Reference › Prototype File Format and Structure

Prototype File Format and Structure

The prototype file is an ASCII file used to specify information about the PIF product. The information is bundled in sections, depending on the purpose and the contents of the information. A section can be omitted when it is not relevant for the PIF product. The prototype file can contain the following sections:

• Product information section
• Component section
• Parameter section (Default section)
• Dialog section
• Resource section

The prototype file is created using the pifproto command or by entering appropriate values through the Packager GUI. The name of the prototype file is created as follows:

prodname.platform.@prm

Following notation conventions apply to prototype files for PIF products:

• All entries in the prototype file are structured as follows:

  #keyword: property1 , property2 , ... ;
  

  Each keyword is lead by a hash sign (#), and terminated by a colon (:).

  Each property is separated from the subsequent property by a space-comma-space sequence ( , ).

  Properties shown in square brackets [ ] are optional and can be omitted. In lists of properties you must keep the separating space-comma-space sequences for compiler reasons, for example, if properties prop2, prop4, and prop5 are optional:

  #keyw: prop1 ,  , prop3 ,  ,  , prop6 ;  
  

• Each entry is terminated by a space-semicolon sequence ( ;).
• Entries must not extend over several lines.
• Entries shown in square brackets [ ] are optional. Optional entries can be entered without values. You can also omit the complete entry.
• Comments must start with a double slash (//), or start with the characters slash asterisk (/*) and end with the characters asterisk slash (*/).
• Entries in the prototype file must not contain any control character, like carriage return (CR) or line feed (LF).