HCM recognizes six types of data columns:
- Text
- Text fields are free-format fields of a predefined length and
can contain any sequence of keyboard characters. The maximum length
of the text varies with each column. The text can contain imbedded spaces as well as characters that are used as separators.
If you use, for example, a comma as a separator, you need to
enclose it in double quotation marks (the usual quotation marks used in prose, for example, "A, and B"), or
in single quotation marks (the apostrophe character, for example,
'C, and D'). Use "" within a double-quoted string to embed the double quotation
marks - "He said ""Hello"".". Single quotation marks can be used similarly,
when single quotation marks are used to enclose the entire string.
The Export function encloses text fields in double quotation marks.
Text
fields are case sensitive. Fields which update IODF data must be
entered in the appropriate case for the IODF field.
The maximum
length of a text field is 254 characters.
Note: As
HCM Version 1.1.0 allows 255 character user fields, the last character may be truncated on export. A warning message is generated in
such cases.
When updating existing records,
a text field updates the configuration even if the field is all blanks
or empty. Blank or empty is a valid value for a text field. If the
entire column is not present in the input file, the field will be left unchanged.
- Boolean (Bool)
- These are fields with a Yes or No value. Accepted values in
these fields are Yes, No, Y, N, 1, and 0 in upper or lower case.
A value enclosed in single or double quotation marks is
also accepted although there is no need to do this. When updating existing records, a blank or empty Boolean
field has no effect.
- Numeric (Num)
- Sequence of digits. Where appropriate, definitions of these
columns will indicate acceptable ranges for these values. A value enclosed in single
or double quotation marks is also accepted although there is no need
to do this.
When updating existing records, a blank or empty Numeric
field has no effect.
- Hex
- Sequence of hexadecimal digits (0..9, A..F). The field is checked
that it is a valid hexadecimal number. Where appropriate, definitions
of these columns indicate acceptable ranges for these values.
A
value enclosed in single or double quotation marks is also accepted
although there is no need to do this. The processing of hex digits greater than 9 is not case sensitive, so an import accepts a..f, though an export produces A..F.
When
updating existing records, a blank or empty Hex field has no effect.
- Float
- Any floating point number which follows this generic format
can be imported:
[whitespace] [sign] [ddd] [.] [ddd] [e│E[sign]ddd]
Where
appropriate, definitions of these columns indicate acceptable ranges
for these values.
A value enclosed in single or double quotation
marks is also accepted although there is no need to do this.
When updating existing records, a blank or empty Float
field has no effect.
On export, floats are expressed in this compatible
format which avoids the use of exponential notation, with leading
and trailing zeroes removed:
[ddd] [.] [ddd]
- Enumerated (Enum)
- These are fields that accept a single value from a predefined
set of text values. As an example, physical ports on an ESCON director may be either "LED" or "Laser". Values are not case sensitive, i.e. Laser and LASER are equivalent.
A value enclosed in single
or double quotation marks is also accepted although there is no need
to do this.
When updating existing records, a blank or empty Enumerated
field has no effect.
In all cases, leading and trailing spaces are ignored.