4. CA MICS Facilities › 4.2 CA MICS Component Generator (MCG) › 4.2.5 Guidelines for Coding MCG Statements

4.2.5 Guidelines for Coding MCG Statements

In defining the statements for a file, we recommend that
these rules be followed:

    o Use the common data element cluster code specification
      of 99 in the NAME statements that define common
      elements to a file.

      While it is possible to define a common data element
      with different characteristics in different files,
      doing so defeats several major CA MICS design
      objectives that relate to the integration of data from
      various sources.  Using the cluster code of 99 reduces
      the effort needed to code a user component, uses
      debugged element definitions, and helps maintain a high
      level of product integrity.

    o Define ENDTS (End Time Stamp) in all timespans as a
      common, maximum field (XM).  This will ensure that as
      data is summarized, the ENDTS will contain the highest
      ENDTS of the observations included.  ENDTS is defined
      as a common data element in the $DEGENIN member of
      sharedprefix.MICS.GENLIB.

    o Define STARTTS (Start Time Stamp) in all timespans as
      a common, minimum field (XN).  This will ensure that as
      data is summarized, the STARTTS will contain the lowest
      STARTTS of the observations included.  STARTTS is
      defined as a common data element in the $DEGENIN member
      of sharedprefix.MICS.GENLIB.

    o All generation input members support a comment
      facility.  Lines whose first non-blank character is an
      asterisk (*) are treated as comments and ignored by the
      MCG.  If you change any distributed CA MICS generation
      input statements, comment the fact directly in the
      member.  Note in the comment the date of the change,
      your name, the reason for the change, and the intended
      results.

    o The CA MICS Component Generator translates lowercase
      characters to uppercase for those statement definition
      fields that must be uppercase.  Lowercase characters
      are best used in labels on NAME statements.