5 Replies Latest reply on May 29, 2013 10:35 AM by MENTOR_Shannonk

    DxDatabook Configuration Automated setup

    jkh
    jkh May 23, 2013 10:40 AM

      Is it possible to script the creation of multiple libraries in a DxDataBook configuration, including the linking to DSN data source tables and setting property annotation / mapping?  We have around 200+ 'libraries' - or categories as we view them - and would like to avoid doing all that setup for the configuration by hand.

       

      Thanks-

       

      -j

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        • 1. Re: DxDatabook Configuration Automated setup
          milostnik
          milostnik May 28, 2013 1:02 PM (in response to jkh)

          Hello j,

           

          I didnt see any answer to your automation request, and I also have no anwer that could directly answer your request.

           

          And I will tell you how I found out that doing a lot of DxDB config can be eased by hand if you do the right sequence.

           

          If you build a library and add a table, then you have to click for quiet a long time to set this up for every library. What I found out is that if you do it in a clever way with the right sequence, then you can save a lot of time. I have set up around 80 libraries in round 40 min, most of the time was waiting for the tool to do a refresh or scrolling.

           

          I started out with a "template" library that is the most "common" of them all. I set up the dxdb configuration as I liked it. The queries to your system have to be similar, that means the names of the properties you want to annotate must be identical. that means that the query has to deliver consisten fields.

           

          The key is to follow this sequence exactly:

           

          1) copy the library

          2) with right mouse button open property and rename the library

          3) in the renamed library select the table and do an add table with the new query from your system

          4) select the old table and delete it

           

          Repeat for all libraries and do not bother with the few libraries that will have different settings.

           

          Only when you are finished with them go back to the one that have to have special settings.

           

          You will notice that doing it in this order the new added table will follow the settings of the old present table. This will save you the trouble to click on every line of the table to set the visibility, annotation and similar fields.

           

          Hope this will help you.

           

          Matija

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          • 2. Re: DxDatabook Configuration Automated setup
            namman
            namman May 29, 2013 9:06 AM (in response to jkh)

            Hello j and Matija

             

            Played a bit with the project file. Probaly a bit of a cowboy way but worth a try to save some time loading 200 libs, not sure how save it is yet.
            As I tried it with a current project I have. I remember using the ini file previously. But seems now you need to access the prj file directly so still a bit new to the new format but I tried it and it worked. So no garentees until I have tested it more in detail.
            Open the project file XXX.prj directly in a text file (notepad, wordpad) you should see the library configs in the first part (if you have added libraries to your project already if not quickly add one before continuing).
            Copy and past a currently library reference and just edit/add the libraries you want to use (making sure the link is correct)
            Should go quicker than using a mouse....

             

            Please let me know if you have tested it and works without any draw-backs or if Mentor can give a warning not to do this for so-and-so reasons.

             

            Good luck.

             

            Reinhald

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            • 3. Re: DxDatabook Configuration Automated setup
              jkh
              jkh May 29, 2013 9:28 AM (in response to milostnik)

              Hi Matija -

               

              Thanks for the tip.  We'll probably start up with this method for our initial setup.  I did investigate the DxDatabook configuration file format a bit more.  We're considering writing a small library to parse / write the particular XML format for the file, given that our libraries tend to evolve quite a bit over time.  Shouldn't be to hard, unless Mentor changes the format often.

               

              -j

              • 4. Re: DxDatabook Configuration Automated setup
                jkh
                jkh May 29, 2013 9:33 AM (in response to namman)

                Hi Reinhald-

                 

                Interesting.  I never looked at a project file that had dxdatabook properly set up before.  Thanks for the heads up.  I think we're going to avoid editing the project files, even if it's a centrally used template.  In that scenario, projects created a year ago might not get updates to the dxdatabook configuration without editing them, or importing a new config from updated project.  Overall we want to avoid putting more problems in the engineers' path.  They're already going to complain enough at switching to a new tool.

                 

                Thanks,

                 

                -j

                • 5. Re: DxDatabook Configuration Automated setup
                  MENTOR_Shannonk
                  MENTOR_Shannonk May 29, 2013 10:35 AM (in response to jkh)

                  Based on this info (adding libraries to the .prj file) you are talking about the unlicensed DxDataBook and not the licensed add-in with a database (Access, SQL, etc.) behind it and .dbc files in xml format.

                   

                  This is a fine (although it isn't recomended to edit .prj files) method. But you could (should) use a project template. Basically it is a seed project that is ready to go.

                  Check out the Project Template Webinar on SupportNet. There are also troject template TechNotes for netlist projects and for Expedition projects.