcase selection. For example, the loadcases from a particular interface program may be given the names LC0001, LC0002 etc., and these may be selected by synonyms 'L1','L2', etc..
+ L1 2 R L LC0001
+ L2 2 R L LC0002
etc.
A priority synonym is defined by specifying the search string for the synonym to be 7 characters long, regardless of the actual length of the synonym.
In the following example, the synonyms 'UP' and 'DOWN' are defined as priority synonyms.
UTILITY SETUP SYNONYM ADD UP 7 EYE ROTATE UP
U S S A DOWN 7 E R D
Use of synonyms may be seen as a way to achieve a more natural langauge for the program. By using synonyms it is possible to cut down on the number of keystrokes required to perform a particular task; however, an equally valid aim might be to give FEMGV a more natural feel even if the required number of keystrokes is the same. For example, the following synonyms are probably easier to remember than the actual FEMGV commands:
+ UP 2 E R U
+ DOWN 2 E R D
+ LEFT 2 E R L
+ RIGHT 2 E R R
+ ZOOM 1 E Z
+ ROTATE 3 E R
+ FRAME 2 E F
There are many uses of synonyms which have not been explored here. For example, translation into foreign languages, upward compatibility with superceded commands, cursor enquiry abbreviations, graphing abbreviations, and abbreviation for labeling facilities.
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