Preferences in CIMA version 2.3

Write daily log-files --- Default: Yes

When writing daily log-files, CIMA will write the log to a file which has the suffix '.cimalog_YYYYMMDD' where 'YYYYMMDD' is the AST date when the CIMA observing session was started. Observing sessions run on different days will thus end up in separate log-files. If You select not to write daily log file, then CIMA will write all the log to a general file with the suffix '.cimalog'. Note that the date for a daily log-file is determined at the time You start up a CIMA session. The entire log of Your observing session will go into the same log-file even if the session continues into the next day. If You, however, have to restart CIMA during Your session and You have passed AST midnight, then a new log-file with the new date will be used.

Write log-file also for off-line sessions --- Default: No

Although CIMA can happily produce log-files also when You are running CIMA in off-line mode, it is normally not very useful. This option allows You to select whether You want log-files or not when running in off-line mode. Any log-files produced in off-line mode will have the suffix '.cimaofflog' instead of '.cimalog' which is reserved for on-line sessions. There is thus no risk of mix up between Your real observing log and any off-line test runs.

Show the datataking status window --- Default: No

This option allows You to specify whether You want the datataking status window to be showed during Your CIMA observing session. Traditionally this window has always been opened in the top-right corner of the screen. It is a low-level engineering type window printing out a set of semi-cryptic information about the datataking state. It is usually not of any interest to the normal observer. This switch gives You the option to choose whether You want it or not.

Warn if the telescope comes close to the limits --- Default: Yes

This option allows You to select whether You want CIMA to give You warning messages if the telescope comes close to any of the telescope limits. If enabled You will get a 'WARNING' message about once every 30 seconds if the telescope is close to either the azimuth or the zenith angle limit. If You are going to observe close to the telescope limit, these warnings may get annoying and You can then use this option to switch them off.

Keep observations going if a WAPP fails --- Default: No

Unfortunately, it happens from time to time that a WAPP fails during observations. If You are observing with the WAPPs, You probably want to abort Your observation and make sure that all WAPPs are working properly. However, if You have some time-critical observation, You may prefer to keep the observations going with the rest of the WAPPs. This may also be the case if the WAPPs are used for a project that is commensal with GALFA. This switch allows You to select if You want CIMA to keep on observing in case of a WAPP failure or if CIMA should abort the observation immediately. In both cases, CIMA will try to restart and reconfigure the failing WAPP for You. If You want CIMA to keep on observing and a WAPP fails while taking a spectra, then the failing WAPP will be taken off-line for the rest of the current spectra and then put back on-line for subsequent spectra.

Help-windows only stay open as long as right mouse-button is pressed --- Default: No

Most CIMA windows support a help-mode where You can move the cursor over any button or label in the window and then press the right mouse-button to get a pop-up window providing help on the selected feature. These pop-up windows can be configured to behave in two different ways. In one mode, the window pops up and stays open only as long as the right mouse-button is pressed. The help window disappears automatically as soon as the button is released. In the other mode, the help window pops up and stays open until You close it with its 'Continue' button. You can only have one pop-up help window open at any time, so if You click on another feature before You have closed the pop-up window, the help text on the new feature will be displayed in the help window that is already open.

Color scheme for log messages --- Default: Full

The log messages color scheme option allows You to choose how You want log messages in the the CIMA log display window to be colored. When the 'Full' option is selected, CIMA will use different colors for each different message level. With the 'Reduced' option, only the important message levels ERROR, WARNING, PROBLEM, ALERT, NOTE, COMMAND and DONE are printed in different colors, while all other messages are printed in black.

Level of information shown in the log display --- Default: Info level 3

This option allows You to select how much information You will see in the log display window. A lower level means that more information will be displayed, but important information will also scroll off the screen faster. Note that the levels are ordered from highest to lowest; 'Info level 3' is thus a lower level than 'Info level 2'. All CIMA messages are tagged with a message tag or a 'level' that indicates what type of message it is (error, info, debug) and how important it is. This allows You to decide what kind of log messages You want to see displayed. This option specifies the 'lowest' level to be shown. All messages with a level higher than this will also be shown. The following list specifies all CIMA message tags in order from the highest level to the lowest: ERROR WARNING PROBLEM ALERT NOTE COMMAND BEGIN END DONE TEST INFO1 INFO2 INFO3 INFO4 INFO5 START STOP LOG1 LOG2 LOG3 LOG4 LOG5 DEBUG1 DEBUG2 DEBUG3 DEBUG4 DEBUG5. This option only affects the log display window and does not affect the amount of information written to the log file.

Level of debug messages shown in the log file --- Default: No debug messages

This option allows You to select how much debug information CIMA should write the log file. A lower level means that more debug information will be written, which will make the log-files bigger and less comprehensible. Note that the levels are ordered from highest to lowest; 'Debug level 3' is thus a lower level than 'Debug level 2'. All CIMA messages are tagged with a message tag or a 'level' that indicates what type of message it is (error, info, debug) and how important it is. This allows You to decide what kind of log messages You want to write to Your log file. This option specifies the 'lowest' level to be written. All messages with a level higher than this will also be written. The following list specifies all CIMA message tags in order from the highest level to the lowest: ERROR WARNING PROBLEM ALERT NOTE COMMAND BEGIN END DONE TEST INFO1 INFO2 INFO3 INFO4 INFO5 START STOP LOG1 LOG2 LOG3 LOG4 LOG5 DEBUG1 DEBUG2 DEBUG3 DEBUG4 DEBUG5. All messages down to level LOG5 are always included in the log file. By changing this option You can also add debug information to the log file. NOTE that Your log file RAPIDLY will become very LARGE if You do include debug information --- especially if You include the lowest levels (DEBUG4 and DEBUG5) since CIMA then will dump vast amounts of internal information every second to the log file! Observers should not include debug information unless they really run into some problem during the observation and they want it documented for later debugging. Also beware that the inclusion of debug information may slow down CIMA and affect the performance! This option only affects the log file and does not affect the amount of information shown in the log display window.

Message format to use in the log window --- Default: Short

This option allows You to select the format of the messages shown in the log display window. The 'Short' format only displays the time and the message: 15:28:34 found a baboon. The 'Long' format adds the name of the procedure that generated the message: 15:28:34 monkey: found a baboon. The 'Full' format also adds the message level: 15:28:34 INFO1 monkey: found a baboon. The 'Total' format also adds the task-IDs of the current task as well as the top task: 15:28:34 10135:10142 INFO1 monkey: found a baboon. This option only affects how the messages are displayed in the log display window and does not affect the format used in the log file.

Message format to use in the log file --- Default: New

This option allows You to select the format of the project log file that is written in Your project directory. The following formats are available: The 'Old' format is the format that CIMA has been using for years: Thu Oct 4 15:28:34 AST 2007 found a baboon. The 'Augmented' format adds the name of the procedure that generated the message: Thu Oct 4 15:28:34 AST 2007 monkey: found a baboon. The 'New' format uses a different date format and also adds the message level: 2007-Oct-04 15:28:34 INFO1 monkey: found a baboon. The 'Complete' format also adds the task-IDs of the current task as well as the top task: 2007-Oct-04 15:28:34 <10135:10142> INFO1 monkey: found a baboon. Note that the format of the system-wide log file in /share/cima/Logs/Obslogs always is fixed. The system log is always written using the 'Complete' format with the project-ID added after the time. This option only affects the format of the log file and does not affect how the messages are displayed in the log display window.

Font size to use --- Default: Big

This option allows You to select the font size to be used in the CIMA windows. When using a smaller font size, the windows become smaller and You can thus have more windows open without having them overlap each other too much. If You are a remote observer with a small screen, You may thus want to select one of the smaller font sizes. Use of the 'Tiny' font do require good eyesight. All CIMA windows have originally been designed for the 'Big' font which thus is the default font. Some windows may look less aesthetic and items may not line up nicely when not using the 'Big' font. Note that old-style windows (the ones that don't have a yellow title box and a help-button in the lower left corner) always use a fixed font size.

This page is administered by Prakash Atreya ( patreya (a) naic . edu ) and was last updated on 16 April 2008.