[kepler-dev] port parameters

[Christopher Brooks]

Hi Laura,
The best place to look is Volume 1 of the Ptolemy II Design doc:
http://ptolemy.eecs.berkeley.edu/papers/05/ptIIdesign1-intro/ptIIdesign1-intro.pdf

Section 3.3.2, "Port Parameters" is a good place to start.
See also 5.4 "Couple Port and Parameter"

The Javadoc can be found at
http://ptolemy.eecs.berkeley.edu/ptolemyII/ptIIlatest/ptII/doc/codeDoc/ptolemy/actor/parameters/PortParameter.html

This brings up a UI question.
There are PortParameters and ParameterPorts.
I get confused about which is which.

ParameterPorts are ports that update a parameter in a container.
ParameterPorts are:

 A specialized port for use with PortParameter.  This port is created
 by an instance of PortParameter and provides values to a parameter.
 Data should not be read directly from this port.  Instead, the update
 method of the corresponding PortParameter should be invoked.  This
 port is only useful if the container is opaque, however, this is not
 checked.

When I was updating the relation icons to look like your gif images I
ran in to ParameterPorts.  Currently non-multiport ParameterPorts are
darkGray.  I think these should be lightGray so as to be closer to the
white of regular non-multiports.  (I'm not sure if multiport
ParameterPorts exist (Edward??).)

The easiest way to see a ParameterPort is to start up Kepler:
1) File -> New -> Graph Editor
2) Search for Sinewave
3) Drag the Sinewave actor in to a canvas.
4) Then right click on the Sinewave composite actor and lookinside.

What do you think, should I change the darkGrey to lightGrey
to better match the white of single ports?

_Christopher

Laura writes:
--------
    Is there an indepth discussion/description about port parameters anywhere?
    I thought I remembered seeing something in an earlier version of Ptolemy
    documentation but for some reason I can't find it.  Can someone point me to
    it?
    
     
    
    Thanks.