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The Tabular Config Files Display can show a list of configuration files (csv and dbf) that are used to configure the selected locations, parameters and qualifiers. The configuration files can be displayed using a table viewer with sorting, filtering and column hiding functionality. This display is also accessible using the F12 debug menu. There have been several improvements to this display since the first introduction in 2015:
- Since 2019.02 the display is also connected to the forecast tree.
- Since 2020.02 the Tabular Config Files Display is connected to shapefiles that are displayed in the Map Display or the Spatial Display.
- Since 2024.01 it is also possible to edit CSV config files with the Tabular Config Files Display. In this way, it is a Metadata Manager Display.
Configuration
To use the TabularConfigFilesDisplay viewer, configure it as an <explorerTask> in Explorer.xml. For example:
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The display is linked to the locations list in the Data Viewer (Filters). When a location in the locations list is selected, the meta data files that are used by this location will be listed. The content of the first configuration file will be shown by default in the bottom panel. Selecting another file will display its content. When the parameters and/or qualifiers are also configured in csv files the display is also linked to selected parameters and qualifiers
The list of metadata files is sorted alphabetically. A list is made of all metadata files in the \MapLayers folder that are used by the Delft-FEWS application. The meta data files are not grouped on sub-folders, this information is ignored.
The table with metadata can show virtual columns, these are on the left in light blue. For all location attribute files, the linked location Name column is visible. For all meta data files that are used as main files, the location ID is also shown as virtual column. These virtual columns show the Location ID and Name, not the content of a meta data file column.
The toolbar contains 6 buttons with the following functionality
| Lock: It is possible to lock the tabular config file display. When locked, selecting another location in the locations list, won't change the selected location row in the display. |
| List all Files: When this button is pressed, the file list will populate all meta data files used in the configuration |
| Show modifiers: It's possible to show modified values in the tabular config files, these are the location attributes where modifiers have been applied. All values that have been changed by modifiers will get a blue background color. A tooltip will display the unmodified value. |
| Show virtual columns: Location ID and Location Name are based on meta data in the CSV/dbf files. These columns, together with special edit columns can be made visible or hidden in the bottom panel |
| Copy: Copy the content of selected cells to the clipboard |
| Export to CSV: The selected meta data file can be saved as CSV file. This is especially relevant when modified values need to be exported to a CSV file. |
Sorting
The table with meta data metadata can be sorted by clicking on a column header. Clicking one extra time on the same column header toggles the direction or deselects the sort column header. When multiple column headers have been sorted on, tiny indices indicate which is the order in which the columns are sorted. In the right mouse popup menu the Undo sort option quickly deselects all selected sort columns.
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It is also possible to select a layer attribute on the Map display. This requires the tooltip icon 
to be enabled. When hovering over the layers on the map or Grid, the layer attributes will be highlighted. When they are highlighted, using a left mouse click to select the map element, this will show the corresponding entry in the Tabular Config Files Display.
Configure
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Metadata Column Headers
The column headers of the meta data table use by default the column name in the CSV or DBF file. It is possible to overrule the column headers with configurable names. These names are configured in the LocationSets.xml file. There are two name elements that can be used for this.
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When using the name element for location attributes, make sure not to use the same attribute name for attributes from the same meta data file, this will throw a Config ERROR when Delft-FEWS starts.
Configure
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Metadata Rules
It is possible to configure meta data metadata rules in the LocationSets.xml file. These rules are used to check the meta data metadata on Errors.
One of the rules is included in the attribute element, a format can be added to the <text> element (see below). The example forces the attribute will always contain 6 numbers. When the meta data file contains a value "12345", FEWS will change this to "012345". A leading zero is added to the attribute.
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The Meta Data Rules are used by Delft-FEWS when the meta data configuration is loaded, Errors will be logged when meta data is not according to the configured rules. In The Tabular Config File Display, the rules are used to find and flag errors.
Edit
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Metadata
Since Delft-FEWS version 2024.01 there is functionality added to edit meta data from CSV meta data files. To activate this functionality a TabularConfigFilesDisplay.xml configuration file is needed in the DisplayConfigFiles config folder.
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There is only one element required in this configuration file, this is the permission for the user group that is allowed to edit meta data files. When this display file is added, the toolbar of the Tabular Config Files display is extended with meta data edit functionality.
The toolbar contains XX 11 additional buttons with the following functionality:
| Only Show Errors: When Errors are found in the meta data, enabling this button will only show the meta data files and rows that have errors. Very much linked to the configurable meta data rules. |
| Only Show Edits |
| : When this button is pressed, the |
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| non-committed edits will be filtered on. Only the meta data files and rows that have edits will be shown. | |
| Edit Mode: With the correct permissions it is possible to edit meta data. This button activates the edit mode. |
| Show Originals: Wen data is edited and not yet committed, the original values can be shown. |
| Revert: Edited values that are not yet committed can be reverted. The user will be asked to revert the selected row, the selected meta data file, or all meta data changes. |
| Refresh Config: When edits are made, the Delft-FEWS system can be updated to use this edited configuration |
| Commit changes to config dir: The edited meta data files will be copied from temp folder to the config folder. |
| Delete Row: Delete the selected row from the meta data table |
| Add Row: Add a new row to the selected meta data table |
| Cut: Cut the selected meta data table cells to the Clipboard |
| Paste: Paste the clipboard to the selected meta data table cells |
The meta data edit process is split in several editing and commit steps. This allows the user to first test metadata changes, before updating the Delft-FEWS configuration.
- When metadata values are edited, the changes are stored in the \temp\editedMapLayers\ folder. All files that are edited will be temporarily stored in this folder. In the Tabular Config Files Display GUI, all files that are edited will be shown in bold with (draft) as post-fix.
- After pressing the Refresh button, the meta data files in this \temp folder will be used by the Delft-FEWS application. The user can then check the changes made.
- After pressing the Commit changes to config dir button, the edited files from the temp folder will overwrite the original files in the config folder. It is then not possible to revert changes anymore or check the original values.
The updated meta data files will not only contain the updated meta data values, two additional columns are added with information on the user that made the changes and when the changes were committed.
Add Custom Activities
The Tabular Config File Display also allows for adding additional task buttons to the toolbar. The task buttons can start executables or scripts to check configuration consistency, link to GIT or SVN or run Python or Powershell scripts.
In the example below a taskButton is added that starts several Python scripts through Powershell.
| Code Block | ||||
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<tabularConfigFilesDisplay xmlns="http://www.wldelft.nl/fews" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.wldelft.nl/fews http://fews.wldelft.nl/schemas/version1.0/tabularConfigFilesDisplay.xsd">
<editPermission>Configuration</editPermission>
<taskButton name="Update Config and Metadata for Public Web Products">
<description>Update Config and Metadata for Public Web Products</description>
<permission>Configuration</permission>
<iconFile>update_config.svg</iconFile>
<workDir>%REGION_HOME%\Modules\HYMM_python_scripts</workDir>
<executable>$WINPOWERSHELL$</executable>
<arguments>
<argument>$PYTHON$ create_metadata.py %REGION_HOME%\Config\MapLayerFiles\Australia;</argument>
<argument>$PYTHON$ create_maps.py %REGION_HOME% %REGION_HOME%\Modules\HYMM_python_scripts;</argument>
<argument>$PYTHON$ create_products.py %REGION_HOME% %REGION_HOME%\Modules\HYMM_python_scripts;</argument>
</arguments>
</taskButton>
</tabularConfigFilesDisplay>
Global.properties
WINPOWERSHELL=C://Windows/System32/WindowsPowerShell/v1.0/powershell.exe
PYTHON=%REGION_HOME%/Modules/Python3/python.exe
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The Task Buttons allow a user to update other parts of the configuration, like XML files, by using (Python) scripts that create or update Delft-FEWS XML configuration files based on the meta data.
Automated completion of CSV files and attributes
In many Delft-FEWS configurations the meta data is split in several meta data files. In this case there is a main meta data CSV/DBF file and several location attribute files.
In the example below a location attribute file is used to accept or reject a sensor (location) from the main location CSV file. If the element requireAllIdsInParentFile = true, then a new location row will automatically be added to the AUS_sensors_acceptnace.csv file when a new location is added to the AUS_sensors.csv file. This makes it easier to add new locations, FEWS will make sure that the AUS_sensors_acceptance.csv file contains the same records as in the master AUS_sensors.csv file.
It is also possible to have a similar functionality in related location attribute files. In the example below a locationSet is created from all accepted locations (sensor example above). When a new location is added to the locationSet, the new location will be added to other location Attribute files where the element requireAllIdsInLocationSet = true. In this case there is not a on-one relation between 2 CSV files as in the above example, but the locations that are included in a locationSet is important.
It is also important to set the required element to true for all location attributes that are required. When these are not filled, FEWS will log an ERROR.