List of questions

If you don't find the answer to your question here, don't hesitate to send it to the OASIS PLCS mailing list. If you have the answer to a question without one, or a much better answer, send that remark to the same mailing list.

Remember, there are no stupid questions - but not asking them might be!

General questions

What is DEX Specifications, Capabilities, Business DEXs and Reference data?

Read the Business overview, and the Technical description section.

How do I find what I'm lookin for at this site?

Look at the site navigation instructions page.

How do I get in contact with the PLCS community?

Look at the PLCS contact information page.

Where do I find a glossary of terms related to PLCS?

Use the 'Terms' link in the banner menu.

Who is allowed to edit the content of the PLCS Information pages in DEXlib?

Anyone with the status as 'DEXlib developer' can edit these pages. Please contact Mats Nilsson or Rob Bodington before making any larger contributions.

Editing DEXlib

Which colors should I use when I create images or diagrams?

(question not ansvered)

Where should I place images and other files I'm creating during the develpoment?

Read the page about the DEXlib directory structure.

How do I write characters like "ä" or "é" in an xml file?

Look in the page about characters.

How do I create the instance diagrams I need in my documentation?

Have a look at the Software section where you'll find information about Graphical Instance and Instance Explorer.

What is the naming convention for files in DEXlib?"

No spaces should be used, instead add an underscore '_' if necessary.
All DEXlib file extensions should always be in lower case.

How do I change a file name in DEXlib/CVS?

DELETE the file in CVS and rename it something else. Deleting 'Filename.txt and replacing it with 'filename.txt' is NOT possible. Instead the new file must be named something like 'file_name.txt', to be considered a new file name.

How can I find out what has changed in a file between different versions?"

This is a functionality of the CVS at Sourceforge.net. Go to the DEXlib project at Sourceforge.net, browse the CVS directory tree until you find the desired file, click on its name and then use the 'diffs' functionality at the bottom of the page to view differences between the chosen versions.

Other questions

How do I login to Sourceforge.net?

Look in the...

How do I download STEPmod or DEXlib from Sourceforge.net?

First you need to set up your computer for CVS access. This is described in the CVS setup guide The actual download procedure is described in the CVS work guide.

What is the difference between a 'Representing' Capability and a 'Referencing' one?

(question not ansvered)

How do I raise an issue against STEPmod?

(question not ansvered)

How can I view a summary of all DEXs?

Click on 'Tools' in the banner menu. Then chose 'DEX summary' sorted by ID or Number.

How do I raise or view issues against DEXs or Reference Data?

This is explained here.

What is a 'DEX short form'?

(question not ansvered)

How do I create a new DEX, Capability or Business DEX?

Make a BC(../../utils/dex/mk_buscpt.wsf).

How do I remove a created DEX, Capability or Business DEX?

First remove the folder with the name of the item to be deleted in 'dexlib/data/-itemtype-/'. Then open the 'dex_index.xml' file in the DEXlib root directory and remove the line that describes the item.

How do I create Reference Data using OWL?

(question not ansvered)

What is Protege?

Protégé is a free ontology editor suitable for Reference data creation. Read more here.