Chain Program: command

[RDS]

There is a Program Command called 'Chain Program:' in the programming section.

 

I cannot find any reference to it in the instructions though.

 

If I leave it blank, RailMaster reports (not surprisingly) that the program is not found but when

 

I try and enter a program name that does exist, RailMaster deletes it.

 

Could someone please advise how it works and what parameters are needed.

 

 

Thanks

[96RAF]

Could it be to concatenate a series of existing programs. Sort of double heading for programs.

Rob

[RDS]

Rob, yes I am sure that is exactly what it is for but I have so far been unable to determine the format the command should take. The BBC computer used to have a similar command if I remember correctly.

[LMSTim]

The "Chain" command is much cleverer than simple concatenation. What it actually does is to merge a series of programs and I recently used it to great effect at an exhibition.

 

I created five separate programs, reasonably complex in their own right,

 

however I wanted to be able to mix and match which programs run at the same time so I created a Master program with five chain commands one at 3 seconds, another at 5 seconds, another at 12 seconds and so on. When you then run the Master program, RailMaster

 

'intelligently' merges the various programs, in effect, into one super-program so running all programs at the same. Remember, it doesn't just add one program to another ... it merges them into each other, even taking into account any commands which would fire

 

at precisely the same time and making micro adjustments.

 

If I were to have written the whole program, with six locos running, as a single program, it would have been a nightmare. Chaining allows you to write smaller, more manageable programs and merge

 

them into one, as though you had written than large program in the first place.

 

It works really well and is a powerful feature.

 

[RDS]

LMSTim said:

The "Chain" command is much cleverer than simple concatenation. What it actually does is to merge a series of programs and I recently used it to great effect at an exhibition.

I created five separate programs, reasonably

complex in their own right, however I wanted to be able to mix and match which programs run at the same time so I created a Master program with five chain commands one at 3 seconds, another at 5 seconds, another at 12 seconds and so on. When you then run the

Master program, RailMaster 'intelligently' merges the various programs, in effect, into one super-program so running all programs at the same. Remember, it doesn't just add one program to another ... it merges them into each other, even taking into account

any commands which would fire at precisely the same time and making micro adjustments.

If I were to have written the whole program, with six locos running, as a single program, it would have been a nightmare. Chaining allows you to write smaller, more

manageable programs and merge them into one, as though you had written than large program in the first place.

It works really well and is a powerful feature.

[RDS]

LMSTim

Thank you for your response. Could you please advise on the format of the Chain command.

Regards

[St1ngr4y]

In computer terms, it sounds more like a master program calling subroutines, the difference being that presumably the master program doesn't have to wait for a subroutine to finish to regain control. A chain command in a computer program usually comes

 

at the end of a program to pass control to a new program i.e. the next one in a chain.

Now that I know how it works - thanks LMSTim - I think this could be a really useful addition to the facilities in RM.

Is there any limit to the number of 'chained'

 

programs can be running at the same time?

Ray

[Fishmanoz]

Yes do tell us what Chain is, what the syntax is for the command and where do you find it - can't see it in the manual. There is certainly a Merge command in the manual, and the way it works appears to be that it puts programs together with the combined

 

instructions ending up "interleaved" in time order from each of the programs. Is Chain different and how?

[RDS]

@Fishmanoz

Chain Program: is the third one down in the list of instructions that can be used when choosing Program Command as a resource in a program.

What is not quite so obvious is what the syntax is and as you say, it is not mentioned in the manual.

Does

 

anyone know the syntax or format of a Chain Program: Instruction?

[LMSTim]

The merge function is not a command, but a function on a button. The Chain command does the same thing, however, programatically. You can insert a Chain command anywhere into a program and the called program will merge in at that point, as Fishmanoz says,

 

"interleaving" the two programs together.

 

There is no syntax, as such. Just pull down from the commands list "Chain program:" and then click on the magnifying glass button to the right to find the program you want to chain. RailMaster then builds the

 

line for you, e.g. "Chain program: branch line".

 

I would download the latest version of the setup program from www.powerpos.com/rail-master/rm_setup148.exe even if you already have version 1.48 because I think some things may have recently been added.

 

My PDF guide does document the Chain command and new remark function"-" to rem out lines.

 

[RDS]

@LMSTim

Thank you very much.

It was the Magnifying Glass step that I was missing.

This looks really good.

 

 

[Fishmanoz]

Thanks for the hint on downloading the latest. Just did so and magically the chain command appeared in the manual. And the Remark command is immediately above it - very handy.