Input/Modify Base Network Using Batch Entry - New Module 2.11

Module 2.11, 'Input / modify base network using batch entry', has undergone a complete rewrite for Release 6.0. Gone are the days where module 2.11 insisted on input files that had to be sorted according to I- and J-nodes, and where network modifications were not possible with this module!

The new version of module 2.11 offers the following advantages over its predecessors:

• Full support of add, delete and modify operations, i.e. ``a'', ``d'' and ``m'' type records are now accepted for both links and nodes.
• Support for multiple input sections has been added. This means that the input file can contain multiple node and link sections (each preceded by its own t-card, of course), in any order. The operations are carried out strictly in the order they appear in the input stream, so only the usual data hierarchy rules have to be observed.
• The input records can appear in any order, sorting of the link records according to I- and J-nodes is no longer needed.
• Attribute values can now be preceded by optional positional keywords. This is useful for modify operations when only some of the attribute values are changed. Example for such a link modification: m~1042~1041~vfd=5~lanes=3
• Modes can be incrementally added or removed from a link, without knowledge of the other modes that exist on this link. This is done by preceding the mode letters by the prefix ``+'' (add modes) or ``-'' (remove modes). Example (removing modes m and t from link 1042-1041): m~1042~1041~mod=-mt

The new version of module 2.11 remains completely upward compatible with the previous version, with the only exception that it will not initialize the node table (i.e. ``t nodes init'') unless the link table is empty. This is a consequence of the strict implementation of the usual data hierarchy rules, which the old version did not adhere to in this particular case. Hence, before reading in a new network starting with a ``t nodes init'' card, the link table has to be initialized explicitly. This can be done by simply adding a ``t links init'' card at the beginning of the input file, or by using the new option ``initialize base network'' in module 2.12.