I hate PCM - period!

[[No...]]

It's true, but now that I have your attention:

I may have asked something like this already in the old forum, but I forgot if there was a solution, and if so, I can't find it.

The basic question is this:
In PCM, how can I read in an ASCII file, access each line of text as a string and have a test for end-of-file (or a method to count the number of lines).

What I currently want to do:

• Generate a list with the names of all base alignments (from \workarea\basesystems\). I currently use a text file generated with Windows command prompt and PCM command readListFile
• Access name as a string without too much hassle ( things like mid(a,b,c) are considered hassle 🧑‍💻 🤬 )
• Do "something" with the string
• Repeat
• Recognize end of list

@Zeiss

• Why is there no simple readFromFile() command (just like addToFIle)?
• Why can't you implement a decent scripting language?
• Why is life so hard?

[[Er...]]

bs=readListFile("stupidfile")
for i = 1 to bs.size
  getParameterNamed(bs,i)
next i

Or did I not understand?

[[To...]]

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Norbert, maybe consider posting a software improvement at the original metrology portal. I don't think anyone at Zeiss reads these posts, Well, anyone that will take the ball and run with it.

[[No...]]

I don't think anyone at Zeiss reads software improvements either 🤬
Some years ago two of my suggestions made it into the software (kind of). The result was MEH. But the point is, back then I saw my wishes marked as release candidate. I never saw such a marking again after that.
Besides, I wasn't able to post anything there the last three times I tried. Whenever I clicked the send button, some error appeared and my carefully worked out descriptions went **POOF**

@Eric
Yeah, that's what I was looking for. Found that out myself only some minutes ago 🤣
Guess I have to write it down now....
Thanks anyway!

[[Er...]]

Glad you worked it out!

There are some functionality that's I can agree upon that's "missing". I do however think that with pcm you can cover pretty much anything you wish to do with your cmm program. But if you step outside of your measurement plan, the functionality is indeed limited. And I can sort of understand that. PCM isn't a scripting language, nor a language per se. But with a little knowledge, imagination and some elbow grease you can accomplish anything you like to do.

In the latest version (6.4.14) they even added syntax for zip and un-zip. That saved at least me 15 lines of codes and one external callout!
Good job Zeiss!

[[No...]]

In my opinion an application like Calypso should have a scripting language with access to all the information of all relevant objects, not just a handful of crippled parameter commands. Let the customer decide what he wants to do with the possibilities and how deep he wants to dive into it.
Unfortunately I'm often forced to go beyond the things you normally do in a measurement plan, but only because Calypso lacks a lot of useful features. And since Zeiss doesn't seem to care too much about the wishes of their customers recently, I'll have to help myself somehow.

[[Er...]]

You can access all objects very easy. And if you must go to hell and beyond to accomplish tasks relevant for metrology, I really think it's lack of knowlage, not Calypso. And I don't say that to offend anyone!
But what you "can't" control outside of Calypso, with Calypso. You have The support to make external calls, using what ever language available to run in a Windows environment. And that, should satisfy everyone but the "suedo I need help" People. 🙂
But to turn pcm to a full fledged scripting language, would be to invent the fire inside an active vulcano.. And there is no one stoping you from using smalltalk?

I have never attended to a pcm class, so I cant be shure. But I belive they are too basic. And People today tend to call them self programmers after writing they're first if-statement. In todays society, instead of educated, most are idiots. (Yes i've lost faith in mankind...)

Do you have any particular task that acts like a rock in you shoe? Maybe I can simplify it for you?

[[No...]]

I won't say I'm a programmer, as I was always too lazy to fully learn any programming language besides BASIC (let alone a decent programming style), but I'm also not dumb. I know the basic concepts of programming and also a couple of more advanced bits here and there. Just the things I taught myself when I needed them (and sometimes forgot again when I didn't need them anymore).
But even if it's possible to do a lot of things in Calypso with undocumented syntax, I somehow refuse being forced to use and learn it, just because Zeiss doesn't care to include certain functionality. And experience tells me that some sunny day those "hacks" will cease to work, and that is usually ecactly when I already forgot what I did and when the situation in manufacturing is most urgent.
After all my employer payed a lot of $$$ for the software and the upgrades.

There's a lot I'm missing in Calypso, one is a set of administrative functions (mass deployment of user rights for example). But there's much more. If you'd try to help me with all of these, you'd have to quit your measuring job 🤣

[[Er...]]

And I won't say that your not a programmer. That was not my point. Neither I'll call you dumb.
I just tend to hear a lot of complains about software in general, and most of the time (in my experience), it's not the software. Its the "old moron in front of the computer that is designed in the wrong way." It even applies to my self, I tend to complain, to moments later realize that I did something wrong. And if it would have worked in the way I wish it did. It would probably not work at all later, or give the possibility to generate stupid bugs. Programing is logic, and logic is logical.

I pretty sure you use undocumented syntax now and then, since the documentation is brief. And I doubt that "some things" will stop work. It's after all Smalltalk, and Smalltalk have been Smalltalk more or less since the 80's.
But yeah, why not create a pcm syntax for every suggestion people suggest? I can not answer that one. And yes, some functionalities that would be great and is standard in most software is missing. But I honestly don't think the ones who can fix it, get told about what the crowd wants.

You might get supprised, if you ask for help. I have written pages of code, just to moments later show it to someone. And they just Ehh, nice. But why not just "import win32api"? Sometimes a new pair of eyes can save you hours!

[[No...]]

To avoid misunderstandings: I did not intend to sound offended, I just wanted to clarify my level of knowledge. 😉