Access to ConnectMaster elements and their characteristics

Text definition of a characteristic; in English. To access a characteristic, the format must be set in arrow brackets ("<>"). A format is always uniquely defined in connection with the element.

Example:

The format "<name>" in connection with the element “Location” indicates the location name, in connection with the element “Component”, the component name.

The characteristic of a ConnectMaster element can be specified in the following data types:

File

Input/output in date format

Text

Textual input/output

Number

Numeric input/output

Const.

value is a predefined constant, e.g. "Y" for yes

Ref.

Reference is made to another ConnectMaster element. A referenced element can never be accessed itself, only its characteristics.

Characteristics of referenced elements can be addressed via point syntax.

Example:

The location of a component ("<location>") is of the type “Ref.”. The name of the component location is defined as "<location.name>".

Ref()

A specific element from a number of sub elements. It can be accessed through indexing.

Indexing can be numerical or via text information. The text index consists of the name of the desired sub element put in quotation marks. The numerical index defines which sub element must be addressed.

In connection with this data type, there is always an additional characteristic that specifies the number of sub elements.

Example:

A component has 2 attributes – coil and switch; now only one attribute is to be accessed.

Numerical :

<attr(1)>

Text:

<attr("Coil")>

In addition, the component also bears the characteristic <attrs> that supplies the number of attributes, in this example 2.

ó:

Access to a characteristic: Can this characteristic only be read in the external tool ð or also be changed from the external tool (ó)?

Type

ó

Description

Date

ð

Current date

Text

ð

Value of system variables X

Wordwrap (new line)

Number

ð

Random but unique number

Text

ð

Name of current CM user

Ref()

Specific attribute

Number

ð

Number of attributes

Text

ð

changed by

Number

ð

Number of components

Text

ð

created by

Text

ð

Description

Text

ð

External Key

Text

ð

Full location system name

Text

ð

Information

Ref()

Specific location level

Number

ð

Number of location levels

Number

ð

Number of locations

Text

ð

Name of location system

Text

ð

Short name

attr

Ref()

Attribute A

attrs

Number

ð

Number of attributes

depth

Number

ð

Depth in location system

descr

Text

ð

Description

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

format

Text

ð

Defined format

fullname

Text

ð

Full name of location level

info

Text

ð

Information

name

Text

ð

Name of location level

parent

Ref.

Parent element, if defined.

root

Ref.

Highest element, if defined.

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

system

Ref.

Location system

attr

Ref()

Specific attribute

attrs

Number

ð

Number of attributes

descr

Text

ð

Description

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name of location level

info

Text

ð

Information

location

Ref()

Specific location

locations

Number

ð

Number of locations

name

Text

ð

Name of location group

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

attr

Ref()

Specific attribute

attrs

Number

ð

Number of attributes

changedby

Text

ð

changed by

changeddate

Date

ð

changed date

city

Text

ð

Address data/city

comps

Number

ð

Number of components

country

Text

ð

Address data/country

createdby

Text

ð

created by

createddate

Date

ð

Creation date

descr

Text

ð

Description

docs

Number

ð

Number of documents that contain the location.

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

floor

Text

ð

Address data/floor

fullname

Text

ð

Full name of location

geox

Number

ó

x/y/z coordinates

geoy

Number

ó

geoz

Number

ó

group

Ref()

Specific location group

groups

Number

ð

Number of location groups

House nr

Text

ð

Address data/property number

info

Text

ð

Information

kind

Ref()

Kind

level

Ref()

Level

name

Text

ð

Name of location

object

Ref()

ð

Object

owner

Text

ð

Owner(s)

parent

Ref()

Parent location, if existent

room

Text

ð

Address data/room

root

Ref()

Top location, if existent

shortname

Text

ð

Latest partial name of location

system

Ref()

Location system

usedby

Text

ð

Used by

zipcode

Text

ð

Address data/postcode

attr

Ref()

Specific attribute

attrs

Number

ð

Number of attributes

descr

Text

ó

Description

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name

info

Text

ð

Information

name

Text

ó

Name

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

attr

Ref()

Specific attribute

attrs

Number

ð

Number of attributes

category

Ref.

Category

descr

Text

ð

Description

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name

group

Ref()

Specific component type group

groups

Number

ð

Number of component type groups

info

Text

ð

Information

name

Text

ó

Name

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

attr

Ref()

Specific attribute

attrs

Number

ð

Number of attributes

category

Ref()

Category

changedby

Text

ð

Changed by

changeddate

Date

ð

Changed date

createdby

Text

ð

Created by

createddate

Date

ð

Creation date

descr

Text

ð

Description

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name of component

info

Text

ð

Information

lconns

Number

ð

Cross-connections left

ldim

Number

ð

Dimension left

length

Number

ð

Current length

lnoconns

Number

ð

Unpatched component points left

lnoocup

Number

ð

Unused component points left

location

Ref()

Location = Start location

loccup

Number

ð

Used component points left

name

Text

ó

Name

object

Ref()

Object

occupusage

Text

Usage capacity (used + patched wires)

owner

Text

ð

Owner(s)

rconns

Number

ð

Cross-connections right

rdim

Number

ð

Dimension right

rnoconns

Number

ð

Unpatched component points right

rnoocup

Number

ð

Unused component points right

roccup

Number

ð

Used component points right

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

state

Text

ð

Status

type

Ref()

Component type

usedby

Text

ð

used by

wireusage

Text

ð

Wire capacity (patched wires)

damping

Number

ð

Damping

efflen

Number

ð

Effective length

endloc

Ref()

End location

geolen

Number

ð

Length

resistance

Number

ð

Resistance

startloc

Ref()

Start location = location

capacity

Number

ð

Capacity

capunit

Const.

ð

Unit of capacity

mux

Ref()

MUX that is contained in the card.

port

Ref()

Port

ports

Number

ð

Number of all ports

card

Ref()

Specific card

cards

Number

->

Number of cards

columns

Number

->

Number of columns

rows

Number

->

Number of rows

cable

Ref()

Specific cable

cables

Number

ð

Number of cables

columns

Number

ð

Number of columns

element

Ref()

Specific element

elements

Number

ð

Number of elements

rows

Number

ð

Number of rows

colour

Number

ð

Colour

diameter

Number

ð

Internal size

mark

Number

ð

Mark

pipes

Number

ð

Number of contained empty pipes

component

Ref()

Component

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name

info

Text

ð

Information

name

Text

ó

Point name

object

Ref()

Object

row

Number

ð

Row on component

shortname

Text

Short name

side

Const.

ð

Page

usage

Ref()

Specific usage element

usages

Number

ð

Number of usage elements

usagetext

Text

ð

Usage text

cable

Ref()

A specific cable in e.g. cable (1)

comp

Ref()

Component

comp1

Ref()

First component of a cross-connection

comp2

Ref()

Second component of a cross-connection

excess1

Ref()

First excess length

excess2

Ref()

Second excess length

length

Number

ð

Current length

loc1

Ref()

First location of a route

loc2

Ref()

Second location of a route

name

Text

ð

Name

order

Number

ð

Sequence

pipe

Ref()

Empty pipe

cable

Ref()

A specific cable e.g. cable (1)

comp

Ref()

Component

component

Ref()

Component of a point

length

Number

ð

Current length

location

Ref()

Current end location

descr

Text

ð

Description

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name

info

Text

ð

Information

name

Text

ð

Name

object

Ref()

Object

owner

Text

ð

Owner(s)

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

state

Ref()

Status

usedby

Text

ð

Used by

capacity

Number

ð

Capacity

card

Ref()

ð

Card that contains the port.

Exkey

Text

ð

External key

fullname

Text

ð

Full port name

mux

Ref()

Mux – contains card of port.

name

Text

ó

Name

object

Ref()

Object

parent

Ref()

Parent element

points

Number

ð

Component points of port

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

attr

Ref()

Specific attribute

attrs

Number

ð

Number of attributes

damping

Number

ð

Total damping

descr

Text

ð

Description

endloc

Ref.

Current end location

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name

info

Text

ð

Information

length

Number

ð

Total length

loc1

Ref()

First location of a route

loc2

Ref()

Second location of a route

loca

Ref()

Current start location

locb

Ref()

Second location of a route

name

Text

ó

Name

object

Ref()

Object

owner

Ref.

Owner(s)

resistance

Number

ð

Total resistance

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

startloc

Ref.

Current start location

state

Text

ð

Status

descr

Text

ó

Description

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name

info

Text

ð

Information

name

Text

ó

Name

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

type

Ref()

Type of filter

descr

Text

ð

Description

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name

info

Text

ð

Information

name

Text

ó

Name

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

descr

Text

ð

Description

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name

info

Text

ð

Information

name

Text

ó

Name

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

type

Ref.

Service type

descr

Text

ð

Description

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name

info

Text

ð

Information

name

Text

ó

Name

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

signal

Ref()

Specific signal

signals

Number

ð

Number of signals

descr

Text

ð

Description

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name

group

Ref()

Specific signal group

info

Text

ð

Information

name

Text

ó

Name

object

Ref()

Object

service

Ref.

Service

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

attr

Ref()

Specific attribute

attrs

Number

ð

Number of attributes

capacity

Number

ð

Capacity

capunit

Const.

ð

Unit of capacity

descr

Text

ð

Description

endcap

Ref()

Capacity of the end component

endcard

Ref()

End card

endcomp

Ref()

End component

endloc

Ref()

End location

endmux

Ref()

End mux

endport

Ref()

End port

exkey

Text

ð

External Key

fullname

Text

ð

Full name

info

Text

ð

Information

kind

Ref()

Kind

name

Text

ó

Name

object

Ref.

shortname

Text

ð

Short name

startcap

Ref()

Capacity of start component

startcard

Ref()

Start card

startcomp

Ref()

Start/Component

startloc

Ref()

Start location

startmux

Start mux

startport

Ref()

Start port

structure

Text

ð

Structure

technique

Text

ð

Technology

timeslot

Number

ð

Time slot

descr

Text

ð

Description

name

Text

ó

Name

descr

Text

ð

Description of the type

info

Text

ð

Display text “Type Name: Value“

name

Text

ó

Name

type

Ref.

Attribute type

value

Text

ó

Attribute of data type command, file, money, and text

Number

ó

Attributes of data type integral, floating point

Date

ó

Attributes of data type date

Ref.

Attributes of data type department, picture, company, company group and person.

Format “exkey“

As can be seen from the above table, every ConnectMaster element possesses the format “exkey”. The external key of an element is a unique data-fixed and data-bound key that enables an external tool access to the object on which the element is based. This key is part of the database and is also kept when importing and exporting the database.

For the ConnectMaster connection shapes in Visio, the following characteristics can be ascertained by ConnectMaster at runtime: