NAG C Library Function Document

nag_opt_read (e04xyc)

1
Purpose

nag_opt_read (e04xyc) reads a set of optional parameter values from a file and assigns those values to a given options structure of type Nag_E04_Opt. Values supplied are checked as being of correct type for the specified optional parameter.

2
Specification

#include <nag.h>
#include <nage04.h>
void  nag_opt_read (const char *name, const char *opt_file, Nag_E04_Opt *options, Nag_Boolean print, const char *outfile, NagError *fail)

3
Description

The optimization functions of Chapter e04 have a number of optional parameters, which are set by means of a structure of type Nag_E04_Opt. Optional parameter values may be assigned to members of the options structure directly in the program text and/or by supplying the optional values in a file which can be read by the function nag_opt_read (e04xyc).
When optional parameter values are read from a file using nag_opt_read (e04xyc) then the options structure will be initialized automatically if this has not already been done. It is only necessary to call nag_opt_init (e04xxc) if direct assignments to the options structure are made in your program before calling nag_opt_read (e04xyc).
As well as reading from a file, nag_opt_read (e04xyc) will also read from stdin. This allows redirection to be used to supply the file; it also permits nag_opt_read (e04xyc) to be used interactively by supplying values from the keyboard.
Checks are made that the values read in are of valid type for the optional parameter specified and (except for nag_opt_nlp_sparse (e04ugc)) that the value is within the range for that argument. If a value is accepted, a printed confirmation of the setting of the relevant argument will be output if print=Nag_TRUE . An unacceptable argument name or value will give an error message if fail.print = Nag_TRUE.

4
References

None.

5
Arguments

1:     name const char *Input
On entry: a character string specifying either the NAG six character name or the NAG long name of the proposed optimization function. The case of the character string is disregarded.
2:     opt_file const char *Input
On entry: the name of the file which specifies the optional parameter values. If stdin is to be used, the string "stdin" should be supplied. The set of option values must be preceded by the keyword begin followed by the function name for which the set of options is being supplied. The function name may be the six character NAG name of an optimization function or its associated long name.
Each option value specified in the file must be preceded by the name of the optional parameter. The argument name and value must be separated by at least one blank space or an equals symbol. nag_opt_read (e04xyc) will read to the end of file or until the keyword end is found or until another begin is found. C style comments may be placed within a set of option values to aid your documentation. Outside the option value sets, text need not be within C style comment delimiters.
Note: assignment to function pointers in the options structure, memory allocation to array pointers and assignment of trailing array dimensions cannot be performed from an options file. These must be assigned directly to the options structure in your calling program.
3:     options Nag_E04_Opt *Input/Output
On entry: the options structure may or may not have previously been initialized, and had values assigned to its members.
On exit: the options structure, initialized and with values assigned according to the values found in the options file.
4:     print Nag_BooleanInput
On entry: if Nag_TRUE a message confirming the setting of each option will be output.
5:     outfile const char *Input
On entry: a character string specifying the name of the file to which confirmation messages should be output. If stdout is required then the string "stdout" should be given. When print=Nag_FALSE  the empty string "" can be supplied as outfile will be ignored.
6:     fail NagError *Input/Output
The NAG error argument (see Section 3.7 in How to Use the NAG Library and its Documentation).

6
Error Indicators and Warnings

NE_STOP_LT_START and NE_CHECK_LT_ONE are specific to option setting for nag_opt_conj_grad (e04dgc), nag_opt_nlin_lsq (e04unc) and nag_opt_nlp_solve (e04wdc).
NE_CHECK_LT_ONE
Value value given to string  is less than 1.
NE_FIELD_UNKNOWN
(line value) ‘ string ’ is not a permitted structure member or option for string .
NE_INVALID_BEGIN
The Begin statement occurring in data file from which options are being read is not valid.
NE_INVALID_ENUM_RANGE
Enum value string  given to option  is not valid for this function.
NE_INVALID_INT_RANGE_1
Value value given to option  is not valid. Correct range is option value.
NE_INVALID_INT_RANGE_2
Value value given to option  is not valid. Correct range is value option value.
NE_INVALID_OPTION
(line value) string  cannot be assigned to using an options file.
NE_INVALID_OPTION_NAME
(line value) ‘ string ’ is not a valid name for a structure member or option.
This error message is output if, for example, the specified string contains characters which are not permitted in a variable name in the C programming language.
NE_INVALID_REAL_RANGE_CONS
Value value given to option  not valid. The argument option  must satisfy constraint .
NE_INVALID_REAL_RANGE_E
Value value given to option  is not valid. Correct range is option value.
NE_INVALID_REAL_RANGE_EF
Value value given to option  is not valid. Correct range is value option value.
NE_INVALID_REAL_RANGE_F
Value value given to option  is not valid. Correct range is option value.
NE_INVALID_REAL_RANGE_FF
Value value given to option  is not valid. Correct range is value option value.
NE_INVALID_TEXT_RANGE
Value string  given to option  not valid.
NE_INVALID_VALUE
(line value) is not a permitted structure member or option for string .
NE_NO_VALUE
(line value) no value found for option string .
NE_NOT_APPEND_FILE
Cannot open file string  for appending.
NE_NOT_CLOSE_FILE
Cannot close file string .
NE_NOT_FUN_NAME
The string, string , supplied in the argument name is not the name of any C Library function with option setting facilities.
NE_NOT_READ_FILE
Cannot open file string  for reading.
NE_STOP_LT_START
Value given to obj_check_stop, value, is less than value given to obj_check_start, value.
NE_UNBALANCED_COMMENT
Unbalanced comment starting on line value found in options file.
NE_WRITE_ERROR
Error occurred when writing to file string .

7
Accuracy

Not applicable.

8
Parallelism and Performance

nag_opt_read (e04xyc) is not threaded in any implementation.

9
Further Comments

None.

10
Example

See Section 10 in nag_opt_conj_grad (e04dgc), nag_opt_lsq_no_deriv (e04fcc), nag_opt_lsq_deriv (e04gbc), nag_opt_bounds_2nd_deriv (e04lbc), nag_opt_lp (e04mfc), nag_opt_qp (e04nfc), nag_opt_nlp_sparse (e04ugc) and nag_opt_nlp_solve (e04wdc).