An Overview of Parameters

The Simulation Analyst can use parameters to move a variable between Process Composer and the working directory.

You can add parameters to a simulation process or to a simulation activity. The type of a parameter can be one of the following:

  • Number (integer or real)
  • Boolean (true or false)
  • String (a single line of text or multiple lines of text)
  • An reference to an object in the database, such as a part or document
  • An array of values of the same type (numbers, Booleans, or strings)

In addition, you can enter an expression to define the value of a parameter. Parameters and Expressions describes the syntax that you can use in an expression. If you have a large number of parameters, you can import them from a selected XML file.

Process Composer displays the parameters in the order that you created them or in the order that they appear in an XML file you imported. You can use the Move Up and Move Down tools in the toolbar to change the order in which Process Composer displays the parameters. For example, you may want to move the most commonly viewed or modified parameters to the top of the display.

Parameters (both scalars and arrays) are stored in the working directory in an XML-format file called Execution_Parameters.xml. When a simulation activity is executing, the external application can read data from the parameter file or the application can write data to the file.

Parameters and Execution describes how Process Composer accesses the parameter file. About the Parameter File describes the layout of the XML in the parameter file.