Create a DXL Attribute

mcnairk - Tue Aug 30 08:13:45 EDT 2011

Look up "create (attribute definition)" in the DXL Reference Manual. Here's a simple example:
 

create object type "Boolean" (default "False") attribute "MyNewAttr"

Hope this helps,
Ken.

melman - Fri Sep 02 05:13:53 EDT 2011

Thanks Ken and Louie for your help.
I've now found a solution.
 

string NameAttr = "Whatever"
  Buffer DXLsrc = create
  DXLsrc  =  Line 1
  DXLsrc +=  Line 2
  .
  .
  .
  string DxlCode = stringOf DXLsrc
  delete DXLsrc
  create(object type "string" dxl DxlCode attribute NameAttr)

I do not know if this is the perfect way, but it works.

Thanks

llandale - Fri Sep 02 12:03:22 EDT 2011

Nothing wrong with that, but perhaps these two little technques have some merit:
You wrote this:

string NameAttr = "Whatever"
Buffer DXLsrc = create
DXLsrc  =  "string Text = obj.\"Object Text\""
DXLsrc +=  "if (null Text)//"
DXLsrc +=  "then obj.attrDXLName = \"Text is null\""
DXLsrc +=  "else obj.attrDXLName = \"There is Text\""
 
string DxlCode = stringOf DXLsrc
delete DXLsrc
print "DxlCode [" DxlCode "]\n"
create(object type "string" dxl DxlCode attribute NameAttr)

¹ The following may prevent some leakage in memory. The results of tempStringOf(Buffer) must be disposed of immediately such as printing, writing to a file, display in a dialog, assigning to an attr value, or in this case giving to the attr def. If you assign it to a string variable you can (in fact will) get future corruption as the space of the buffer can and will get overwritten, changing the value of the variable. This won't matter in this little code but does matter in your much larger scripts, say retrieving the value of 10,000 Object Text values.

So use tempStringOf(Buffer) when you are finally disposing its contents.

...
create(object type "string" dxl (tempStringOf(DXLsrc)) attribute NameAttr)
delete(DXLsrc)

² There is also this little string technique for writing paragraphs. Note that there is only one set of double-quotes, first and last, the others inside the text are escaped. The natural End-Of-Lines in the editor are interpreted as part of the string:

string NameAttr = "Whatever"
string DxlCode  =
"string Text = obj.\"Object Text\"
if (null Text)//
then obj.attrDXLName = \"Text is null\"
else obj.attrDXLName = \"There is Text\"
"    // end definition of string DxlCode
 
create(object type "string" dxl DxlCode attribute NameAttr)
print "DxlCode [" DxlCode "]\n"

I find that string paragraph method easier to read than the Buffer append method.
When the DxlCode uses variables, such as passing into it the name of the Attr to check, the extra string concatenation will matter if you build the DxlCode frequently; in which case you could combine both methods:
{code}
string NameAttr = "Rational"
DXLsrc = "string Text = obj."
DxlSrc += NameAttr
DXLsrc += "
if (null Text)//
then obj.attrDXLName = \"Text is null\"
else obj.attrDXLName = \"There is Text\"
"

Which, now that I look at it, isn't very easy to read!

• Louie

llandale - Fri Sep 02 12:03:22 EDT 2011

Nothing wrong with that, but perhaps these two little technques have some merit:
You wrote this:

string NameAttr = "Whatever"
Buffer DXLsrc = create
DXLsrc  =  "string Text = obj.\"Object Text\""
DXLsrc +=  "if (null Text)//"
DXLsrc +=  "then obj.attrDXLName = \"Text is null\""
DXLsrc +=  "else obj.attrDXLName = \"There is Text\""
 
string DxlCode = stringOf DXLsrc
delete DXLsrc
print "DxlCode [" DxlCode "]\n"
create(object type "string" dxl DxlCode attribute NameAttr)

¹ The following may prevent some leakage in memory. The results of tempStringOf(Buffer) must be disposed of immediately such as printing, writing to a file, display in a dialog, assigning to an attr value, or in this case giving to the attr def. If you assign it to a string variable you can (in fact will) get future corruption as the space of the buffer can and will get overwritten, changing the value of the variable. This won't matter in this little code but does matter in your much larger scripts, say retrieving the value of 10,000 Object Text values.

So use tempStringOf(Buffer) when you are finally disposing its contents.

...
create(object type "string" dxl (tempStringOf(DXLsrc)) attribute NameAttr)
delete(DXLsrc)

² There is also this little string technique for writing paragraphs. Note that there is only one set of double-quotes, first and last, the others inside the text are escaped. The natural End-Of-Lines in the editor are interpreted as part of the string:

string NameAttr = "Whatever"
string DxlCode  =
"string Text = obj.\"Object Text\"
if (null Text)//
then obj.attrDXLName = \"Text is null\"
else obj.attrDXLName = \"There is Text\"
"    // end definition of string DxlCode
 
create(object type "string" dxl DxlCode attribute NameAttr)
print "DxlCode [" DxlCode "]\n"

I find that string paragraph method easier to read than the Buffer append method.
When the DxlCode uses variables, such as passing into it the name of the Attr to check, the extra string concatenation will matter if you build the DxlCode frequently; in which case you could combine both methods:
{code}
string NameAttr = "Rational"
DXLsrc = "string Text = obj."
DxlSrc += NameAttr
DXLsrc += "
if (null Text)//
then obj.attrDXLName = \"Text is null\"
else obj.attrDXLName = \"There is Text\"
"

Which, now that I look at it, isn't very easy to read!

• Louie

SystemAdmin - Thu Dec 01 14:33:47 EST 2011
I have a script to create a DXL attribute that I generate by Edit-> Attributes-> New-> DXL Attribute, enter the script after browsing and selecting new, ta da, new attribute

I would like to create the DXL attribute by way of a DXL Menu. I have a recognized menu and added the necesary *.idx and *.hlp files. My question is, is it possible to add a create line within the same dxl attribute script file, or would it be better to create the dxl attribute in a separate script file and call the script that creates the attribute?

I would just like to avoid having to add the code and create the new attribute in each module I plan to use it and prefer to just go to the menu and select from the pulldown and have the dxl attribute generated.

Thanks in advance!

llandale - Thu Dec 01 16:22:48 EST 2011
Well I've written a lot of self-deploying Triggers and this is basically the same thing. You need to get a string variable that contains the code to deploy. I see 3 options:

• hard code it:

• Hard code reading it:

• Invoke a dialog that uses a "fileName" DBE to let the user browse for it.

• current = mod
• AttrDef ad = create(object dxl DxlCode type "String" attribute "dxl_LastModified")

SystemAdmin - Thu Dec 01 17:28:37 EST 2011
I received the error

badly formed token ("C:\Program)

for this line:

string DxlCode = readfile("C:\Program Files\IBM\Rational\DOORS\9.3\lib\dxl\addins\MyDXL\myDXLattribute.dxl")

I copied the pathname directly from my explorer window and added the file at the end, so I wouldn't miss a folder or \ ..... is there an issue because it is in the same folder as the dxl menu? I wanted to keep everything together to make life easier.

kbmurphy - Thu Dec 01 20:09:51 EST 2011
Change your \ to / or change your \ to \\

SystemAdmin - Fri Dec 02 11:24:01 EST 2011
Thanks! That fixed it. Now my last question is how do I display the column in the current view? I see the dxl attribute is created but it is not being displayed in the current window.

I added the line

obj.attrDXLName = Results

and declared Results as a string but I recieve errors:

null Object parameter was passed into argument position 1
null string parameter was passed into argument position 2

When I take them out again, the code works, but the column isnt displayed in the current view

llandale - Fri Dec 02 12:25:33 EST 2011
I think you are confusing these two parts:

• The Attr-DXL part looks like something this:
  • string Results = calculation, usually simple but sometimes very complex.
  • obj.attrDXLName = Results
• The Deployment Part looks something like this:
  • string DxlCode = get the Attr-DXL part somehow
  • create(object dxl DxlCode type "String" attribute "NameOfAttrDXL")
  • // note that "obj" and "attrDXLName" are declared but have no value in the Deployment Part; and should not be used there.

• Louie

SystemAdmin - Mon Dec 05 12:30:31 EST 2011
Ah I see, got it. Thanks again for all you help!

Estebell - Thu Sep 27 03:04:27 EDT 2012
Hi,

I tried to create a new attribute DXL following your script but an error occurs on the last line.

Here is my code :

string attName = "AS Identifiant Auto"
AttrDef attDef1 = find(m, "AS Identifiant Auto")

Buffer DXLsrc = create
DXLsrc = "if (!isDeleted(obj)){"
DXLsrc += "bool bExigence = obj.\"AS Exigence\""
DXLsrc += "if (bExigence == true) {"
DXLsrc += "int iNumero = (obj.\"Absolute Number\")"
DXLsrc += "string SPrefixeId = obj.\"AS Prefixe Id\""
DXLsrc += "obj.attrDXLName = SPrefixeId \"\" iNumero \"\"}}}"
string DxlCode = stringOf DXLsrc

if (null (attDef1)){
AttrDef ad3 = create(object dxl DxlCode type "string" attribute attName)
}

The error is : <Line:14> Valeur DXL non valide pour l'attribut 'AS Identifiant Auto' du type 'string'

What is wrong with that code?

Peter_Albert - Thu Sep 27 04:34:02 EDT 2012

You are closing too many curly brackets in the last line of the DXL code, and you lack the new lines, or at least semicolons to distinguish commands. Try

string attName = "AS Identifiant Auto"
Buffer DXLsrc = create
DXLsrc = "if (!isDeleted(obj)){\n"
DXLsrc += "  bool bExigence = obj.\"AS Exigence\"\n"
DXLsrc += "  if (bExigence == true) {\n"
DXLsrc += "    int iNumero = (obj.\"Absolute Number\")\n"
DXLsrc += "    string SPrefixeId = obj.\"AS Prefixe Id\"\n"
DXLsrc += "    obj.attrDXLName = SPrefixeId \"\" iNumero \"\"\n"
DXLsrc += "  }\n"
DXLsrc += "}"
string DxlCode = stringOf DXLsrc
 
delete DXLsrc 
create(object type "string" dxl DxlCode attribute attName)

Peter_Albert - Thu Sep 27 04:34:02 EDT 2012

You are closing too many curly brackets in the last line of the DXL code, and you lack the new lines, or at least semicolons to distinguish commands. Try

string attName = "AS Identifiant Auto"
Buffer DXLsrc = create
DXLsrc = "if (!isDeleted(obj)){\n"
DXLsrc += "  bool bExigence = obj.\"AS Exigence\"\n"
DXLsrc += "  if (bExigence == true) {\n"
DXLsrc += "    int iNumero = (obj.\"Absolute Number\")\n"
DXLsrc += "    string SPrefixeId = obj.\"AS Prefixe Id\"\n"
DXLsrc += "    obj.attrDXLName = SPrefixeId \"\" iNumero \"\"\n"
DXLsrc += "  }\n"
DXLsrc += "}"
string DxlCode = stringOf DXLsrc
 
delete DXLsrc 
create(object type "string" dxl DxlCode attribute attName)