Thorn IOBasic provides I/O methods for outputting scalar values in ASCII format into files and for printing them as runtime information to screen.
Thorn IOBasic registers 2 I/O methods with the I/O interface in the flesh which both output the same following information:
for CCTK_SCALAR variables, the value of the scalar versus time
for CCTK_GF and CCTK_ARRAY variables, the values of global reduction operations (eg. minimum, maximum, L1, and L2 norm) versus time
The I/O methods differ in the destination the output is written to:
Scalar
This method outputs the information into ASCII files named "<scalar_name>.{asc|xg}" (for
CCTK_SCALAR variables) and "<var_name>_<reduction>.{asc|xg}" (for CCTK_GF and
CCTK_ARRAY variables where reduction would stand for the type of reduction value that is
output).
The output data can be plotted by using either xgraph (for "*.xg" files) or gnuplot (for "*.asc"
files). The output style can be selected via parameter settings.
Info
This method prints the data as runtime information to stdout.
The output occurs as a table with columns containing the current iteration number, the physical
time at this iteration, and more columns for scalar/reduction values of each variable to be output.
Parameters to control the Scalar I/O method are:
IOBasic::outScalar_criterion (steerable)
The criterion that decides when to Scalar output. If this parameter is set in the parameter file, it
will override the setting of the shared IO::out_criterion parameter.
IOBasic::outScalar_every (steerable)
How often, in terms of iterations, to do Scalar output. If this parameter is set in the parameter
file, it will override the setting of the shared IO::out_every parameter.
IOBasic::outScalar_dt (steerable)
How often, in terms of simulation time, to do Scalar output. If this parameter is set in the parameter
file, it will override the setting of the shared IO::out_dt parameter.
IOBasic::out_dir
The directory in which to place the Scalar ASCII output files. If the directory doesn’t exist at
startup it will be created.
If this paraeter is set to an empty string Scalar output will go to the standard output directory as
specified in IO::out_dir.
IOBasic::outScalar_style
How to start comments in the Scalar ASCII output files.
Possible choices for this keywork parameter are xgraph and gnuplot.
IOBasic::out_format (steerable)
The output format for floating-point numbers in Scalar output.
This parameter conforms to the format modifier of the C library routine fprintf(3). You can set
the format for outputting floating-point numbers (fixed or exponential) as well as their precision
(number of digits).
IOBasic::outScalar_vars (steerable)
The list of variables to output into individual ASCII files.
The variables must be given by their fully qualified variable or group name. The special keyword
all requests Scalar output for all variables. Multiple variables must be separated by spaces. For
CCTK_GF and CCTK_ARRAY variables, an option string can be appended in curly braces to the
name of the variable. The only option supported so far is an individual list of reductions for that
variable which would take precedence over the default reduction operations to perform.
IOBasic::outScalar_reductions (steerable)
The list of global reduction operations to perform on CCTK_GF and CCTK_ARRAY variables for
Scalar output. This setting can be overridden for individual variables using an option string.
Multiple reduction names must be separated by spaces.
Parameters to control the Info I/O method are:
IOBasic::outInfo_criterion (steerable)
The criterion that decides when to Info output. If this parameter is set in the parameter file, it
will override the setting of the shared IO::out_criterion parameter.
IOBasic::outInfo_every (steerable)
How often, in terms of iterations, to do Info output. If this parameter is set in the parameter file,
it will override the setting of the shared IO::out_every parameter.
IOBasic::outInfo_dt (steerable)
How often, in terms of simulation time, to do Info output. If this parameter is set in the parameter
file, it will override the setting of the shared IO::out_dt parameter.
IOBasic::outInfo_vars (steerable)
The list of variables to output to screen.
The variables must be given by their fully qualified variable or group name. The special keyword
all requests Info output for all variables. Multiple variables must be separated by spaces.
For CCTK_GF and CCTK_ARRAY variables, an option string can be appended in curly braces
to the name of the variable. The only option supported so far is an individual list of reductions for
that variable which would take precedence over the default reduction operations to perform.
IOBasic::outInfo_reductions (steerable)
The default list of global reduction operations to perform on CCTK_GF and CCTK_ARRAY
variables. This setting can be overridden for individual variables using an option string.
Multiple reduction names must be separated by spaces.
All of the above parameters marked as steerable can be changed at runtime.
The following parameter settings request info output for variables grid::r, wavetoy::phi (both are CCTK grid functions) and mythorn::complex (a complex CCTK scalar) at every other iteration.
The minimum and maximum of grid::r is printed according to the list of default reductions for info output (parameter IOBasic::outInfo_reductions). This list is overridden for wavetoy::phi where only the L2 norm is output as specified in the option string for this variable. You can also add other reduction operators within the \(\{\}\) braces.
For the scalar variable mythorn::complex both the real and imaginary part are printed.
IOBasic::outInfo_every = 2
IOBasic::outInfo_vars = "grid::r
wavetoy::phi{reductions = ’norm2’}
mythorn::complex"
IOBasic::outInfo_reductions = "minimum maximum"
The resulting screen output would look like this:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- it | | GRID::r | WAVETOY::phi | MYTHORN::complex | | t | minimum | maximum | norm2 | real part | imag part | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0 | 0.000 | 0.02986294 | 0.86602540 | 0.04217014 | 6.90359593 | 0.00000000 | 2 | 0.034 | 0.02986294 | 0.86602540 | 0.00934749 | 6.90359593 | 0.00000000 | 4 | 0.069 | 0.02986294 | 0.86602540 | 0.02989811 | 6.90359593 | 0.00000000 | 6 | 0.103 | 0.02986294 | 0.86602540 | 0.05899959 | 6.90359593 | 0.00000000 | 8 | 0.138 | 0.02986294 | 0.86602540 | 0.07351147 | 6.90359593 | 0.00000000 | 10 | 0.172 | 0.02986294 | 0.86602540 | 0.07781795 | 6.90359593 | 0.00000000 |
The following parameter settings request scalar output for all grid function variables in the group
grid::coordinates and for the scalar variable grid::coarse_dx.
Output occurs every 10th iteration. gnuplot output style is selected for the ASCII files which are placed into a
subdirectory scalar_output. The minimum and maximum of grid::r is printed according to the list of default
reductions for scalar output (parameter IOBasic::outScalar_reductions). This list is overridden for
wavetoy::phi where only the L1 norm is output as specified in the option string for this variable. You can also
add other reduction operators within the \(\{\}\) braces.
IOBasic::outScalar_every = 10
IOBasic::outScalar_vars = "grid::coordinates grid::coarse_dx wavetoy::phi{reductions = ’norm1’}"
IOBasic::outScalar_reductions = "minimum maximum"
IOBasic::outScalar_style = "gnuplot"
IOBasic::out_dir = "scalar_output"
This would create the following ASCII files:
~/Cactus/par> ls scalar_output coarse_dx.asc r_minimum.asc x_minimum.asc y_minimum.asc z_minimum.asc r_maximum.asc x_maximum.asc y_maximum.asc z_maximum.asc phi_norm1.asc
Possible Reduction Operations
In order to get output of reduction values for CCTK_GF and CCTK_ARRAY variables you need to activate a thorn
which provides reduction operators (eg. thorn PUGHReduce in the CactusPUGH arrangement). For a list of
possible reduction operations please refer to the documention of this reduction thorn.
Getting Output from IOBasic’s I/O Mehtods
You obtain output by an I/O method by either
setting the appropriate I/O parameters
calling one of the routines of the I/O function interface provided by the flesh
For a description of basic I/O parameters and the I/O function interface to invoke I/O methods by application
thorns please see the documentation of thorn IOUtil and the flesh.
Building Cactus configurations with IOBasic
Since IOBasic uses parameters from IOUtil it also needs this I/O helper thorn be compiled into Cactus and
activated at runtime in the ActiveThorns parameter in your parameter file.
| out_dir | Scope: private | STRING |
| Description: Output directory for IOBasic’s scalar files, overrides IO::out_dir
| ||
| Range | Default: (none) | |
| .+ | A valid directory name
| |
 | An empty string to choose the default from IO::out_dir
| |
| out_format | Scope: private | STRING |
| Description: Which format for Scalar floating-point number output
| ||
| Range | Default: .13f | |
| see [1] below | output with given precision in exponential / floating point notation
| |
[1]
\^({\textbackslash}.[1]?[0-9])?[EGefg]\$
| outinfo_criterion | Scope: private | KEYWORD |
| Description: Criterion to select Info output intervals
| ||
| Range | Default: iteration | |
| never | Never output
| |
| iteration | Output every so many iterations
| |
| time | Output every that much coordinate time
| |
| outinfo_dt | Scope: private | REAL |
| Description: How often to do Info output
| ||
| Range | Default: -2 | |
| (0:* | In intervals of that much coordinate time
| |
| As often as possible
| ||
| -1 | Disable output
| |
| -2 | Default to IO::out_dt
| |
| outinfo_every | Scope: private | INT |
| Description: How often to do Info output
| ||
| Range | Default: -1 | |
| 1:* | Every so many iterations
| |
| 0: | Disable Info output
| |
| -1: | Default to IO::out_every
| |
| outinfo_reductions | Scope: private | STRING |
| Description: List of reductions to output as Info to screen
| ||
| Range | Default: minimum maximum | |
| .+ | Space-separated list of reduction operators
| |
| outinfo_vars | Scope: private | STRING |
| Description: Variables to output as Info to screen
| ||
| Range | Default: (none) | |
| .+ | Space-separated list of fully qualified variable/group names
| |
 | An empty string to output nothing
| |
| outscalar_criterion | Scope: private | KEYWORD |
| Description: Criterion to select Scalar output intervals
| ||
| Range | Default: iteration | |
| never | Never output
| |
| iteration | Output every so many iterations
| |
| time | Output every that much coordinate time
| |
| outscalar_dt | Scope: private | REAL |
| Description: How often to do Scalar output
| ||
| Range | Default: -2 | |
| (0:* | In intervals of that much coordinate time
| |
| As often as possible
| ||
| -1 | Disable output
| |
| -2 | Default to IO::out_dt
| |
| outscalar_every | Scope: private | INT |
| Description: How often to do Scalar output
| ||
| Range | Default: -1 | |
| 1:* | Every so many iterations
| |
| 0: | Disable Scalar output
| |
| -1: | Default to IO::out_every
| |
| outscalar_reductions | Scope: private | STRING |
| Description: List of reductions to output into files
| ||
| Range | Default: minimum maximum norm1 norm2 | |
| .+ | Space-separated list of reduction operators
| |
| outscalar_style | Scope: private | KEYWORD |
| Description: Which style for Scalar output
| ||
| Range | Default: xgraph | |
| gnuplot | 1D output readable by gnuplot
| |
| xgraph | 1D output readable by xgraph
| |
| outscalar_vars | Scope: private | STRING |
| Description: Variables to output into files
| ||
| Range | Default: (none) | |
| .+ | Space-separated list of fully qualified variable/group names
| |
 | An empty string to output nothing
| |
| io_out_dir | Scope: shared from IO | STRING |
| new_filename_scheme | Scope: shared from IO | BOOLEAN |
| out_criterion | Scope: shared from IO | KEYWORD |
| out_dt | Scope: shared from IO | REAL |
| out_every | Scope: shared from IO | INT |
| out_fileinfo | Scope: shared from IO | KEYWORD |
| strict_io_parameter_check | Scope: shared from IO | BOOLEAN |
| verbose | Scope: shared from IO | KEYWORD |
Implements:
iobasic
Inherits:
io
| Group Names | Variable Names | Details | |
| next_info_output_time | next_info_output_time | compact | 0 |
| dimensions | 0 | ||
| distribution | CONSTANT | ||
| group type | SCALAR | ||
| timelevels | 1 | ||
| variable type | REAL | ||
| next_scalar_output_time | next_scalar_output_time | compact | 0 |
| dimensions | 0 | ||
| distribution | CONSTANT | ||
| group type | SCALAR | ||
| timelevels | 1 | ||
| variable type | REAL | ||
This section lists all the variables which are assigned storage by thorn CactusBase/IOBasic. Storage can either last for the duration of the run (Always means that if this thorn is activated storage will be assigned, Conditional means that if this thorn is activated storage will be assigned for the duration of the run if some condition is met), or can be turned on for the duration of a schedule function.
| Always: | |
| next_info_output_time next_scalar_output_time | |
CCTK_STARTUP
iobasic_startup
startup routine
| After: | ioutil_startup | |
| Language: | c | |
| Type: | function | |
CCTK_INITIAL
iobasic_init
initialisation routine
| Language: | c | |
| Type: | function | |
| Writes: | iobasic::next_info_output_time(everywhere) | |
| iobasic::next_scalar_output_time(everywhere) | ||