About the Parameter File

The following example illustrates the XML format of the parameter file:

<ParameterData>
<CreationInfo date="06/10/2019 04:04:53 PM" user="Materials Engineer" />
    <ParameterList count="4">
        <Parameter name="Finish" type="string" mode="both">
            <Choices>
                None
                Plated
                Painted
                Sand Blasted
            </Choices>
            <Value>
                Plated
            </Value>
            <Description>
               Surface finish
                Supplier description
            </Description>
            <Result>
                Plated
            </Result>
        </Parameter>
        <Parameter name="Code" type="integer" mode="both">
            <Value>
                34
            </Value>
            <Description>
                Internal material code
            </Description>
            <Result>
                34
            </Result>
        </Parameter>
        <Parameter name="Complete" type="bool" mode="both">
            <Value>
                true
            </Value>
            <Result>
                true
            </Result>
        </Parameter>
        <Parameter arraydim="[2,2]" name="myArray" sizable="false" 
           type="integer" mode="both" valuetype="array">
             <Value index="[0,0]">1</Value>
             <Value index="[0,1]">0</Value>
             <Value index="[1,0]">5</Value>
             <Value index="[1,1]">4</Value>
        </Parameter>
    </ParameterList>
</ParameterData>

In most cases, the format of the parameter declaration is straightforward. However, in some cases the format is not obvious; for example, the type of a date parameter is timestamp. If you are unsure of the format expected by the parameter file, you can use Process Composer for Dashboard to create the parameter of interest and export it to a parameter file. You can then view the syntax of the parameter declaration in the parameter file.

Process Composer for Dashboard writes the Value element to the parameter file during export. Conversely, Process Composer for Dashboard ignores the Value element when it imports the parameter file from the working directory during import. Similarly, it is expected that the Result element will be written to the parameter file by the external application when a simulation activity is executing. The value will then be available to Process Composer for Dashboard when it imports the parameter file.

The behavior is slightly different if you create a new parameter prior to importing the parameter file. Process Composer for Dashboard imports the Value element of the new parameter but ignores the Result element.

The date and time that Process Composer for Dashboard enters in the Date attribute are the date and time from the machine that hosts the web server.

The following table describes the attributes of the Parameter element:

XML attribute	Required/optional	Default value
name	required
type	optional	string
mode	optional	both

The following table describes the optional elements and their default values:

XML element	Default value
Description	empty string
Choices	empty string
Value	empty string

If there is an error in the parameter file, such as invalid XML, the file will not be imported from the working directory. Similarly, the parameter file will not be imported from the working directory if it contains an expression in the result element. Error messages describing the illegal expression are written to the execution log.

In contrast, Process Composer for Dashboard will continue to export the parameter file if it contains an invalid expression, and the error message that describes the invalid expression is written to the error attribute of the result element in the parameter file.