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Converting to TTCN-MP


TTCN-GR - the graphical notation - is the format used when you edit or print a test suite in the TTCN Suite. TTCN-MP - the textual notation (machine processable) - can be used when you want to import a TTCN document into a non-TTCN Suite tool or make backups.

To convert a TTCN document to TTCN-MP, either:

Both TTCN-MP and TTCN-GR can be opened in TTCN Suite.

For a full supported EBNF, see "The TTCN-MP Syntax Productions in BNF" on page 1578 in chapter 38, Languages Supported in the TTCN Suite.

The Standard MP Format

When you convert to MP, the TTCN document does not have to be analyzed or correct. TTCN-MP will be generated even for documents that are neither complete nor error-free. This implies that the generated MP file may be, but is not necessarily, conformant to the standardized TTCN-MP format

However, to ensure that the TTCN-MP document can be read by a non-TTCN Suite tool, you should analyze the document and correct any errors.

The IBM Rational MP Format

An optional but non-standard TTCN-MP for compact tables and ASN.1 references is supported. Additional fields in dynamic tables (fields which are transferred to test suite overview tables) are also supported. You are recommended to use this format for transferring TTCN document between the TTCN Suite instances and for making backups of the TTCN documents. Otherwise it works just as the standard MP format.

MP File Format Problem when Opening

When you open certain TTCN-MP documents, a problem with transferring the information (e.g. description) in the overview tables to the tables in Dynamic Part, may occur.

The TTCN standard allow path specifications to optionally include the document name first. This has the unfortunate effect that if the TTCN document contains a top level group with the same name as the TTCN document, there is, in general, no way of knowing if the first part of the paths is a group identifier or the TTCN document identifier.

TTCN Suite assumes that if the first part of the path is equal to the document name, it is the optional document name and, when converting, strips it away. When the document is saved as or exported to MP, the document name is always added to the front of all paths. That way, TTCN Suite is always able to open the MP files it exports.

If the TTCN document contains top level group identifiers equal to the document name, and TTCN Suite is unable to resolve the paths, temporarily change the document name in the MP file and change it back once inside TTCN Suite.

Note that ITEX 2.0 did not add the document name at export, and therefore the problem described may apply when open MP files exported by ITEX 2.0.

Fields Containing the `$' Character

The contents of table fields in a TTCN-MP file are usually ignored. However, to make it possible to open non-bounded free text fields (for example TS_VarValue field) with embedded dollar characters (`$'), those fields will be syntax checked. This means that it is not possible to convert TTCN documents containing unmatched single or double quotes in non-bounded freetext fields, that is, when you open a TTCN-MP file, syntax errors in those fields will not be tolerated.

Revision Control

There is no integrated revision control system in the TTCN Suite. Since normal visible files are used to store the TTCN documents, it is easy to integrate the TTCN Suite in a revision control system. However, since the.itex file format is binary, it is better to use the TTCN-MP format.


http://www.ibm.com/rational
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