WireCAD Online Help:SysName Format

Command Line Shortcut: fsys User Permissions Level: sysNameFormatMasterCollection - AllowAddNew/AllowEdit/AllowDelete Product Level: XLT,PRO,ENT Allows control of the SysName numbering scheme. Using the SysName Format dialog you can select any field that is associated with the SysName and concatenate it into your own numbering scheme. Each of the fields selected can be formatted and the numbers can be set to sequence off of another field.

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How it Works

The SysName format tool is used to generate regular expressions that are then used to parse SysName info as well as provide formatting information to masked text boxes.

A note on regular expressions: WireCAD v6 makes extensive use of regular expressions (Regex). Regular expressions are a well documented string parsing tool. Much has been written on them. It is not within the scope of this quick start guide to fully explain regular expressions; however, a google search will tell you more than you ever wanted to know.

Two forms of regular expression are generated: a simplified form that is used as a mask in both the Systems database and in textboxes, and a complex form that aids in the generation of queries to determine the next number in a sequence. The following are both the simplified and complex regex for the default format:

\w{1,6}-\d{1,5}

(?<EQUIPMENTTYPE>\w{1,6})-(?<NUMERICSEQUENCE>\d{1,5})

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Note: WireCAD supports multiple formats in the same database. In order to accomplish this we use the simplified Regex as a mask. If you have any data in the Project Systems table and you change ANYTHING in ANY Format field you will change the mask and therefore the sequence. You must decide if the change is such that it warrants copying the new simplified Regex to all records in the Project Systems table in order to keep your sequence.

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Controls Explanation

Setting/Control	Explanation/Description
Selected Format	Selects the current SysName format. Clicking the + or - button allows you to add and remove custom SysName Formats Select SysName Format
Variable List	Displays the sequence of variables in grid view that will be concatenated into the final SysName. Select SysName Format
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Available Variables

Variable Description Sequencable Default Format (regex) MANUFACTURER Manufacturer Name X \w{1,6} EQUIPMENTNAME Equipment Name/PN/Model Number X \w{1,6} DESCRIPTION The device description as contained in the global equipment library X \w{1,6} EQUIPMENTTYPE The Equipment Type as contained in the global equipment library X \w{1,6} LOCATION The location typed in the SysName edit dialog X \w{1,6} ELEVATION The location typed in the SysName edit dialog X \w{1,6} STRING any string (usually used for delimiters like dashes (-))

- NUMERICSEQUENCE a numeric sequence that starts with the project starting number

\d{1,5} ALPHASEQUENCE an alpha sequence that starts at the letter 'a'

\w{4} USER1 the global equipment library device definition user1 field

\w{1,6} USER2 "

\w{1,6} USER3 "

\w{1,6} USER4 "

\w{1,6} SeqOn This variable should sequence on another variable's value.

Order The order in the list of the variable

More About Regex

The Format field uses regular expressions. The following are some simple examples: \w{1,6} Any non number, non punctuation string from 1 to 6 characters \w* Any non number, non punctuation string any length [a-zA-Z0-9]{5} Lower / Upper case and 0 thru 9 exactly 5 characters \d{1,5} Digits 1 to 5 digits in length \d* Digits any length \\ a slash "\". The \ is the escape character so you need two - a dash except when in [] or {} then a range. [a-zA-Z0-9_\-\,]{1,4} Lower / Upper case, 0-9, underscore, dash, and comma.