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M2Doc increment counter

medini_1061189784

I would like to create a simple counter that increments for every diagram/table I have within my report.

My understanding is that in the M2Doc language, variables are constant and so it is not as simple as:

{m:let x = 1}

"show diagram"

{m:x = x + 1}

How do I go about this?

Thanks

Reece

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medini_1024169437

Good question Reece, it is probably the same thing that was discussed here: https://forum.mbse-capella.org/t/m2doc-why-there-are-no-variables-just-constants/4409

I will play a bit with services and our eval() maybe that will bring up a solution.

Jan

medini_1024169437

Reece, I was able to quickly hack a "counter" service, please have a look, it should give you a start:

The service file is attached but looks like this:

var counters = {};

({

 newCounter : function (name) {
 counters[name] = 0;
 return null;
 },

 changeCounter2 : function (name, delta) {
 counters[name] = counters[name] + delta;
 return null;
 },

 getCounter : function (name) {
 return counters[name];
 },
});

Here the M2doc stuff:

Gives me this:

Happy Reporting

Jan

medini_1061168224

Let me add my example.

you can use below service for above m2doc. (please add below script in to your report folder with name, e.g. myService.js)

var counters = {};

({
 // to initialize new index set
 newCounter : function (index) {
 counters[index] = 0; //my Index stars from 'Number 1'.
 return null;
 },

 // counter increase by delta(=1) you can put your delta on word template
 // and print this index
 getCounter : function (index) {
 //return counters[index] ; // original code which I dropped. // typeof counters[index] = Number
 //I make some modification to write 1(natural number) instead of 1.0 (real number)
 counters[index] = counters[index] + 1;
 var myString = counters[index].toString() ;
 return myString;
 },

 getCounter00Nicely : function (index) {
 // zero-padded number (fixed-width number) // https://medini.freshdesk.com/a/forums/topics/1000111368
 counters[index] = counters[index] + 1;
 var myString = counters[index].toString() ;
 var fixed_width_number = '00' ;
 var total_string = fixed_width_number + myString ;
 return total_string.slice(-fixed_width_number.length);
 },

 getCounter000Nicely : function (index) {
 // zero-padded number (fixed-width number) // https://medini.freshdesk.com/a/forums/topics/1000111368
 counters[index] = counters[index] + 1;
 var myString = counters[index].toString() ;
 var fixed_width_number = '000' ;
 var total_string = fixed_width_number + myString ;
 return total_string.slice(-fixed_width_number.length);
 },

});

medini_1024169437

Very cool extension, thanks for posting

Jan

medini_1024169437

Just for your interest: for 2025 R2 we now added a new CounterService with this API:

Integer counterSet(String name)
Integer counterSet(String name, int initialValue)
Integer counterUp(String name)
Integer counterDown(String name)
Integer counterAdd(String name, int delta)
String format(Number value, String pattern)

That should give you the same functionality as in this scripted service with enough fomatting power.

Regards

Jan

medini_1063548292

Hi All,

I have been addressing a need of having real Variables in the report long time ago.

I have came-up with the custom services that are emulating a report cache capable of handling generic content ( number object, collection ,string ,....

So in short I have implemented custom services set, get and clear .

//Global variables an object to contain key value
var globalVariables = {};
//Service object
({
/**
* service with 2 arguments
* - call example {m: if ‘myVar’.setGlobalVar(AQL statement results)}{m:endif dummy endif to render out empty return value as we don’t want it to part of generated Word}
* 
* @param {Object} key
* object to be used as a key can be string Config variable, AQL results …..
* @param {Object} value
* object to be associated to a key as a value… can be string Config variable, AQL results …..
*
* @returns true
 */

setGlobalVar2: function (key,value){
 globalVariables[key]=value;
 return true;
},

/**
* service with 1 mandatory argument and 1 optional argument
* - call example {m: ‘myVar’.getGlobalVar(Sequence{})->AQL statement}
* 
* @param {Object} key
* object to be used as a key can be string Config variable, AQL results …..
* @param {Object} defaultValue
* object to be returned as default if nothing is stored in the 
* @returns {Object} value
* object to be associated to a key as a value… can be string Config variable, AQL results …..
*/

getGlobalVar2: function (key,defaultValue){
 // avoid return of undefined ..
//otherwise oclIsUndefined() need to be used on every single service call
return (key && key in globalVariables ? globalVariables[key]:defaultValue);
},
/**
* service with 1 argument
* - call example {m: ‘myVar’.clearGlobalVar()}; {m: null.clearGlobalVar()}
* 
 * @param {Object}key
* name of the variable to be cleared 
*/

clearGlobalVars: function (key){
 //special case , clears all
if (key == null) 
globalVariables={};
else if (key in globalVariables )
 globalVariables[key]=null;
 return true;
}
//,
//… additional services come here 
});

I planned to post an article here on the forum but did not get to it

Marian

medini_1024169437

Thanks Marian,

now you did it, thanks for posting.

This is a more general wish to have global variables that can be used for anything, I get that. Any reason why AQL let statements are not sufficient here?

Could you elaborate a bit?

Jan

medini_1063548292

Hi Jan,

If would have posted the full article you would have seen it.

Since I already see interest I will just try to summarize the benefits:

Limit the Repetitive AQL queries , simplification and better for reusability and eventual later updates if some changes are needed
Storage of intermediate query results and further processing of / update based on UI interaction
Avoidance of complex m:let... m:endlet confusion and proper block closure in case of nested let statements (on the Mdoc Roadmap github ticket).
Matching the let with endlet is also a pain when one will decide to restructure the blocks a bit later on

I have been suffering quite heavy memory usage during MDOC generation of complex templates,es and I am suspicions that it maya come from the many "heavy" repetitive queries ( to be still tested out)

Another idea oint i Has was if such report cache can be shared in th Mdoc (AQL) and eval service.

Marian

medini_1024169437

Yeah, the need for a closing endlet is annoying a bit. Did not know the extension request but the request is 3 years old at least :-(

About your service: do you see the need to have this native supported? And second: do yo have some screenshot how that looks like in a m2doc report? Less ugly I suppose but quite long method names, maybe something shorter is better?

Last thing. You last statement looks bit mixed up and I did not really get the point. Could you clarify please Marian?

Happy Reporting (always)

Jan

medini_1063548292

Sure Jan,

the name of
the services, signatures open to suggestions , the return can be anything so

cacheGet(Object key)
cacheGet(Object key Object
defaultValue)
cachePut(Object key, Object
value)
cacheClear(Object)

The return
value for Put, Clear can be empty string. Of course the Cache can be
automatically cleared at the end of the report automatically or the m2doc
report service call .''cacheClear()

Before I
will move to your question on whether the native service support is needed I
will clarify the last mixed point I mentioned.

The remark
was targeted to the fact that if the cache can be tight to a report and its
content could be also part of the evaluation service context.

As a
result, content of the report's "Cache" could be operated
through the eval() and used in the AQL.

Now about
the native support. I think there are three options.

First one is if there would be a static
report "Cache" object accessible in my eval service in the report,
then it shall be manageable to handle the "report variables" without
any specific natively supported M2Doc services.

It will
only cost one a bit of extra code using eval() as means to get/manipulate the Cache.

//example of AQL, report cache utilizes eval with report Cache object, no need of designated m2doc services
[m: 'allFm'.eval('cache[self]=p2;',safetyModel::FailureMode.allInstances())}
... 
//recall stored Fm and use for to iterate over root causes
{m:for 'allFm'.eval('cache[self]')->select(fx|fx.causedBy->isEmpty())->asOrderedSet() }
...
{m:endfor root-caue FM}

//recall stored Fm and use for to iterate over top effects
{m:for 'allFm'.eval('cache[self]')->select(fx|fx.effects->isEmpty())->asOrderedSet() }
...
{m:endfor top effect FM}
...
//end of the report clear the garbage
{m: ''.eval('chache={};')}

The
second option is to
provide the Native services in the Java plugin

//example of AQL, report cache utilize eval with report cache object, no need of 
[m: 'allFm'.cachePut(safetyModel::FailureMode.allInstances())}
... 
//recall stored Fm and use for to iterate over root causes
{m:for 'allFm'.cacheGet()->select(fx|fx.causedBy->isEmpty())->asOrderedSet() }
...
{m:endfor root-caue FM}
// access it also in eval 
{m: ‘allFm’.eval(‘cache[self].toArray().map( fm => fm.label)’).asList()->sep(‘\n’)}

//recall stored Fm and use for to iterate over top effects
{m:for 'allFm'.cacheGet()->select(fx|fx.effects->isEmpty())->asOrderedSet() }
...
{m:endfor top effect FM}
...
//end of the report clear the garbage
{m: ''.cacheClear()}

Third
option (used
currently) is to use custom scripted
services

Marian

medini_1024169437

Okay thanks Marian, nice ideas.

My gut feeling is that a native solution with a dedicated API would offer the chance to use a more slim API and maybe also to support adding multiple variables in one statement like:

{m: cache.put('a', 'foo').put('c', 'bar') .... }

{m: 'a'.push('foo') reads a bit strange to me.

Would that we required? I think that was the idea of the original m2doc enhancement ticket.

Jan

medini_1063548292

Jan,

The reason why i presumed use case 'a'.cachePut(value) was simply because the in other to invoke any M2Doc service one need a calling object nothing more. OF course one could also use some dummy calling object ''.cachePut('varname',varvalue)

I agree that having an option to chain the commands is a real benefit, so thumbs up on that one!

We can eventually create a support a ticket to discuss/document further technical details and later on post the conclusion in here, if you agree ?

Marian

medini_1024169437

Lets do that Marian.

Jan