Type 0: Definition of Changing Parameters

Use

You define changing parameters in dynamic function calls. To the changing parameter, you assign the variable whose value you want to transfer from the PI sheet or manufacturing cockpit to the function module. After the function has been executed, the parameter value is returned to this variable and transferred to the PI sheet or cockpit.

You can display the variable in the PI sheet or cockpit. You can use the variable to transfer the value to succeeding process instructions of the same PI sheet or cockpit. However, note the following:

The function can be carried out more than once in the PI sheet or cockpit.
The function may change the parameter value.

Prerequisites

If you want to transfer the value of a variable to the function module or pass it from the function module to the PI sheet or cockpit, the variable must be defined in the same PI sheet or cockpit. In PI sheets, the variable may also have been defined for the entire process order.

For more information on how to use system variables and variables in general, see:

Activities

When defining changing parameters, you specify the following information in the process instruction:

All required changing parameters of the function module;
Changing parameters are required if the Optional indicator has not been set. They must be specified in the process instruction.
Optional changing parameters of the function module for which you do not want to use the default value defined in the function module;
Changing parameters are optional if the Optional indicator has been set.
If required, the characteristic optional parameter transfer for optional parameters whose value you do not want to transfer when the function call is executed;
See also: Type 0: Optional Parameter Transfer .
The parameter name for each parameter to be passed on
The variables for each parameter value to be transferred;
You can only transfer the value of a variable to a parameter if the variable has the same data type as the parameter in the function module.

Note Note

If the changing parameter is typed with reference to a table type , you can transfer an entire table from the PI sheet to the function module. In this case, you must have defined a repeated data request (table) as the output. If you have defined a simple data request, the system only outputs the value of the first table line. The system can only process single-column tables.

End of the note.

Changing Parameters of Type Table

A function module can have changing parameters that are typed with reference to a table type. A function module can, by comparison, also have concrete table parameters that you define using characteristic PPPI_TABLE_PARAMETER.

These changing parameters of type Table are defined in the same way as simple changing parameters using characteristic PPPI_CHANGING_PARAMETER. The system automatically recognizes that these parameters are typed with reference to a table type.

You can use changing parameters of type Table to transfer a table variable from the PI sheet to a function module and pass values from a function module to a table variable of the PI sheet. This means that the variable you want to transfer to the function module or to which you want to pass a value from the function module must be defined within a repeated data request (table).

Characteristic Definition

To enter this information, you assign the following characteristics to the process instruction in the sequence specified below:

Characteristic	Meaning	Allowed Values
PPPI_CHANGING_PARAMETER	Changing parameters	Changing parameters of the function module
< PPPI_STRING_VARIABLE or < PPPI_FLOAT_VARIABLE or < PPPI_DATE_VARIABLE or < PPPI_TIME_VARIABLE	Value transfer in variable: < Alphanumeric value < Floating point number < Date < Time	Variable of data type: < Alphanumeric value < Floating point number < Date < Time
PPPI_OPTIONAL_PARAMETER	Optional parameter transfer	< Parameter transfer not optional < Parameter transfer optional

If you want to display the variable value in the PI sheet or cockpit, you must define an output field. For more information, see Type 0: Definition of Output Fields for Variable Values .