spec

1.FOURC> def unset(x) '{ return(whatis(x)&0x8000000? 1:0) }'

2.FOURC> def is_macro(x) '{ return(whatis(x)&2? 1:0) }'

3.FOURC> 

"auto_file_close"

The auto-file-close option is available to automatically close output files that haven't been accessed for some interval of time. The parameter units are hours, and the parameter can have nonintegral values. When the auto-close option is enabled, each time an on(), off(), open(), close() or fprintf() function is called, spec will check its list of opened output files. Any files which have not been written to for the length of time given by value hours will be closed. Enabling this option can help prevent errors when your macros or commands do not close files when appropriate, resulting in spec running out of resources to open additional files. As files are opened automatically when sent output, auto-close mode operates transparently for the most part. However, if you change to a different working directory between the time the file is first opened and subsequently automatically closed, and if the file is not opened by an absolute path name, the next time you refer to the file, spec will reopen it using a relative path based on the current directory. If value is zero, the mode is disabled. By default, the mode is initially disabled.

"auto_hdw_poll"

When automatic hardware polling is turned on (which it is, by default), spec will automatically poll busy motor controllers, timers and acquisition devices to determine when they are finished. For some devices, spec needs to perform an action, such as starting a motor backlash move, when the device is finished with its current business. Without automatic hardware polling, a call to the wait() function is necessary. A reason to turn it off may be to reduce the amount of debugging output during hardware debugging.

"check_file_names"

The check-file-names option can prevent you from (accidentally) creating files with names containing nonstandard characters. When enabled, if a file name passed to the on(), open() or fprintf() functions contains any of the characters ()[]{}|$'`*?;!&<>\\@, the space character, any control characters or any characters with the eighth bit set, and the file doesn't already exist, spec will print an error message and the function will fail. By default, this mode is on.

"confirm_quit"

If set, spec prompts with a "Really quit?" message when the . C quit or ^D commands are entered. The question must be answered in the affirmative to exit the program. The value for "confirm_quit" is not saved in the state file. The option must be set again on each spec invocation.

"elog_timestamp"

The time interval for the optional time stamps for the elog error file capability is set using this option. The units of the "elog_timestamp" parameter are minutes. The default value is five minutes. Note, time stamps are only added before a command or error message is logged, so that the interval between time stamps can be greater than that specified if no commands are being typed or errors generated.

"epics_timeout"

Sets the default timeout for channel access ca_pend_io() calls on EPICS. The default value is 0.5 seconds. This option appears only when spec is linked with the EPICS channel access libraries. Timeout values for individual process variables can still be changed with the epics_par() function. This parameter can be set in the config file.

"flush_interval"

The flush-interval parameter controls how often spec flushes output to the hard disk or other output device. Traditionally, spec flushed output after each print command. However, as some users report that this frequent flushing introduces considerable delays when the output device is to an NFS-mounted file system, the flushing interval can now be controlled. The "flush_interval" parameter specifies how many seconds to allow between output buffer flushing. The default value is 0.5 seconds. If the interval is set to zero, the traditional frequent-flushing behavior will be restored. Output to the screen is still flushed immediately. Output is also flushed each time the main spec prompt is issued.

"HKL_rounding"

Traditionally, spec rounded values for H, K, and L (and other geometry values derived from motor positions) to five significant digits for configurations using reciprocal space calculations. The rounding is off by default. It can be turned on using the command spec_par("HKL_rounding", 1e5) where the argument indicates the magnitude of the rounding, i.e., one part in 1e5, for example. Note, values with an absolute value less than 1e-10 are still rounded to zero whether or not the optional rounding is turned on.

"hdw_poll_interval"

When the wait() function is called to wait for polled motors, timers or other acquisition devices to finish, spec sleeps for a small interval between each check of the hardware. Use this spec_par() option to change that interval. The units of the parameter are milliseconds, and the default sleep time is 10msec. A value of zero is allowed, though not recommended if the computer is being used for anything else.

"history_join"

As of spec release 6.06.01, multi-line commands entered at the spec prompt are saved as one item in the history list. This option allows that mode to be disabled.

"history_size"

Configures the number of commands to be saved in the history list. The value can be any positive integer up to a set limit, currently 32768. Prior to spec release 6.05.01, the history size was fixed at 1000.

"keep_going"

Normally, when taking commands from a command file, spec resets to command level and the main interactive prompt when there are syntax errors in the file, certain floating point exceptions, references to unconfigured hardware, hardware access errors, along with a number of other errors. When the "keep_going" option is set, spec will keep reading and executing commands from a command file no matter what errors occur. When there is an error, the next line from the current command file will be read. Note, depending on where the error is in a file, reading subsequent lines may generate more errors, particularly if the error occurs inside a statement block.

"legacy_limit_check"

Prior to spec release 6.03.10, when a motor stopped, if either limit status was active, spec would report the motor hit a limit. Depending on how the controller reported the limit condition, this behavior could be an issue if the motor had executed a small move off an active limit, but hadn't moved enough to clear the limit switch. Even though the move was away from the limit, the limit status was still active, and spec would behave as if the move terminated due to a limit. Release 6.03.10 improves the logic so that the direction of the move is checked against the limit status, and no action is taken if the active limit is not in the direction of the move. It turns out that if spec's code for a particular motor controller had the sense of the plus and minus limits reversed, the old code worked, but the new code does not. The error in limit sense was found and fixed with one controller model. If the issue is found with additional controllers, CSS will correct the code. In the meantime, the "legacy_limit_check" option can be set to a nonzero value to enable the pre 6.03.10 behavior. Note, motors still stop when they hit a limit switch. The behavior that is affected concerns whether spec notices, prints a message and perhaps aborts other moves or a scan.

"modify_step_size"

Normally, spec doesn't allow users to modify the motor step-size parameter with the motor_par() function, as the consequences are generally undesirable. However, in the rare circumstance that it is necessary, this parameter allows you to enable such modifications.

"old_shared"

With spec release 5.02.01, the structure of the shared array header was changed so that the data portion of the array would lie on a memory page boundary. To allow compatibility with applications built with the old header structure, the "old_shared" option can be set. However, this option can only be set as a -o command line start-up option, and the parameter is not saved in the state file. It must be set each time spec is invoked.

"parse_units"

When parsing of units is turned on, numbers typed as input to spec's parser with one of the following suffixes appended will automatically be multiplied by the corresponding factor.

1r	57.2958	radian
1mr	0.0572958	milliradian
1d	1	degree
1md	0.001	millidegree
1mm	1	millimeter
1um	0.001	micrometer
1m	0.0166667	minute
1s	0.000277778	second

Note, however, suffixes on numbers converted from strings or entered using the getval() function are not parsed. The only known use for unit-suffix parsing is with the user-contributed macros in the file macros/units.mac. These macros require that unit suffixes be supplied for all motor position arguments in the standard spec macros. The default is for this mode to be off.

"show_prdef_files"

When this mode is on, the source file for each macro definition is displayed with the prdef command. The default is for this mode to be on.

"specwiz"

Allows spec administrators to gain access to motors locked out in the config file to ordinary users. This feature allows the administrator to position the motors without having first to go into the configuration editor to change access modes. Entering spec_par("specwiz", 1) causes spec to prompt for the "Wizard's password" ." If entered correctly, the characters _WIZ are appended to the spec prompt to remind the administrator of the special powers, and motors configured with protected status can be moved. Entering spec_par("specwiz", 0) disables the special mode. spec looks for the encrypted password belonging to the spec_wiz (or specwiz) user in the files SPECD/passwd, /etc/shadow, and /etc/passwd in turn. If a shadow password file is used, ordinary users won't be able to read it, and the normal password file won't contain the encrypted password. The spec distribution includes a wiz_passwd utility the can be used to create a passwd file in the spec auxiliary file directory that contains just the entry for the spec_wiz user. The SPECD/passwd file should probably be owned and writable only by root or the spec administrator. Note, the standard macros onwiz and offwiz are convenient wrappers for the specwiz feature.

"use_sem_undo"

This flag relates to whether the SEM_UNDO flag is set when semaphores are used. It exists to get around a memory leak bug observed with some releases of the Solaris 2 operating system. The flag should be ignored unless you are instructed otherwise by CSS.

"warn_not_at_pos"

When enabled, spec prints a warning message whenever a motor doesn't reach its final position (as of release 5.08.02-8).