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Specifying Keywords

As is the case for descriptors, keywords also have a name (max. 15 chars.), a type and a length (i.e. no. of elements). However, this length is fixed, and once the keywords are created with a certain size, they cannot be extended. The possible types for keywords are: real, integer, character and double precision. Like for descriptors there are no mixed types possible.
In order to write a value to a keyword, the same format as for descriptors is used.

WRITE/KEYWORD Keyname/C/1/8 AKeyword
This command would write the ASCII string AKeyword into the character keyword Keyname and
WRITE/KEYWORD Keyname/I/1/2 17,-22
would write the values 17 and -22 into the integer keyword Keyname (elements 1 and 2).
  
Single keyword elements can also be written in a more direct way, via
key = value, e.g. to set the 12th element of keyword INPUTR to 1.234, use
inputr(12) = 1.234
The value can also be an expression made up of constants and elements of any MIDAS data structure, see the subsection 3.6.2.
  
Some of the commands dealing with keywords are:
READ/KEYWORD, WRITE/KEYWORD, SHOW/KEYWORD, DELETE/KEYWORD, COPY/KEYWORD,
COMPUTE/KEYWORD
.
Keywords and descriptors can be copied to each other via COPY/KD and COPY/DK.


next up previous contents index
Next: Specifying Elements in a Up: MIDAS Data Structures Previous: Specifying a Descriptor
Petra Nass
1999-06-09