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Integrating a MIDAS Context

If you want to add a whole set of related applications, an application package, you have to add it as a new MIDAS context.

First, you have to add a subdirectory with all your code, helpfiles, etc. to the contrib subdirectory of MIDAS as described in chapter 2.

Furthermore, you need a context file which is a MIDAS procedure where you could create own command definitions, write out some information about the package and (most importantly) indicate to the help facility where the help files of that package are found.

As an example we use the current context file of the MIDAS context geotest:

! 
! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
! context file  geotest.ctx
! K. Banse	ESO - IPG	901212
! 
! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
! 
! indicate origin of this context for the MIDAS help facility
!HELP = contrib
! 
WRITE/OUT Setting context GEOTEST.
WRITE/OUT
! 
CREATE/COMM CREATE/RAMP @c geotest,ramp
CREATE/COMM CREATE/WAVE @c geotest,wave
CREATE/COMM CREATE/SPC1 @c geotest,spec1
CREATE/COMM CREATE/SPC2 @c geotest,spec2
CREATE/COMM CREATE/SPC3 @c geotest,spec3
CREATE/COMM CREATE/ART_IMAGE @c chaos
! 
WRITE/OUT "The following commands are added:"
WRITE/OUT
WRITE/OUT CREATE/RAMP, CREATE/WAVE
WRITE/OUT CREATE/SPC1, CREATE/SPC2, CREATE/SPC3
WRITE/OUT CREATE/ART_IMAGE
WRITE/OUT
WRITE/OUT "Use HELP for a detailed explanation of these commands"
WRITE/OUT -
"Refer also to the extensive documentation in the MIDAS Users Guide, volume B"
WRITE/OUT

To make the context available to other MIDAS users at your site you have to store this context file in the directory MID_DISK:['MIDASHOME'.'MIDVERS'.CONTEXT] (in VMS)
or $MIDASHOME/$MIDVERS/context (in Unix).

The last step is to integrate the help files for that package: For each command/qualifier combination there should be a .hlq file and for each command a .hlc file written according to the standards described in chapter 2. These help files have to be stored (e.g. for Unix) in the directory $MIDASHOME/$MIDVERS/contrib/package_name/help.

In order to also add the command names to the main help display once this context has been enabled you have to add one more ASCII file, named alll.hlz, containing the names of all the new commands to this directory. Look into the help directory of e.g. the context geotest for examples of the files mentioned above. Remember that before a user can use the commands of a context, that context has to be enabled, which is done via the MIDAS command: SET/CONTEXT package_name. More details about contexts can be found in chapter 3 of the MIDAS User's Guide, Volume A.


next up previous contents index
Next: Bibliography Up: Integrating a MIDAS Application Previous: Debugging a MIDAS application
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Last update: 1998-10-23