utils

class utils

Utility component, verified, xml translator

Methods Summary

c_exception	Returns detailed information from the last CASA C++ exception (i.e., AipsError).
c_exception_clear	Clears the CASA C++ exception information.
clearpath	Removes all directories from the data path.
compare_version	Returns a description string that includes the version information and the descriptive string..
defaultpath	Returns the default data path.
expandparam	If a param is an enum it will minmatch the enum value and return the full value otherwise it just returns the value
getpath	Returns the list of directories that are currently in the data path.
getrc	getrc method
hostinfo	returns host information
initialize	returns True if initalization was performed; returns False if initialization was already done
lockedtables	get the tables locked by this process
registry	returns record containing the URI for the CASAtools registry which can be used by other unix processes to access the registry
removetable	removetable method
resolve	If the provided path already represents a file or a directory, it is returned.
services	returns record containing the information about the services that have been registered with CASAtools
setconstraints	Sets the internal contraints records from an XML file
setpath	Sets the data path to the specified list of directories.
shutdown	python is shutting down cleanup anything that is outstanding
tableinfo	Currently this only returns the pid of the process locking the table (lockpid), if the lock is permanent (lockperm), and the status (lockstatus) – ’not in use’, ’open’, ’read’, ’write’, or ’unknown’.
toolversion	Returns a two element vector representing the CASAtools version (year, build).
toolversion_string	Returns a description string that shows the CASA 6 CASAtools version information as a descriptive string.
torecord	Transforms an XML string into a record
toxml	Turns a record into an xml string
utils	Construct a utility tool
verify	Verifies an input record against an XML interface description of took or task
verifyparam	Verifies an individual parameter against a prespecified constraints record
version	Returns a four element vector representing the version (major, minor, patch and feature).
version_desc	The descriptive string describes a particular packaged version.
version_info	Returns a description string that includes the version information and the descriptive string..
version_string	Returns a description string that includes the version information and the descriptive string..
version_variant	Returns the target instrument.

c_exception()

Returns detailed information from the last CASA C++ exception (i.e., AipsError). The exception message and the stack trace (mangled; use the shell’s c++filt to demangle) from the last CASA C++ exception. The information is from the last one generated and may not represent an exception from the last action; c_exception_clear can be used to remove stale information. The information’s exception might also have been caught in the C++ code and not have been translated into a Python-level exception.

c_exception_clear()

Clears the CASA C++ exception information. This allows the user to be sure that information retrieved using c_exception is not from an exception in the distant past.

clearpath()

Removes all directories from the data path.

compare_version(comparitor='', vec='')

Returns a description string that includes the version information and the descriptive string..

Parameters

• comparitor (string='') - what sort of comparison to do, one of >, <, <=, >=, ==, = !=

• vec (intArray='') - vector to use to compare current version number against vec

Returns

bool

defaultpath()

Returns the default data path. This path is used unless the user has set the current path to something else using the setpath function.

expandparam(name='', value='')

If a param is an enum it will minmatch the enum value and return the full value otherwise it just returns the value

Parameters

• name (string='') - Parameter name to expand

• value (variant='') - Value of the parameter

Returns

variant

getpath()

Returns the list of directories that are currently in the data path.

getrc(rcvar='')

getrc method

Parameters

• rcvar (string='') - Returns the value of the rc variable given. If no value is give it returns the root directory of CASA.

Returns

string

hostinfo()

returns host information

initialize(default_path='')

returns True if initalization was performed; returns False if initialization was already done

Parameters

• default_path (stringArray='') - directories that should constitute the default data path

Returns

bool

lockedtables()

get the tables locked by this process

registry()

returns record containing the URI for the CASAtools registry which can be used by other unix processes to access the registry

removetable(tablenames='')

removetable method

Parameters

• tablenames (stringArray='') - Removes tables safely

Returns

bool

resolve(path='')

If the provided path already represents a file or a directory, it is returned. If it does not, this function tries to find a complete path by matching up this partial directory with the elements of the data path.

Parameters

• path (string='') - path to be expanded

Returns

string

services()

returns record containing the information about the services that have been registered with CASAtools

setconstraints(xmldescriptor='')

Sets the internal contraints records from an XML file

Parameters

• xmldescriptor (variant='') - XML description, either record or url

Returns

bool

setpath(dirs='')

Sets the data path to the specified list of directories. Returns True if all directories were added returns False otherwise.

Parameters

• dirs (stringArray='') - directories that should constitute the data path

Returns

bool

shutdown()

python is shutting down cleanup anything that is outstanding

tableinfo(tablename='')

Currently this only returns the pid of the process locking the table (lockpid), if the lock is permanent (lockperm), and the status (lockstatus) – ’not in use’, ’open’, ’read’, ’write’, or ’unknown’. However, the hope is that this will eventually return a complete description of the table.

Parameters

• tablename (string='') - path to table

Returns

record

toolversion()

Returns a two element vector representing the CASAtools version (year, build). This is only returned with CASA 6. With CASA 5, an zero element vector is returned.

toolversion_string()

Returns a description string that shows the CASA 6 CASAtools version information as a descriptive string. With CASA 5, a zero length string is returned.

torecord(input='')

Transforms an XML string into a record

Parameters

• input (string='') - XML string, maybe a URL

Returns

record

toxml(input='', asfile=False, filename='recordas.xml')

Turns a record into an xml string

Parameters

• input (record='') - name of thing to viewe

• asfile (bool=False) - write the xml as a file

• filename (string='recordas.xml') - if asfile is True then output filename

Returns

string

utils()

Construct a utility tool

verify(input='', xmldescriptor='', throwexecpt=False)

Verifies an input record against an XML interface description of took or task

Parameters

• input (record='') - The input record to verify

• xmldescriptor (variant='') - XML description, either record or url

• throwexecpt (bool=False) - Throw an exception if the verification fails

Returns

bool

verifyparam(param='')

Verifies an individual parameter against a prespecified constraints record

Parameters

• param (record='') - Parameter name:value pair to verify

Returns

bool

version()

Returns a four element vector representing the version (major, minor, patch and feature).

version_desc()

The descriptive string describes a particular packaged version. During a development cycle there are different sorts of packaged distributions. For example, a development version (“DEV”) or a release version (“REL”).

version_info()

Returns a description string that includes the version information and the descriptive string..

version_string()

Returns a description string that includes the version information and the descriptive string..

version_variant()

Returns the target instrument. This helps distinguish versions that otherwise may have the same version number