About the Syntax of Tags and Markers

You can create tags and markers in the design template file to specify the location of data that should be read from or written to the runtime text file. Tags also specify the format of the data.

This page discusses:

See Also
About the Text Parser Adapter
Creating a Fast Parse
About Markers

Scalar Parameter Tags in the Design Template File

A scalar parameter tag in the fast parser design template file indicates the location of a scalar parameter in the runtime text file. The format of the tags is as follows:

Tag Content Description
name The name of the scalar parameter.
%n.mf The total number of characters, including the decimal point (optional).
format The data format. f indicates a real number; d indicates an integer.
value The value of the parameter (when writing data to a file).

The following example is a template file created by modifying the data (.dat) file generated by an Abaqus/Standard analysis: 

 MAXIMUM !<MaxS11%8.4f!1.825>! -47.28 1.4645E-02 1.6791E-04 0.7144  1.0533E+04  1.8244E+04                        
 ELEMENT                   42           1           1          69          41          41          41

In the section of the data file containing element output, the tag operates on the text containing the MaxS11 scalar parameter:

  • MaxS11 refers to the scalar parameter from which the parser is reading data or to which the parser is writing data.
  • The number is a real number with eight characters and four decimal places.
  • If the fast parser is writing to a file, the first value it writes is 1.825. This value is ignored if the parser is reading from a file.

Range Tags in the Design Template File

Range tags in the fast parser design template file specify a range of values in the runtime text file from which the parser extracts the value of a scalar parameter value, such as the maximum value. Range tags are used only for reading data from the runtime text file. The format of the tags is as follows:

Tag Content Description
[Range] Select the maximum value [MAX], minimum value [MIN], maximum absolute value [MAXABS], or minimum absolute value [MINABS].
name The name of the scalar parameter.
%n The total number of characters (optional).
format The data format. f indicates a real number; d indicates an integer.
value The value of the parameter (ignored when reading data from the runtime text file).

The following example is a template file created by modifying the data (.dat) file generated by an Abaqus/Standard analysis: 

MAXIMUM  !<[MAXABS]Sii%10f! 1.825>!  !<[MAXABS]Sii%10f!-47.28>! !<[MAXABS]Sii%10f!1.4645E-02>!  1.6791E-04  0.7144      1.0533E+04 1.8244E+04

In the section of the data file containing element output, the tag operates on the text containing the maximum stress values, S11, S22, and S33.

  • [MAXABS] indicates the parser should select the absolute maximum of the three values.
  • Sii refers to the scalar parameter to which the value is assigned.
  • The number is a real number with ten characters.

Array Parameter Tags in the Design Template File

An array parameter tag in the fast parser design template file indicates the location of an array parameter in the runtime text file with columnar data. The format of the tags is as follows:

Tag Content Description
name The name of the array parameter.
first#last The start and end index of the array elements. (Process Composer array parameters start with an index of 0.)
%n.mf n refers to the total number of characters, including the decimal point; m refers to the number of decimal places.
format The data format. f indicates a real number; d indicates an integer.
value The value of the first element in the array (when writing data to a file).

The following example is a template file created by modifying the data (.dat) file generated by an Abaqus/Standard analysis: 

  THE FOLLOWING TABLE IS PRINTED FOR ALL ELEMENTS WITH TYPE C3D8R AT THE INTEGRATION POINTS

    ELEMENT  PT      S11         S22         S33         S12         S13         S23         MISES 

           1   1     !<S11(1#80)%8.4f!-3.199>! -47.28  1.4645E-02 -2.9242E-05 -0.7139 1.0533E+04  1.8244E+04

In the section of the data file containing element output, the tag operates on the column of text containing the S11 array parameter:

  • S11 refers to the array parameter from which the parser is reading data or to which the parser is writing data.
  • If the fast parser is reading from the file, it does the following:
    • Reads the next 80 lines
    • Extracts the value of the third column
    • Assigns the value to the first 80 elements of the S11 array
  • If the fast parser is writing data to a text file, it writes the value of the first 80 elements of the S11 array to the third column of the table.
  • The number is a real number with eight characters and four decimal places.
  • If the fast parser is writing to a file, the first value it writes is -3.199. This value is ignored if the parser is reading from a file.

Markers in the Design Template File

Markers in the design template file serve as anchors for your tags and allow you to read or write data from or to the data file when the exact content of the file cannot be predicted. You create a marker in the template file and follow the marker with tags indicating data to read from the data file. The format of the marker is as follows:

Tag Content Description
MARK_ Search for the marker string starting at the previous tag in the file.
MARK_BOF Search for the marker string starting at the beginning of the file.
n The marker occurrence number. If you enter a value of n, the fast parser searches for the nth occurrence of the marker string. In most cases, you will specify 1, and the fast parser searches for the first occurrence of the marker string.

In the following example, when the fast parser first encounters the text within the marker, ELEMENT PT S11 S22 S33 S12 S13 S23 MISES, the following tag tells the parser to read (or write) 80 lines of data from the third column from (or into) the S11 array parameter. 

   THE FOLLOWING TABLE IS PRINTED FOR ALL ELEMENTS WITH TYPE C3D8R AT THE INTEGRATION POINTS

    !<MARK_;1!ELEMENT  PT  S11         S22         S33         S12         S13         S23         MISES>!

           1   1     !<S11(1#80)%8.4f!-3.199>! -47.28  1.4645E-02 -2.9242E-05 -0.7139 1.0533E+04  1.8244E+04