Scripting use-cases

  • Some instruments never want more than one scripts running simultaneously

    • This is the “default” case for more than one instrument

  • Some instruments want to run multiple control scripts in parallel:

    • LARMOR for example run a script that flips polarisation alongside a user script. Similar workflow on Vesuvio.

  • There is a use case for one “control” script and one “visualisation” script simultaneously

    • the visualisation script can be purely read-only

  • Muons make no distinction between script, script server, script generator.

    • Play about with some ideas in scripting

    • Then go to script generator to make full experimental script

    • Like the idea of editing a script which is sat in a queue

  • Improve script server training materials.

    • But also has to be explainable to a (scientific) user in a short amount of time.

    • Has to be possible to run single lines (e.g. function calls with parameters)

Ideas

  • Only enable write from within script server?

    • We would have to provide an override for some specific use cases

  • Disable writing while acquisition is running (e.g. oak ridge). This could run into issues at ISIS.

  • Enable load/execute in script server from within normal console window?

    • have a genie_python command g.queue_on_server()?

    • Future of g.load_script()

  • As a user: go to script server, load script, execute it?

    • I might want to edit my script.

  • load_script still loads script locally, but when I execute this function it should run on the script server?

  • Nicos has a command for list_commands. We’ve currently only made it aware of g_p commands

  • Use standard python? e.g. def main(): ... main()

Solution?

  • g.run_file : loads and runs locally (right now)

  • g.queue_file : loads and runs in the script server (queues)

  • g.dry_run (queues in simulation mode - might be further in the future)

  • Need a (small) scripting console in the nicos perspective

  • Might need to disable queuing a script from within a script in the queue. Separate client/server g_p.