If I export to a CSV file and my parameter names start with a digit,
the names are prepended with the text "Bad_First_Char".  Is there any
way to turn this behavior off?

V/r

Eric J. Colmon
Senior Software Engineer
46th RANG/VTSDE
Real Time Software Development Section
Freeman Computer Sciences Center
201 W. Eglin Blvd. STE 236
Eglin AFB, Fl 32542-6829
Work#: 850-882-9795   DSN: 872-9795

Hi Eric-

I know that leading digits in parameter names are not a programmers favorite thing! But sometimes it's difficult or even impossible for a user to change all this parameter names so I'm hoping we have something in our code already that controls this feature. ( Jim knows I'm TDY right now so hopefully he'll forgive me for not looking myself. Sorry Jim! )

-Kathy



On Thu Nov 12 9:05 , 'Colmon, Eric J Mr CIV USAF AFMC 46 RANG/VTSDE' sent:

It just isn't a good practice to start parameter names with digits. Put
the unique digits at the end.

V/r


Eric J. Colmon
Senior Software Engineer
46th RANG/VTSDE
Real Time Software Development Section
Freeman Computer Sciences Center
201 W. Eglin Blvd. STE 236
Eglin AFB, Fl 32542-6829
Work#: 850-882-9795 DSN: 872-9795

-----Original Message-----
From: Kathy Rodittis [kathy@iads-soft.com','','','')">kathy@iads-soft.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 8:03 AM
To: IADS
Subject: [IADS] Bad_First_Char

This question comes from a user:

If I export to a CSV file and my parameter names start with a digit,
the names are prepended with the text "Bad_First_Char". Is there any
way to turn this behavior off?

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I think not starting parameter names with digits was a carryover from
our Loral days before we switched to the Omega Servers.

I can't recall if the Omega naming convention restricts digits from
starting parameter names.

Eric J. Colmon
Senior Software Engineer
46th RANG/VTSDE
Real Time Software Development Section
Freeman Computer Sciences Center
201 W. Eglin Blvd. STE 236
Eglin AFB, Fl 32542-6829
Work#: 850-882-9795   DSN: 872-9795

Looking at the import code, Matlab (and possibly Excel and a majority of the
other programs you would export to) have "issues" with when a variable name
starts with a number.

The long term answer (as Eric points out) is to avoid numeric based
parameter names. Depending on the format, it could even lead to problems in
a derived equation. For example, we had a user with a parameter name
1025E28. That was actually interpreted by the derived engine as a numerical
constant 1.025 * 10^31.

Having said that, this is an export to a CSV file.... so in theory, there's
no need filter the parameter name. We should probably remove that
restriction for CSV files. I'll add that to our list for the next release.

At this point, the only reasonable work around I can think of is to perhaps
use the "short name" as the export variable name. See "Data Groups" in the
help file for the export options (PropertyBag field).

\\NamingMethod=ShortName

Hopefully, the short name for the parameter (ParameterDefaults table
setting) is a little less numeric ;)

Jim