Questions concerning dim version in FACT++

[dneise]

I would like to understand, what were the reasons to decide for including the source code of the dim library (​http://dim.web.cern.ch/dim/) into the FACT++ source tree.

I guess one of the reasons was, to make the build process simpler. No need to first download and build DIM, and then download and build FACT++, while making sure the compiler really finds the header files of DIM. But I think there were more reasons, which I don't remember.

Recently the FACT++ dim version has been updated from version 20.07 to 20.11. I would like to know, why this update has been done.

Dim services and commands are further specified by a "service description string". According to the format of this string, I found in the DIM documentation:

Service description string, the contents of the service can be
described in the form "T:N;T:N;T" where T is the data type :
C(har),
I(nt),
L(ong),
S(hort),
D(ouble),
F(loat) or
X(tra long)
and N is the number of items of that type. A data type alone at the
end of string means all following items are of type T. [...]

However some commands in FACT++ have a description string, which is "O" (captital letter "oh"). While apparently the DIM library does not mind using self defined format characters in the description strings, I would like to know, why this bug was exploited.

The commands, which have this capital letter "O" description string are:

AGILENT_CONTROL_24V/RECONNECT --> description string " O "
AGILENT_CONTROL_50V/RECONNECT --> description string " O "
AGILENT_CONTROL_80V/RECONNECT --> description string " O "
BIAS_CONTROL/RECONNECT --> description string " O "
DRIVE_CONTROL/RECONNECT --> description string " O "
FSC_CONTROL/RECONNECT --> description string " O "
FTM_CONTROL/RECONNECT --> description string " O "
GCN/RECONNECT --> description string " O "
GPS_CONTROL/RECONNECT --> description string " O "
SQM_CONTROL/RECONNECT --> description string " O "

What does this description string stand for, anyway? In my opinion a great feature of using the DIM library is to be able to access DIM services also from other platforms, and from software written in other languages. Do we not throw away this awesome feature, like this? And if so, what do we gain in return?

[dneise]

There is a new dim version available v20r13. Do we want to upgrade? If so, what needs to be done in order to do this?

[dneise]

The currently running dim server still claims to be Version 20.07 even though it was updated to V20.11 on 3.1.2014 and restarted on 5.1.2014 in order to let the update take effect.

It this a bug in the original dim sources, or is it self made? Or was one file forgotten, while manually putting the the files, which changed from 20.07 to 20.11 into the FACT++ source tree?

[tbretz]

Replying to dneise:

The currently running dim server still claims to be Version 20.07 even though it was updated to V20.11 on 3.1.2014 and restarted on 5.1.2014 in order to let the update take effect.

It this a bug in the original dim sources, or is it self made? Or was one file forgotten, while manually putting the the files, which changed from 20.07 to 20.11 into the FACT++ source tree?

I don't know where you got your claims from.

Nothing has been updated so far except in the svn:

fact@newdaq:~/FACT++> grep 20r dim/README_v20.txt

DIM version 20r7 Release Notes

fact@newdaq:~/FACT++> dir dns
8.0K -rwxrwxr-x 1 fact 7.7K Apr 6 2014 dns
fact@newdaq:~/FACT++> dir .libs/*dns*
40K -rwxrwxr-x 1 fact 38K Apr 6 2014 .libs/dns
40K -rwxrwxr-x 1 fact 38K Apr 6 2014 .libs/lt-dns

fact@newdaq:~/FACT++.dbg> grep 20r dim/README_v20.txt

DIM version 20r7 Release Notes

fact@newdaq:~/FACT++.dbg> dir .libs/*dns*
88K -rwxr-xr-x 1 fact 87K May 12 2014 .libs/dns
fact@newdaq:~/FACT++.dbg> dir *dns*
8.0K -rwxr-xr-x 1 fact 7.7K May 12 2014 dns

Yes, it was restarted but maybe not "in order to let the update take effect" (or did somebody mention that in a mail or the logbook?)

fact@newdaq:~/FACT++.dbg> ps aux | grep dns
fact 4216 0.0 0.0 12528 520 pts/28 Ss+ Jan05 0:00 /bin/bash --login /home/fact/operation/dns
fact 4409 0.0 0.0 181736 2960 pts/28 Sl+ Jan05 15:07 /home/fact/FACT++/.libs/lt-dns