About Chandra Archive Proposer Instruments & Calibration Newsletters Data Analysis HelpDesk Calibration Database NASA Archives & Centers Chandra Science Links

Skip the navigation links
Last modified: 9 January 2007

URL: http://cxc.harvard.edu/ciao3.4/bugs/parameter.html
Hardcopy (PDF): A4 | Letter

Bugs: parameter


Caveats

  1. The parameter interface does not recognize an equals sign inside of (), [], and/or {}.

  2. Too many characters in the command line

  3. Double quotes are converted into single quotes when set with the parameter interface

Bugs

  1. The closing ")" is stolen from the first parameter when positionally defining parameters with pset.


Caveats

  1. The parameter interface does not recognize an equals sign inside of (), [], and/or {}.

    For example, in this case:

    region(srcs.reg[component=1])
    

    the parameter interface sees parameter=value and attempts to set the "region(srcs.reg[component" parameter to "1])". If the value of a parameter has an "=" in it, you have to use the name=value syntax:

    srclist="region(srcs.reg[component=1])"
    
  2. Too many characters in the command line

    If you are encountering an error and have to count the number of characters in the command line to see if that's the problem, then it probably is. Try using the following methods to trim down the command length:

    • Put the file names in a stack.
    • Create symbolic links to long directory paths.
    • Use an external file for the filter, e.g.
      unix% dmextract "evt.fits[@my_filter][bin time=t1:t2]" 
      
      unix% cat my_filter
      tg_m=1,
      tg_part=1,
      tg_lam=1.00:1.42,
      (etc.)
      
  3. Double quotes are converted into single quotes when set with the parameter interface

    For example:

    unix% pset dmextract infile='evt2.fits[bin sky=ellipse(100d,100d,5",2",90)]'
    
    unix% pget dmextract infile 
    evt2.fits[bin sky=ellipse(100d,100d,5',2',90)]
    

    Workarounds:

    1. Define the region in a file:

      unix% pset dmextract infile='evt2.fits[bin sky=region(regionfile.txt)]'
      
    2. Define a stack with the text of the infile parameter:

      unix% pset dmextract infile=@infile.txt
      

Bugs

  1. The closing ")" is stolen from the first parameter when positionally defining parameters with pset.

    In general this will occur when there's an "=" in the parameter value. For example:

    unix% pset dmmakereg "region(regions/chips.reg[ccd_id=3])"
    unix% plist dmmakereg
    
    Parameters for /home/username/cxcds_param/dmmakereg.par
    
            region = region(regions/chips.reg[ccd_id=3] Input region string
           outfile = ) -> INDEF       Output virtual filename
           (append = no)              Create or Append
           (kernel = fits)            Output file format type
          (wcsfile = none)            File with coordinate mapping
          (verbose = 0)               Debug Level(0-5)
          (clobber = no)              Clobber existing file (in create mode)
             (mode = ql)              
    

    The close parenthesis has been added to the outfile field.

    Workaround:

    Supply the parameter name in the pset call:

    unix% pset dmmakereg region="region(regions/chips.reg[ccd_id=3])"
    
Hardcopy (PDF): A4 | Letter
Last modified: 9 January 2007


The Chandra X-Ray Center (CXC) is operated for NASA by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA.    Email: cxcweb@head.cfa.harvard.edu
Smithsonian Institution, Copyright © 1998-2004. All rights reserved.