Parameter element

Defines a parameter for a stage in the diagnostic test or for the entire diagnostic test.

Usage

<Parameter
  Name = "character_string"
  SwitchName = "character_string"
  Description = "character_string"
  Type = "enumeration"
  DefaultValue = "character_string"
  MinimumValue = "int"
  MaximumValue = "int"
  Visibility = "boolean"
  Value = "character_string"
  AllowedValues = "character_string"
  Format = "character_string"
  UseOnlyInStep = "character_string"/>

Attributes

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
AllowedValues	character_string	No	Specifies a list of values that are allowed for the parameter, which are separated by commas (,). The user can choose a value from this list in the Run Diagnostic Tests dialog box when the user runs the test in HPC Cluster Manager. You can only specify this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the DiagnosticTest element. You cannot specify a value for this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element. The maximum length for the complete list of allowed values is 2000 characters.
DefaultValue	character_string	No	Specifies a default value to use for the parameter if the user does not specify a value when the user runs the test. This attribute is required when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the DiagnosticTest element. You cannot specify a value for this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element. The maximum length of the default value is 255 characters.
Description	character_string	No	Specifies a description for the parameter. The Run Diagnostic Tests dialog box displays the description for the parameter when the user runs the test in HPC Cluster Manager. You can only specify this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the DiagnosticTest element. You cannot specify a value for this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element. The maximum length of the description is 255 characters.
Format	character_string	No	Specifies the format that the Command attribute for the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element should use for the parameter and its value. For this format string, {0} represents the switch name and {1} represents the value that the user specified for the parameter. The default value for this attribute is -{0}:{1}. The maximum length for the format string is 64 characters.
MaximumValue	int	No	Specifies the maximum value that is allowed for the parameter. You can only specify this attribute if the Type attribute has a value of Integer. You can only specify this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the DiagnosticTest element. You cannot specify a value for this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element.
MinimumValue	int	No	Specifies the minimum value that is allowed for the parameter. You can only specify this attribute if the Type attribute has a value of Integer. You can only specify this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the DiagnosticTest element. You cannot specify a value for this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element.
Name	character_string	Yes	Specifies the name that the Run Diagnostic Tests dialog box displays for the parameter when the user runs the test in HPC Cluster Manager. The maximum length of the parameter name is 64 characters.
SwitchName	character_string	No	Specifies the name to use for the parameter when the parameter is used in a command for the PreStep, RunStep, and PostStep elements. You can specify this attribute only for global parameters (that is, you can only specify this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the DiagnosticTest element). If you do not specify this attribute for a global parameter, the value of the Name attribute is used for the SwitchName attribute. If you define a parameter for a specific stage of the diagnostic test by including the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element as a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element, the value of the Name attribute is automatically used for the switch name. You cannot specify a value for the SwitchName attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element. The maximum length of the switch name is 64 characters.
Type	enumeration	Yes	Specifies the data type for the parameter. This attribute is required when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the DiagnosticTest element. You cannot specify a value for this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element. The Type attribute can have one of the following values: String The value for the parameter is a string of characters. Boolean The value for the parameter is a Boolean value. It can be True or False. Integer The value for the parameter is an integer.
UseOnlyInStep	character_string	No	Specifies the stages for which the diagnostic service should include the parameter in the command. The possible values are PreStep, RunStep, PostStep, or any comma-separated list of two or three of these values. The default value of PreStep,RunStep,PostStep specifies all three stages. The Parameter element for the parameter that specifies the expected value for a comparison test often uses this attribute to prevent the diagnostic service from including the parameter in the commands for the PreStep and RunStep stages. In these circumstances, use a value of PostStep for the UseOnlyInStep attribute. You can only specify this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the DiagnosticTest element. You cannot specify a value for this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element.
Value	character_string	No	Specifies the value to use for the parameter. This attribute only applies and is required when the parameter is specific to a test stage. In other words, this attribute only applies and is required when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element. You cannot set a value for this attribute for a global, visible parameter. In other words, you cannot set this attribute when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the DiagnosticTest element. The maximum length of the value is 255 characters.
Visibility	boolean	No	Indicates whether the user can see and set the parameter. A True value indicates that the user can see and set the parameter. A false value indicates that the user cannot see or set the parameter, and that the parameter can only be used by the test developer. This attribute only applies when the parameter is a global parameter (that is, when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the DiagnosticTest element). For a parameter that you define for a specific stage of the diagnostic test, the visibility is automatically false and cannot be set. In other words, the visibility is automatically false when the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element.

Child elements

There are no child elements.

Parent elements

Element	Description
Parameters	Defines a set of one or more parameters for a stage in the diagnostic test or for the entire diagnostic test.

Remarks

This element can apply to an entire diagnostic test or to a specific stage in a diagnostic test.

When the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the DiagnosticTest element, the parameter applies to the entire test. When the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element, the parameter applies only to the stage that corresponds to the element that is the parent of the Parameters element.

When the Parameters element that is the parent of this Parameter element is a child of the PreStep, RunStep, or PostStep element, the diagnostic service applies only the values of the Name, Value, and Format attributes, and it ignores the remaining attributes.

A parameter that applies to a specific stage of a diagnostic test cannot be set by the user, and that parameter can only be used by the developer of the test.

If the value of a parameter includes spaces, the diagnostic service automatically encloses the value in quotation marks (") when adding it to the commands for the stages of the diagnostic test.

Element information

Schema file	DiagnosticTests.xsd
Can be empty	Yes

See also

Parameters