• Created by Unknown User (don), last modified on 23-10-2007

Summary

It will be useful to have Value as a property in the IExchangeItem which can be set, get. Currently the only way to get value is to call GetValues(ITime time, string linkID) from ILinkableComponent.

This issues was also addressed by Steven (HEC).

How to address in Version 1

Not required.

How to address in Version 2

interface IExchangeItem
{
   object Value { get; set; }
}

Advantages:

  • It will be possible to get/set values directly from exchange items at runtime and not buffer them somewhere.
  • Easier to debug, VS2005 debugger can be bound directly to properties
  • Components may implement setters for input exchange items or only support getters
  • Input exchange items may get values from connected output exchange items directly.
  • User will not need time to get current value from exchange item (can be very useful for components not working with times)

For those components which need to work with time the following solution may be used:

interface ILinkableComponent
{
    IList<IExchangeItem> InputItems { get; }
    IList<IExchangeItem> OutputItems { get; }

    void Update();
}

interface ITimeRunnableComponent : ILinkableComponent
{
   void Run(DateTime startTime, DateTime endTime);

   DateTime TimeHorizonStart { get; } // component will provide possible min start and max end times
   DateTime TimeHorizonEnd { get; }

   DateTime CurrentTime { get; } // will change after each run
}

class TimeRunnableComponentTests
{
  void RunTimeRunnableComponent()
  {
     ITimeRunnableComponent c1 = ...;

     DateTime t0 = c1.TimeHorizonStart;

     TimeSpan duration = new TimeSpan(0, 0, 10); // hours, minutes, seconds
     DateTime t1 = t0.Add(duration);

     c1.Run(t0, t1);

    // check current component time
     DateTime currentComponentTime = c1.CurrentTime;
     Assert.AreEqual(t1, currentComponentTime);
  }

  void RunTimeRunnableComponentInGenericWay() 
  {
    // StartTime, EndTime may be wrapped by input exchange items 
    // which may be even linked to another component, e.g. controls in ComponentRunDialog.

    ILinkableComponent c1 = ...;

    // assume that 1st and 2nd output exchange items of component equal to time horizon start and end.
    DateTime t0 = (DateTime)c1.OutputItems[0].Value;

    TimeSpan duration = new TimeSpan(0, 0, 10); // hours, minutes, seconds
    DateTime t1 = t0.Add(duration);

    // assuming that 1st and 2nd input exchange items of component used as run star and run end times
    c1.InputItems[0].Value = t0;
    c1.InputItems[1].Value = t1;

    c1.Update();

    // assume that 3rt output exchange item of component is "current time"
    Assert.AreEqual(c1.OutputItems[2].Name, "current time");

    // check current component time
    DateTime currentComponentTime = (DateTime)c1.OutputItems[2].Value;
    Assert.AreEqual(t1, currentTime);
  }
}
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