PIDF GROUP INFORMATION FIELDS

Like the PIDF general information fields the PIDF group fields occur within the PIDF delimiter brackets and outside any of the PIDF structure blocks. They can be placed anywhere within the PIDF file but are generally nested in a block of entries the top of the definition.

The group definitions allow the block of PIDF sensor definitions to be subdivided. GUI menus generally pick up the group definitions, present these, and then present the sensors within the selected group. In cases where there a PIDF contains a large number of measurement definitions the use of groups is an effective way to break them down into more manageable numbers for display purposes.

PIDF group definition block has the generalized form:

int    num_groups = ENTRY;
string group_name = "ENTRY";

KEYWORD: num_groups

The number of defined group_name fields contained in the PIDF definition. This is a necessary PIDF field and must be 1 or larger. It must occur in the PIDF above the first group name specification. It is an int field.

KEYWORD: group_name

A descriptive name of one of the defined groups under which sensor measurements can be placed. There must be num_groups group_name fields within the PIDF. The group_names form an array of definitions. The order which the group names are defined in the PIDF determines the offset to the group name in the array. The first defined group name in the PIDF becomes group 0, the second definition becomes group 1, etc. Note: If there are more group_name definitions in the PIDF than num_groups, group names listed beyond the specified number of groups will not be accessible. If there are less group_name definitions in the PIDF than num_groups then the unused definitions will be set to a NULL string.

This is string field.

EXAMPLES

The following are examples of fully functional PIDF group information blocks. The entries are shown within the overall PIDF definition braces which would occur only once within the PIDF file.

EXAMPLE 1

pidf v2_IMFSIPHA {
$*********************************************************************
    int num_groups = 2;                                  $$ no. groups
    string group_name = "SI-12 PHA Histograms";          $$ group name
    string group_name = "SI-13 PHA Histograms";          $$ group name
$*********************************************************************
};

EXAMPLE 2

pidf v2_IMRLTDE {
$*********************************************************************
    int num_groups = 8;                                  $$ no. groups
    string group_name = "Polarization 1 Wave Data";      $$ group name
    string group_name = "Polarization 2 Wave Data";      $$ group name
    string group_name = "Frequency Settings";            $$ group name
    string group_name = "Program Settings";              $$ group name
    string group_name = "Range Settings";                $$ group name
    string group_name = "Misc Preface Data";             $$ group name
    string group_name = "Frequency Header Data";         $$ group name
    string group_name = "Calibration Data";              $$ group name
$*********************************************************************
};