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Working with equations : Local names

Local names

The local name is automatically composed from the full path name by replacing characters that are illegal in equations (such as spaces and carriage returns) with underscores. If you would prefer to use a different local name to refer to the full path name, the local name can be edited. To do this, you must have the equation dialogue box open, and click on the tab labeled "Parameters etc.". If you edit the local name, you may also need to edit the expression itself to update the corresponding references.

Names for roles

When a component in a multi-instance submodel influences another component, it may have different names in the equation according to which instances of the source the values are coming from. Normally if the destination is outside the multi-instance submodel, it gets all the instance values as an array or list, but if there is a role arrow connecting the source's submodel with the destination's, there will be an alternative local name referring to the list of values of only the source instances related to the destination. Also a link within a submodel can be set to allow the destination to refer to all the source values rather than just that from the same instance, or in the case with explicit grid array submodels, only those values from the instance's neighbours. The default local names in these cases are made up as follows, supposing the source component is called 'muffin', and the relation arrow, if one is involved, is called 'great':

Default role names
muffin Value sharing submodels with destination
great_muffin

Value in base submodel of local satellite or association

{muffin_great}

List of values from instances of satellite or association for which local model is base 

[every_mufin] array of all values from source irrespective of relations

{from_8_nbrs_muffin}

{from_6_nbrs_muffin}

list of values from an instance's neighbours in explicit rectangular or hexagonal grid arrays respectively
[all_muffin] array of all values from local submodel instances

Note also:

  • Roles including other instances of the submodel containing the destination only appear in the list of available local names if they have been enabled by editing the properties of the influence they refer to.
  • If a relation has had the 'exclusive role' property selected, then the name in the base submodel for values from the satellite or relation to which it connects will refer to a single instance rather than a list (i.e., no curly brackets) as we are asserting there will only be one of them.

Local names can be edited in the "Parameters etc." tab of the equation dialogue, but any brackets indicating a value's array or list nature must be retained. If a component's name is edited on the model diagram, any local names for that component's values in equations for components influenced by it will also be updated accordingly, and the equations themselves updated to use the new versions, provided the local names themselves have not been edited. Any local names that have been edited will be kept as they are if the name of the component they refer to is changed.

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