A simple keyword/value pair with internal help Strings. More...

#include <Param.h>

Public Member Functions
	Param ()
	constructors and destructor default constructor
	Param (const String &key, const String &value, const String &help, const String &type, const String &range, const String &unit)
	normal constructor with optional value and help strings
	Param (const Param &)
	copy constructor
	~Param ()
	destructor
Param &	operator= (const Param &)
	assignment operator
Bool	operator== (const Param &) const
	Equality comparitor.
Double	getDouble (Bool do_prompt=False) const
	get a double parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE
Block< Double >	getDoubleArray (Bool do_prompt=False) const
	get a Block<double> parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE
Int	getInt (Bool do_prompt=False) const
	get an Int parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE
Block< Int >	getIntArray (Bool do_prompt=False) const
	get an Block<Int> parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE
const String &	getString (Bool do_prompt=False) const
	get a String parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE
Block< String >	getStringArray (Bool do_prompt=False) const
	get a Block<String> parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE
Bool	getBool (Bool do_prompt=False) const
	get a Boolean parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE
const String &	get () const
	get parameter value as a string
const String &	getHelp () const
	get parameter help string
const String &	getKey () const
	get parameter name
String	keyVal () const
	get the string `key = value' for the parameter
const String &	getType () const
	get the type of a parameter
const String &	getRange () const
	get the valid range of a parameter
const String &	getUnit () const
	get the units of a parameter
Bool	put (const String &a_value)
	set new parameter value; return FALSE if invalid value
void	setSystem (Bool val)
	set a parameter as a system parameter
Bool	isSystem () const
	check if a parameter is a system parameter
void	setIndex (Int inx)
	set an index for a program parameter
Int	getIndex () const
	get the index of a parameter
Private Attributes
String	key
	parameter name
String	value
	parameter value
String	help
	help string
String	type
	type of parameter
String	range
	range/validity/pre-check
String	unit
	optional unit associated with value
Bool	hasvalue
	boolean data member which indicates the Param's key has a value.
Bool	system
	boolean data member which indicates the Param is system wide.
Int	index
	index for program keywords (>=1)
Friends
ostream &	operator<< (ostream &, const Param &p)
	I/O operators.
istream &	operator>> (istream &, Param &p)
AipsIO &	operator<< (AipsIO &, const Param &p)
AipsIO &	operator>> (AipsIO &, Param &p)

Detailed Description

A simple keyword/value pair with internal help Strings.

Intended use:

Internal

Review Status

Reviewed By:: UNKNOWN
Date Reviewed:: before2004/08/25
Test programs:: tParam

Prerequisite

none noted

Etymology

The Param class name is a shortening of "parameter" and is indicative of the class being designed as a keyword/value pair relating to command line arguments. The existing Keyword class does a much better job for most other purposes.

Synopsis

The Param is constructed with all arguments being Strings. This is a reflection of the C-type command line argument method of passing an integer (argc or argument count) and an array of pointers to characters (argv or argument vector.) If "char* argv[]" is broken into its individual arguments they may be used to fill a Param. The constructor pairs up a "key" to a value. A help String argument is provided to assist in prompted filling of Param values. The expected return type may be entered as well as a range of potential values. Finally, the units of the value are also specified. The intent is to provide a well documented value and a "key" by which to "call" it.

The "getWhatever" member functions of Param convert the internal Strings into the desired output data type. The Strings themselves may also be returned.

Example

    // we will create a Param which contains the boundary for an iteration loop.
    String key("IterBound");
    // give "IterBound" a default value
    String value("200");
    // a help String for prompting
    String help("The Boundary value for the chutzpah iterator.");
    // The expected return type is an integer
    String type("Int");
    // The range of "legal" values 
    String range("10-10000");
    // the units of the value
    String unit("unitless"):
    // Now we may build our Param
    Param PleaseDontTouchMeThere(key, value, help, type, range, unit);
    // to retrieve the value we use the GetInt function
    for (Int i=0, i<PleaseDontTouchMeThere.getInt(); i++, chutzpah++);

Motivation

The Param class was an early attempt at keywords within AIPS++. They have become obsolete but hang on due to their relationship with the Input class.

To Do

fix the GetStringArray() function
convert from Block<T> to Array<T> as return values.
replace entirely with AIPS++ Keywords?

Definition at line 113 of file Param.h.

Constructor & Destructor Documentation

casa::Param::Param ( )

constructors and destructor default constructor

casa::Param::Param	(	const String &	key,
		const String &	value,
		const String &	help,
		const String &	type,
		const String &	range,
		const String &	unit
	)

normal constructor with optional value and help strings

casa::Param::Param ( const Param & )

copy constructor

casa::Param::~Param ( )

destructor

Member Function Documentation

const String& casa::Param::get ( ) const [inline]

get parameter value as a string

Definition at line 168 of file Param.h.

References value.

Bool casa::Param::getBool ( Bool do_prompt = False ) const

get a Boolean parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE

Double casa::Param::getDouble ( Bool do_prompt = False ) const

get a double parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE

Block<Double> casa::Param::getDoubleArray ( Bool do_prompt = False ) const

get a Block<double> parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE

const String& casa::Param::getHelp ( ) const [inline]

get parameter help string

Definition at line 172 of file Param.h.

References help.

Int casa::Param::getIndex ( ) const [inline]

get the index of a parameter

Definition at line 211 of file Param.h.

References index.

Int casa::Param::getInt ( Bool do_prompt = False ) const

get an Int parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE

Block<Int> casa::Param::getIntArray ( Bool do_prompt = False ) const

get an Block<Int> parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE

const String& casa::Param::getKey ( ) const [inline]

get parameter name

Definition at line 176 of file Param.h.

References key.

const String& casa::Param::getRange ( ) const [inline]

get the valid range of a parameter

Definition at line 188 of file Param.h.

References range.

const String& casa::Param::getString ( Bool do_prompt = False ) const

get a String parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE

Block<String> casa::Param::getStringArray ( Bool do_prompt = False ) const

get a Block<String> parameter value; prompt if switch is TRUE

const String& casa::Param::getType ( ) const [inline]

get the type of a parameter

Definition at line 184 of file Param.h.

References type.

const String& casa::Param::getUnit ( ) const [inline]

get the units of a parameter

Definition at line 192 of file Param.h.

References unit.

Bool casa::Param::isSystem ( ) const [inline]

check if a parameter is a system parameter

Definition at line 203 of file Param.h.

References system.

String casa::Param::keyVal ( ) const [inline]

get the string `key = value' for the parameter

Definition at line 180 of file Param.h.

References value.

Param& casa::Param::operator= ( const Param & )

assignment operator

Bool casa::Param::operator== ( const Param & ) const

Equality comparitor.

Warning: This function ALWAYS returns false; I have no idea why it was designed to do this;

Bool casa::Param::put ( const String & a_value )

set new parameter value; return FALSE if invalid value

void casa::Param::setIndex ( Int inx ) [inline]

set an index for a program parameter

Definition at line 207 of file Param.h.

References index.

void casa::Param::setSystem ( Bool val ) [inline]

set a parameter as a system parameter

Definition at line 199 of file Param.h.

References system.

Friends And Related Function Documentation

ostream& operator<<	(	ostream &	,
		const Param &	p
	)		`[friend]`

I/O operators.

AipsIO& operator<<	(	AipsIO &	,
		const Param &	p
	)		`[friend]`

istream& operator>>	(	istream &	,
		Param &	p
	)		`[friend]`

AipsIO& operator>>	(	AipsIO &	,
		Param &	p
	)		`[friend]`

Member Data Documentation

Bool casa::Param::hasvalue [private]

boolean data member which indicates the Param's key has a value.

Definition at line 235 of file Param.h.

String casa::Param::help [private]

help string

Definition at line 223 of file Param.h.

Referenced by getHelp().

Int casa::Param::index [private]

index for program keywords (>=1)

Definition at line 241 of file Param.h.

Referenced by getIndex(), and setIndex().

String casa::Param::key [private]

parameter name

Definition at line 217 of file Param.h.

Referenced by getKey().

String casa::Param::range [private]

range/validity/pre-check

Definition at line 229 of file Param.h.

Referenced by getRange().

Bool casa::Param::system [private]

boolean data member which indicates the Param is system wide.

Definition at line 238 of file Param.h.

Referenced by isSystem(), and setSystem().

String casa::Param::type [private]

type of parameter

Definition at line 226 of file Param.h.

Referenced by getType().

String casa::Param::unit [private]

optional unit associated with value

Definition at line 232 of file Param.h.

Referenced by getUnit().

String casa::Param::value [private]

parameter value

Definition at line 220 of file Param.h.

Referenced by get(), and keyVal().

The documentation for this class was generated from the following file:

casacore/casa/Inputs/Param.h

Public Member Functions

Private Attributes

Friends