Creating the modules in the communication module
The scheduler consists of several modules that share a common database. Therefore, in the communication module, there is a scheduler node at the lowest level in the configuration hierarchy, which has the base configuration of the scheduler stored. This node contains the associated modules (processing and calendar).
The MessageControl module is created automatically when a reporting system is created. The remaining modules are added as needed:
The following example shows a typical configuration:
The basic configuration parameterization editor starts from the shared scheduler node. The settings are divided into three categories basic configuration, timelines and calendar (switching via the View menu or the corresponding buttons in the toolbar).
After creating a new project database, a production section with some timelines and calendar entries already exists as an example. These entries can be deleted or customized as desired.
Edit Calendar with SchedCalendar
The SchedCalendar can be used to maintain the calendar during operation.
Configuration
The basic settings for the calendar are entered in the communication module via the configuration entry of the calendar.
- Display options: Frame type and window settings- especially interesting when the application is embedded in a visualization mask
- System group: Group of memory variables that contains the string variables command, status, and return.
Using these variables, commands can be transferred from the visualization to the display module in order to control the window, e.g. to the foreground.
Edit calendar
The operation of the calendar works as described above – either per production section via the corresponding buttons or via the pop-up menu in the calendar.
Command interface
For the calendar, a system group can be specified in the configuration, which contains the string variables command, status and return. To create this variable group, it is best to do the following:
- Create a new auxiliary variable group through the Memory module without any entries and exit the
variable configuration. - Entry of the name of the system group (name of the newly created auxiliary variable group) in the configuration o
f the calendar – the command variables are created automatically. - If you then open this system group again, it contains the automatically created string variables co
mmand, status and return.
Command strings can be placed on the display using the command variable. The status variable gives information about the status of the currently processed command and takes the state busy during the execution of a command, while the state is otherwise on idle.
Regardless of the state, commands can be passed all the time because the incoming commands are buffered and processed sequentially. The simultaneous transfer of several commands in a string can be done separately by semicolon.
After the string is applied to the buffer, the command string is reset. Therefore, rewriting the command variables requires waiting until the command string is empty again.
The following commands are processed by the display module:
- Show – Shows the display window (if the window is as an icon in the taskbar, it will be brought to nor
mal size). - Close – Exits the module.
