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23. GENESIS Startup Command Reference

The commands described in this section are used during the compilation of GENESIS libraries. They are used within library startup scripts, and are not recognized by the SLI at run time. A description of their use is given in Defining New Objects and Commands.

23.1 addfunc

Command Name:   addfunc

Description:    Binds a compiled C function to a name for reference as a
                routine in the Genesis shell.

Usage:          addfunc name function [type]

Example:        addfunc do_myfunction myfunction
                addfunc do_return_index getindex int

Notes:          This library initialization command binds a compiled C
                function to a name within GENESIS by which the function can
                be called.  It is used when compiling new GENESIS libraries,
                and is not recognized by the SLI when GENESIS is running.
See also: listcommands , showcommand

23.2 newclass

Command Name:   newclass

Description:    Adds a new class to list of currently recognized GENESIS
                element classes.

Usage:          newclass class-name

Example:        newclass NEWCLASS

Notes:          The newclass routine is used to add new element classes to
                the working set of GENESIS objects.  Objects can be grouped
                into named classes.  This grouping can be used to facilitate
                the specification of operations to be performed on
                functionally related elements.  See the documentation on
                scheduling and the addtask routine for an example of class
                use.

                This class name can be used in subsequent specification of new
                objects using the object routine or in the modification of
                object classes using the class field of the object routine.

                Classes are simply used for grouping of related elements and
                do not alter the element functionality in any way.  Classes in
                GENESIS don't carry the full connotations of classes within a
                true object-oriented programming environment.  They are simply
                convenient ways of created named groupings to which objects
                can be assigned.

                This initialization command is used when compiling new
                GENESIS libraries, and is not recognized by the SLI when
                GENESIS is running.
See also: listclasses, object , addtask, Schedules

23.3 object

Command Name:   object

Description:    Defines the attributes of a GENESIS element type ("object").

Usage:          object name datatype function class [class] ...
                        -actions names
                        -messages name type case-num arg-names
                        -readwrite field-name field-desc [default-value]
                        -readonly field-name field-desc [default-value]
                        -hidden field-name field-desc [default-value]
                        -fields names
                        -defaults args
                        -description text
                        -author text

                name            object name (must be unique)

                datatype        name of the object data structure defining
                                object fields (must be the same name as that
                                used in the structure definition;
                                see example_struct.h)

                function        default object function (must be the same name
                                used for the function in the code definition;
                                see example.c)

                class           class to which this object belongs; can be
                                one or more of existing classes
                                (see listclasses)

                -actions        flag indicating that following arguments are
                                actions that the object can perform; action
                                names must correspond to predefined or newly
                                added actions (see addaction); actions listed
                                must be consistent with actions defined in
                                code definition (see SELECT_ACTION in
                                example.c)

                -messages       flag indicating that following arguments are
                                messages for object, in the following order:

                                1. name of message (any string), as can be 
                                   used by 'addmsg' routine
                                2. case number of message type, must
                                   correspond to value defined in code
                                   definition (see MSGLOOP of example.c)
                                   If omitted, one will be automatically
                                   generated.
                                3. number of arguments to message
                                4. names of arguments (arbitrary, used for
                                   documentation purposes, but there MUST be
                                   as many names as there are arguments
                                   defined in 3)

                -readwrite      make field-name both readable and setable
                -readonly       make field-name readable, but not setable
                -hidden         hide field-name from view by showfield

                The remaining fields are added for the purpose of documenting
                the object and are optional.

Example:        object  nernst          nernst_type Nernst  device channel \
                        -author         "M.Wilson Caltech 3/89" \
                        -actions        PROCESS RESET CHECK \
                        -messages       CIN 0           1 Cin \
                                        COUT 1          1 Cout \
                                        TEMP 2          1 T \
                        -fields         "E = equilibrium potential" \
                                        "T = temperature in degrees celsius" \
                                        "valency = ionic valency z" \
                                        "scale = voltage scale factor" \
                        -description \
                            "Calculates Nernst potential for the given" \
                            "ionic concentrations and temperature." \
                            "E = scale*(RT/zF)*ln(Cout/Cin)" \
                            "A scale factor of 1 gives E in volts." \
                            "A scale factor of 1e3 gives E in millivolts."

Notes:          The object command is used to define the attributes of a
                GENESIS object.  An object command is executed for each type
                of GENESIS element and defines the function associated with
                that element, the actions which are valid to perform on the
                element, any special GENESIS environment variables tagged to
                the element, any messages which can be passed to or from the
                element, and a brief description of that element.

                This initialization command is used when compiling new
                GENESIS libraries, and is not recognized by the SLI when
                GENESIS is running.
See also: listobjects , addaction , newclass , showobject


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