From system_wjs1@wjs.whoi.edu Tue Jun 18 17:05 EDT 1996
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 1996 17:00:23 -0400
From: system_wjs1@wjs.whoi.edu (Warren J Sass)
To: rgroman@whoi.edu
Subject: Doc for outer switches
X-VMS-To: rgroman

		Configuring outer		(6 Feb 96)
  [Section 3 refers to new outer distrib.  Values/names checked 18 Jun 96]

	Please refer to [?] if you need an overview of the outer program.
	Each method should include in its makefile a compilation of outer.
There are 5 compilation switches to consider.  4 select and/or control
display options in an html environment.  1 allows the setting of 
buffer sizes within outer.  The exact syntax of specifying compilation 
switches depends on the c compiler in use.  A typical compiler will have 
each switch preceded by -D.
	The object file produced by a compilation of outer should
have a name unique to the method being built.  That way, if a
method changes its outer switches, its rebuild will not affect any other
method.

1)	Data is presented to outer as a multilevel tree.  The lowest
level is the level at which all the variables are named.  In
an html environment, if there is more than one level to the tree, outer 
displays html links for all data below the highest level.  This allows 
selection of data according to the value of any higher-level datum.
	It may be desirable NOT to generate links for some data.  In
order to repress link generation, compile with the QUOTENOLINK switch
(eg, cc -DQUOTENOLINK).  With this option in effect, data enclosed within 
quotation marks (") will NOT generate a link.  Instead, the quotation marks 
will be removed, and the data displayed as plain text.

2)	By default, in an html environment, a link is made available so that
data presently displayed on the screen may be manipulated by plotting and
other programs available on the network.  Since this link's text is "Plotting
and Other Operations", it's called the "otheropts" link.  If it is not
appropriate for data from your method to go through other programs, you can
repress the appearance of this link with the NOOTHEROPTS switch (eg;  cc
-DNOOTHEROPTS)
	If you DO want the availability of these other programs, you need
to specify 2 more switches to provide the fully qualified name
of your node, and the fully qualified name of the host that has the
programs on it.  The switches are MYADDR and OPTIONHOST.  The names
of the relevant nodes should be put in the master build procedure [were
put in place when you executed the config/install script?] in the
definition of environment variables MYADDR and OTHEROPTSERVER.  You
need to specify -DMYADDR={MYADDR} -DOPTIONHOST={OTHEROPTSERVER} on
the compilation line to connect the switches to the environment variables.

3)	There are several buffers used by outer.  The sizes of these
buffers may not be correct for your application.  The IOBUF_INCLUDE
switch allows you to specify the name of a file which defines appropriate
sizes.  The contents of this file is expected to be #define statements
for any or all of the constants described below.   This file should 
be secure (as should all files related to methods), since an 
unscrupulous person could put code in it that could compromise your system.  
When specifying this file to the switch, include angle brackets; eg,
	    -DIOBUF_INCLUDE=</my_method/src/my_method_buf_sizes.h>
It may be useful to include this file in your set of inner routines, too.
    	This file may define any or all of the following symbols.  All
sizes refer to a number of characters.  The things being described
are documented [?]
    Name		Purpose					Default
MAXATTRSIZE	    Maximum size of a single attribute 		   40
		    including its value and the equal sign, 
		    but not brackets or the semi-colon
MAXCOMMENTLINE	    Maximum size of a comment line, not		   80
		    including # or newline
MAXDATUMSIZE	    Maximum size of a single datum, including	   80
		    any sign, decimal point or exponent
MAXOBJECTPARAMSIZE  Maximum size of a parameter for this method	   80
		    in the .objects file entry
MAXPATHSIZE	    Maximum size of an html path related to	 1024
		    this method (environment variable PATH_
		    _INFO)
PARSAVSIZE	    Maximum size of an html query passed to	 1024
		    this method (environment variable QUERY_
		    STRING)
TOTATTRSIZE	    Maximum size of the entire attribute string  1024
		    for a variable, including values, brackets,
		    semi-colons, and equal signs
MAXVARNAMESIZE      Maximum size of a variable name		   40