Summary of Capabilities and Limitations
While this section shows the most important similarities and
differences between NeXtMidas and X-Midas, it is intended solely to answer
questions that experienced X-Midas users are expected to have. No attempt is
made to explain X-Midas operating concepts or jargon. Readers without X-Midas
experience can skip this segment without missing any essential information
about NeXtMidas. Although NeXtMidas borrows many operating concepts from
X-Midas, it shares none of its code.
Similarities
NeXtMidas extends the following X-Midas features:
- All commands accept both positional and name=value
parameter styles, which simplifies entry of commands that have a large
number of parameters.
- The NeXtMidas command dictionary is the central repository
for parameter names and default values, an approach that eliminates the
need to search primitive source code to determine command-specific
conventions.
- NeXtMidas option trees can include directories containing
.jar files.
- In NeXtMidas, aux directories are named, not numbered, and
are not restricted to being on the local file system. This simplifies
NeXtMidas access to files identified by URL.
- Results parameters are generalized objects stored in
hierarchical tables. They default to local visibility but can be promoted
to global.
- Messages have names, do not require configuration, are
transmitted to queues unique to each recipient rather than a central
queue, accept generalized values, and permit reference as objects.
- Explain files are rendered as HTML documents but can also
be given the traditional treatment as plain text files.
- Menus, responsive controls and readouts and dynamic plot
updates are used and are more portable in NeXtMidas due to its Java
implementation.
Obsolete Commands
The following X-Midas commands are missing from NeXtMidas
because they provide a service that is not relevant to NeXtMidas or have a
functional replacement:
MTRANSLATE is unnecessary.
STARTCONTROLS is unnecessary.
XCALL is functionally replaced by GCONTROL.
XCNTRL, XCOLORMAP, XMREMOTES, and XWINDOW are unnecessary.
XCONTROL is functionally replaced by GCONTROL.
XDATALIST is functionally replaced by LIST.
XMBLD is functionally replaced by BLD.
XMOPT is functionally replaced by OPTION.
XMPATH is functionally replaced by PATH.
XMSGLOG is functionally replaced by MESSAGELOG.
XPIPE is functionally replaced by PIPE.
XPLOT is functionally replaced by PLOT.
Quiet Changes
The following X-Midas features operate differently in
NeXtMidas without necessarily warning the user or macro programmer of the
change or of possible misunderstanding. Known bugs or temporary NeXtMidas
limitations are not listed here.
- The NeXtMidas file reader delivers scalar-packed (SP) data
on a little-endian machine in 0, 1, 2, order. X-Midas always delivers
data in 7, 6, 5, order, regardless of native data representation.
- The NeXtMidas CONFIGURE command recognizes only K (clear)
and C (command merge) functions.
- The order of CONVERT command parameters has changed.
- The order of FFT command parameters has changed.
- The NeXtMidas GOTO command ignores the X-Midas
<direction> parameter and will automatically find the first
statement in the macro with the sought-after label.
- The order of MENU command parameters has changed.
- The order of RAMP command parameters and the meaning of
the <format> parameter have changed.
- UPDATE command parameters have changed substantially.