The Query Function

The Query function is used to display data which is currently online and available for use. Its output can be filtered both by time and by the UDF lineage selection.

To initiate a general database query select QUERY DATABASE from the action list without out specifying either a PMEIV or time range. If you have large amounts of data online this can take a considerable amount of time but in the end will display a list of all data on your system. By specifying one or more of the PMEIV options you can reduce the query to specified UDF families. For instance, if you set the PROJECT then the query works only on UDF files under that project. Selecting both the PROJECT and MISSION restricts the query to only those files under that PROJECT and MISSION. The further down the UDF lineage options you progress, the more specific the query becomes.

A query can be time filtered selecting specifying time range over which the query will be made. The time is entered in the provided time fields found directly above the display area. These are entered as the beginning and ending: year, day, hour, minute, and second. Not all fields need to be specified. Entering only a beginning YEAR will show data which have times greater than or equal to that year. Selecting only an ending time will show data which have times less than or equal to that year. Selecting both a beginning an ending YEAR will show data which have times which fall between the two years (including the selected years). The more fields which are specified in the time the more restrictive the time filtering becomes. To reset the time fields clicking on the RESET button to the right of the fields.

The three buttons DATA, VIDF, and PIDF to the right of the display area determine which UDF data is being queried and displayed. All of these options may be set concurrently. The displayed files are distinguished by their TYPE. UDF DATA files have a type HD, VIDF files a type VIDF and PIDF files a type PIDF.

You can change how the query output is grouped using NONE and VIRTUAL options to the right of the display area. By selecting NONE the data will be simply time ordered on output. Selecting VIRTUAL then the data will be grouped by the Virtual Instrument and time ordered within each Virtual grouping.

The figure below shows results from a typical query

The query was to see all the GEOSOLARIND data under the 1-HOUR the EXPERIMENT designation. Time filtering was not applied. Only UDF data was considered and NONE was selected for the query output grouping. Each line in the display window contains information for one GEOSOLARIND UDF data file. A line begins with the acronym of the Virtual Instrument followed by the file type, the beginning and ending time of the database entry and the UDF KEY iD number associated with the virtual. Time is specified as: year, day, hour, minute, second, millisecond. The UDF KEY entry can be safely ignored. If is used by the delete action to recreate the UDF PMEIV of the file being deleted.

If no entries appear in response to a query then there were no data files matching the input conditions.

NOTE: The times associated with the UDF file in a query are the first and last times specified in the UDF file. They do not take into account possible time gaps within the UDF file itself. In this respect it is possible for times of interest not to be present even though they may be indicated as being available in the database query.

The display region does not clear itself on the initiation of a query. Previous output will remain and new output will be added at the bottom of the display. To clear the display click on the CLEAR button at the right-hand side of the menu.

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