• Manage Parameter Types
• Introduction
• Create Parameter Types
• Edit Parameter Type
• Inspect Parameter Type
• Delete Parameter Type
• Export Parameter Types
• Related Topics

Manage Parameter Types

Plugin: Basic Reference Data Module

Introduction

Parameter Types are definitions of parameters that can be used in the Element Definitions and in the CDP™ Product Tree. These Parameter Types are managed at the level of the CDP&trade. The Parameter Types are managed in the Parameter Types Browser.

For each parameter that needs to be created in the CDP&trade, a Parameter Type definition will have to be available. It requires several steps involving definitions of units, scales and Parameter Types before a parameter can be created. This approach allows or requires a strict management of these definitions in the RDL.

Manage Parameter Types

Open the Parameter Types browser by selecting the Parameter Types icon on the Reference Data tab. Parameter Types are given with a Short Name, a Name, Type, Default Scale, and Container RDL. Parameter Types¹ can be of the following types:

• Array

  specialization of CompoundParameterType that specifies a one-dimensional or multi-dimensional array parameter type with elements (components) that are typed by other ScalarParameterTypes²

• Boolean

  representation of a boolean valued scalar parameter type³

  for derived parameters allowed values are TRUE or FALSE

• Compound

  representation of a non-scalar compound parameter type that is composed of one or more other (component) ParameterTypes⁴

  allowed values dependent on compound definitions

• Date

  representation of a calendar date valued scalar parameter type⁵

  for derived parameters format YYYY – MM – DD

• Date Time

  representation of a calendar date and time valued scalar parameter type⁶

  for derived parameters format YYYY – MM – DD HH : MM : SS

• Enumeration

  representation of an enumeration valued ScalarParameterType with a user-defined list of text values (enumeration literals) to select from⁷

  for derived parameters allowed values are user defined in the definition of each specific enumeration Parameter Type

  can contain alphanumerical and special characters

• Quantity Kind

  representation of a numerical scalar parameter type⁸

  for numerical parameters mostly representing physical quantities. various parameter definitions can be created as Parameter Types by the combinations of units, scales and number sets (Real, Rational, Natural, Integer).

  allowed values and formats depend on the number set (Real, Rational, Natural, Integer), and on possible conditions on the value ranges of the applicable scale, or "–" if no value is supplied

  possible Quantity Kind parameter types are

  • Simple

    specialization of Quantity Kind that represents a kind of quantity that does not depend on any other Quantity Kind⁹

  • Derived

    specialization of Quantity Kind that represents a kind of quantity that is defined as a product of powers of one or more other kinds of quantity¹⁰

  • Specialized

    specialization of Quantity Kind that represents a kind of quantity that is a specialization of another kind of quantity

    Example: The kinds of quantity "distance", "width", "depth", "radius" and "wavelength" can all be specified as specializations of the "length" SimpleQuantityKind.¹¹

• Text

  representation of a character string valued scalar parameter type¹²

  for derived parameters allowed values alphanumerical characters, as well as all special characters

• Time Of Day

  representation of a time of day valued scalar parameter type¹³

  for derived parameters format HH : MM : SS

Persons with a role that has the permission Modify on the ClassKind Site Reference Data Library are able to access the Basic RDL to create, edit or delete parameter types.

A description of the available functionalities is given below. Next to these it is possible to use the generic functionality using the Search and Help icons. To make sure the latest data is shown in the browser, it is always possible to refresh it using the Refresh icon. The parameter types modal dialogs further have the generic functionality on the Aliases, Definitions and HyperLinks tabs, described in the topic standard tabs.

Create Parameter Types

To create a new parameter type, select the Create Parameter Type icon or in the context menu select Create a Parameter Type for each of the available types.

On the Basic tab, provide the mandatory fields for Name, Short Name and Symbol. Furthermore, it is required to provide the Container RDL, see the management and usage of RDLs.

Optionally, a category can be applied to the new parameter type definition. To do this, provide the applicable category or categories by selecting these on the Categories tab. Given on this tab are only the categories that can be applied to the specific parameter type that is being created or edited. This is done by including the required parameter types in the list of permissible classes in managing the categories.

Boolean, Date, Date Time, Text and Time Of Day Parameter Types

The boolean, date, Date Time, text and Time Of Day parameter type, do not require any further specifications and can be used to create parameters. Different definitions can be created however to define specific types, e.g. to add more specific information on the type of date, or a specification of a text parameter. Whether such as specification is done at the level of the Parameter Type at the CDP™ level of a Site RDL, or introduced at the Activity level in a model specific RDL depends on how an organization using the CDP™ wishes to organise the management and usage of these parameter types and parameters. This information will be mostly informative to the user and will not have any consequences on the usage of derived parameters or validation of data within one specific engineering model, e.g. for the allowed values for dates

Please note that if a parameter type is created in a model-specific RDL, it can only be used in engineering models that includes the model-RDL containing the definition in its chain of RDLs.

For Compound, Enumeration and Quantity Kind further actions are needed.

Quantity Kind Parameter Types

For a Quantity Kind parameter type, For the Quantity Kind Parameter Types, the measurement scales that can be chosen for the quantity have to be indicated on the Possible Scales tab by checking the tick-boxes of the relevant scales. These scales will be available as choices for the scale for parameters that are created based on this parameter type. These scales consist of a combination of a measurement unit and a number set, see the description of managing the measurement scales. After selecting the possible scales, a Default Scale can be selected in the additional field on the Basic tab. Optionally a Dimension Symbol can be supplied as well. For a Simple Quantity Kind, these are all the possible fields.

For a Derived Quantity Kind, on the Factors tab, the Quantity Kinds with their corresponding Exponents have to be provided that together give the required correct definition.

For a Specialized Quantity Kind, in the field General provide the existing Quantity Kind for which this parameter type is a specialization.

Compound Parameter Type

The Compount parameter type is essentially a user-convenient grouping of a predefined set of other parameter types. For this type, the components have to be defined.

To do this, select the component parameter types that together form the required compound parameter type.

All Parameter Types can be used as a component of the Compound Parameter Type.

Array Parameter Type

Enumeration Parameter Type

For the Enumeration Parameter Type, the enumeration values have to be defined. To do this, on the Values tab, select the Create Value Definition icon and provide the Name, Short Name and Value. To delete an entry from the list, select the Delete Value Definition icon or in the context menu select Delete. The values for an enumeration Parameter Type can be deleted, even if these are used. The reason is that contrary to other deletions such as units, deleting an item from the enumeration values list would not lead to possible corruption of any of the engineer models. Note that deleting an enumeration value will invalidate parameters in any of the engineering models that is using this value and may possibly invalidate corresponding user-defined validation or calculation steps. Parameters that have an invalid value, which is indicated by the value checking mechanism in the CDP™ can easily be fixed by the user by providing an allowed value. Dependent user-defined functionalities will have to be fixed by the user.

The values in the list on the Values tab will be appearing as a drop-down list in the manual value field of the enumeration parameter created based on the Parameter Type definition.

Edit Parameter Type

To edit a parameter type, select the Edit Parameter Type icon or in the context menu select Edit. Depending on the type of Parameter Type, it is possible to edit most of the available fields on the Basic or content-specific tabs, as well as optional items on the other tabs for Aliases, Definitions, and Hyperlinks. In the case of parameter types, these are the Name, Short Name, and Symbol on the Basic tab, as well as the applicable categories on the Categories tab.

After making the required changes, click Ok.

It is only possible to edit the Container RDL to promote an item from a model-specific RDL into a higher level Site Directory RDL.

Please note that editing parameter types should be handled with extreme care, as this may have a large impact on all engineering models that use concepts that depend on it. It is advisable to only edit parameter types to fix apparent mistakes.

For Quantity Kind parameter types, it is possible to edit the possible and default scale.

The browsers in the CDP™ Client of the user that performed the editing action will be updated immediately. Other CDP™ Clients will be updated with a refresh.

On the Advanced tab, a Revision Number is given; see the description of Revision Number for details.

Inspect Parameter Type

To inspect a parameter type, select the Inspect Parameter Type icon or in the context menu select Inspect. In the Inspect modal dialog, all the details can be seen on the Basic or content-specific tabs, as well as optional tabs for Aliases, Definitions, and Hyperlinks. Additionally the status of the Parameter Type is given by the check box for Deprecated, see the description of Delete below.

The Advanced tab provides information that may be useful mostly to CDP™ database administrators. Given are the UniqueID and the Revision Number.

Delete Parameter Type

A parameter type should not be deleted from the CDP™.

To delete a parameter type, select the Delete Parameter Type icon or in the context menu select Delete. Items from the CDP™ are never completely deleted, but they are marked as Deprecated. This Deprecated status is an indication to users that it should not be used anymore.

Export Parameter Types

To export parameter types, select the Export Parameter Types icon.

Related Topics

• Manage RDL
• Measurement Scales
• Measurement Units
• Categories

Last modified 4 years ago.