Specifying Non-String User Parameters in The Block Comment Dialog Tag

[Farshid]

I am trying to add user parameters for a block. I followed the instruction provided in section 4.3.7 (comments) of sysytembuild user's guide.
The steps were as follows:

1- I added a new parameter named (a_r) to a gain block (from the User Parameters section of Comment tag dialog field).
2- I selected this parameter and assigned a value of 5

Now, using the SBA command I retrieve this parameter:

------------------------------- Xmath outputs
[n=UserParameterName, p=UserParameterContent] = queryblock(1)

n
n (a string) = a_r

p
p (a list with 1 elements) =
1:
5

p(1)
ans (a string) = 5
---------------------------- end of Xmath outputs


Accordin
g to the documentation, using suffix (_r) will specify a real parameter (_i for integer and _s for string). However, the list object
obtained from "UserParameterContent" includes a string element and not a number. This can be verified by:



--------------------------------------- Xmath outputs
p(1) *2
Cannot evaluate * of a string.

modifyblock 1 ,{UserParameterContent = list(5)}
Expecting a list of strings

--------------------------------- end of Xmath outputs



It looks like that independent of the naming convention, the user parameters are stored in a list with string elements in contrast to what
mentioned in "Editing User Parameters Dialog" of the Help topics:

"To create a new userparameter, enter a name in the User Defined field, and then click the Add button. Note that the name must have
one of the following suffixes: _s (string), _b (boolean), _r (real), or _i (integer). "

The questions are as follows:

1- Is there a way to store n
on-string type user parameters?
2- If there is a way for that, then, is it only for scalar numeric values or vectors and matrices can also be stored in user parameters?


Thanks,

[jdigiova]

The Comments Tab is generally used to define User Parameters that will be used with DocumentIt. The suffix (_s, _b,_r, etc) is to designate the datatype for DocumentIt.

All user parameters will be passed as string data to Xmath. As you noted the value 5 is passed as a string. To convert this to a scalar use the makematrix command. After you assign a value of 5 to the a_r user parameter use the SBA command queryblock as follows:
n=UserParameterName, p=UserParameterContent] = queryblock(1)

then enter

m=makematrix(p(1))

this will return a scalar.

To get a vector in Xmath from the User Parameters you must assign the values differently on the Comment tab. Define a user parameter and assign its values by entering a carriage return after each element.
For example assign the following value to user paramter a_r:

5
6
7
8

Using the queryblock command you should now get:

p(1) is a column vector of strings

again use the makematrix command to convert this to a vector of scalars.

m1=makematrix(p(1))


Matrices will require a different user parameter for each column of the matrix. For example to add a column to the previous vector, you will need to go to the user parameters and add a new parameter (call it b_r) assign its values with the carriage return after each element for example:

0
1
2
3

Again use the queryblock command. Now p will have 2 elements (one for each parameter). To create a matrix enter:

m2=makematrix([p(1),p(2)])

NOTE: The order the user parameters were entered in the Comment Tab will not necessarily correspond to the element they return as when using the queryblock. For example from the previous procedure, do not assume the second user parameter entered (b_r) is going to be returne
d as p(2).

[jdigiova]

Clarification of the last note. When using the following function.
[n=UserParameterName, p=UserParameterContent] = queryblock(1)

The values returned (p) correspond to the names (n). You can use this fact to keep track of the ordering.